Behind Sarah Kelley’s lens: Capturing the art of community

Sarah Frances Kelley is a detail-oriented photographer and creative director based in the UK, whose work is celebrated for its softness and soul. With a unique ability to capture the energy of her subjects and the warmth of the spaces they inhabit, Kelley’s photography brings moments of connection to life.

In this piece, Kelley reflects on her time at Soho House Mumbai, a place she describes as “true and authentic Soho House.” From its richly decorated interiors of powdered blues, umber reds, and artistic patterns, to its vibrant community of creatives, the House provided an endless source of inspiration. Through her lens, Kelley explored the subtleties of collaboration, creativity, and intimacy that define the Soho House experience—turning fleeting moments into timeless portraits that highlight the art of community.

In a candid chat with Harper’s Bazaar India, Kelley shares her approach to photography, the subtle cues she looks for in creative spaces, and how Soho House Mumbai left a lasting imprint on her work.

Harper’s Bazaar: What excites you most about photographing creative spaces like Soho House? 
Sarah Kelley: The energy. By its very nature, the Soho Houses around the world are creative epicentres that come with a buzz that I love to capture in any way I can. It’s a balance of translating the incredible detail in design, the endless cool energy here, and the spirit of its members in the most subtle way possible. 

HB: What are the subtle visual cues you look for when portraying a sense of community? 
SK: I bring hands into a lot of my images because they speak volumes about touch, connection, creativity, and intimacy—which is precisely what community at Soho House is about. Otherwise, for me, it’s about natural moments that are soft, gentle and over in the blink of an eye but that show the constant rhythm going on. A flick of hair, a chin tiling back to laugh, a glass being raised—these sort of things.

HB: How do you balance capturing the architectural beauty of a space with the human stories within it? 
SK: It’s all linked to me. I shoot with softness and soul no matter the subject and so that creates a link because the visual language shares the same common thread. 

HB: What aspects of Mumbai’s culture and energy do you connect with and try to infuse into your photography? 
SK: Colour, colour, colour. How the sunset connects with a fragrant sundowner on the roof, how the cacophony of colour on the tiles and towels tie in with the vibrancy of the dishes, and the genuine warmth from the people here coming through in the tone of my photos.

HB: What does collaboration mean to you as an artist? How do you approach capturing moments of collaboration without interrupting the flow? 
SK: Collaboration is about openness, laughter and creating something that you might never have produced on your own. I guess I rarely feel an interruption in flow when I collaborate with someone because I join hands with people to whom I feel a natural pull. Add to that the fact that I'm a bit of a soft soul and so it makes the union very light and easy. 

HB: How do you build trust with your subjects to capture authentic portraits? 
SK: Tactility is probably the ’tool’ I find most helpful here. I think touch, when brought in very slowly and gently can really help most people feel at ease. I’ll try to ease people into the best position for the shot that I think feels right for what I’ve picked up from their personality and body language, and I do that very much by hand – checking if they're happy for me to ‘paw’ at them first! Even the most shy of subjects relaxes into the shots very quickly from here which is a lovely thing to see and feel. 

HB: Are there any design elements of Soho House Mumbai that particularly resonate with you compared to other Houses? 
SK: Well firstly, that beach view. It doesn’t get more ethereal than that in the chaos of the city. But more specifically, the fabrics, the pattern, the colour. Every House does things beautifully but the powdered blues and umber reds in wall panelling, tiles and striped fabrics really set my heart aflutter.

All images: Sarah Kelley at Soho House Mumbai