Today we’d like to introduce you to Tina Daley.
Hi Tina, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hey, I’m Tina. North County San Diego based photographer of all things people and love. I’d say my love for photography started when I was a kid.
Preserving memories in the form of film is something I have valued since I was a young kid growing up. I lost my dad at a young age and having photos of him as tangible memories of my childhood is invaluable to me.
Although taking photos has always been so important to me, I never considered myself a true creative or a photographer that was talented enough to start a business— that is until this time last year in January of 2022.
Up until then, I had been a labor and delivery nurse for 10+ years and although that is something I still do and love, don’t get me wrong, I had this deep gut intuition to really dive into photography.
It was a calling I could not ignore. I had no idea how or where to start but I knew I had to.
During this time, I followed the journey of my own wedding videographer on social media. She shared about business mentoring & I knew this was my opportunity to get guidance from someone I respected. I told her that I had a calling to begin photography but didn’t know where to begin.
With her encouragement, I went all in with my photography passion.
I went out and bought a camera and a ticket to her photography retreat in Hawaii.
With no experience whatsoever, I landed in Hawaii not knowing what to expect or how I’d be received by the other professionals there… all I could do was hope that it’d be worth it.
That retreat changed everything for me.
I gained not only experience shooting couples and elopements but gained an entire tribe of women photographers that were 100% on board with community over competition.
That retreat catapulted me into my business. Since then, I’ve been shooting families, couples, boudoir, branding, and weddings.
My business is small but she’s growing and so am I.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I definitely wouldn’t say it’s been easy by any means, but it’s definitely been worth it.
I think one of the biggest obstacles as a creative is yourself. Self-doubt, comparing myself to others, and imposter syndrome are still a major mental obstacle. I can’t compare my chapter one to someone else’s chapter eight though.
We are our own harshest critic and that is something I still have to work on.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My passion is photographing love, whether that be couples in love, love between a family, or self-love. I’m always down for an new adventure though and absolutely always willing to travel. I am most proud of the growth I’ve had in such a small amount of time. December of 2021, I didn’t even own a camera, and fast forward to now January 2023 and I’m currently en route to my first wedding of the year.
I think what sets me apart is that I genuinely care about my clients and the importance of getting to know them. I send out questionnaires to really get an idea of who they are and gain an understanding of what it is about the shoot that they want to look back on in 20 years and remember.
Photography doesn’t feel like a job to me, it is an honor for me to be a part of other people’s big moments. I feel the emotions as they feel them in the moment; I tear up during weddings and while I’m editing the photos later.
I am just so overwhelmed with gratitude that I get to do this.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
The industry is definitely getting more into storytelling vs just taking traditional posed pictures. It’s the nostalgia, it’s the mushy gushy feeling that you get when you look at an old photo— that’s where we are shifting, and I am here for it.
I am here for the grain and the blur and the raw emotion of a candid moment.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tinadaleyphotography.com
- Instagram: tina_daleyphotography
Image Credits
Tina Daley Photography
