Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Tanner.
Hi Rachel, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I got started as a professional photographer the way a lot of people do; with zero experience in business or photography and a whole bunch of friends willing to let me practice on them. The funny thing is, I didn’t even own a camera or know how to use one. I wasn’t the quintessential photographer who “grew up with a camera in my hand”. In fact, I usually forget to take pictures on vacations, at parties and holidays. I’m a little embarrassed to say, I still don’t even have a personal Instagram account, cause what am I going to post on it? I never remember to take pictures of anything happening in my life, haha..
I was pregnant with my third baby and I decided I wanted a job that gave me complete control over my schedule, and I wanted it to be something that was focused on serving and spending time with people. While photography wasn’t ever my passion growing up, I initially attended college for a degree in graphic design with a minor in fine arts (before switching majors to ASL interpreting, then dropping out completely when I had my first baby), so the creative nature of photography coupled with the practicality of it really appealed to me. I borrowed a very cheap camera from a friend, put out the social media call for any friends willing to model for me while I learned, and eventually got to a place where my quality of work was worth a meager but real dollar amount. From there I explored different genres, beginning in posed studio newborn photography, and now 7 years later, primarily focusing on weddings and branding photography.
The TLDR version is I decided to being a professional photographer before I knew anything about photography, and I’m really glad I took the leap!
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?
It certainly hasn’t always been easy. In fact, had I known the amount of work, trial and error, and how many years it would take for me to get to a real place of sustainability and skill, I never would’ve done it to begin with. It’s a good thing we can’t see the future, otherwise we would rarely start the harrowing journeys we find ourselves on.
The biggest struggle for me was competing with a sea of more talented and well known photographers while I grew in skill and developed my own personal style. There is only so much “growth” work you can do for free before it eats away at your life, while simultaneously, you can’t improve without practicing and really being in the field, so where does that leave you? You have to try to find clients who are okay with you not being amazing at photography because your prices reflect your lack of skill, and that isn’t a fun way to market yourself. Like, “Hey I’m in your astronomically low price range because I’m not really that good!” isn’t the vibe you envision when you start a business, but everyone starts somewhere, and I believe your prices should reflect the quality of your work and product. Over the years as my skills, experience and quality became consistently improved, I would scale up my prices to reflect that, and then have to change my marketing tactics, which is a whole lot of work. I’m grateful to be on the other side of the major jumps in experience and skill that took me from being a photographer infant to an adult. Now I grow and change, but it’s more of a leisurely journey through the park rather than learning to crawl on a slippery waxed floor, you know? Haha..
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My primary focus right now is photographing weddings and branding, specifically for medical offices. The two can’t be more opposite, but I find both to really fit my personality well. I take great pride in being a vibrant but relaxed person that can fit into just about any social setting! I’ve been told before that I “sparkle” in my personality, and that gives me an enormous advantage when working both with learned professionals in a business setting and the hustle and bustle of weddings.
I believe the secret ingredient that sets me apart from others is my very informal and personable style of professionalism. I take the serious things really seriously, but I don’t put my personality in a three piece suit. I answer each inquiry email personally rather than with a curated copy and paste response. While the curated response would for SURE read as more polished, I’m replying to inquiries hoping to catch the eye of the people who like the relaxed, personable response that’s a little silly and rough around the edges. I feel so much pride and warmth when a wedding client tells me, “I was so stressed out that morning, but when you arrived, you were just so reassuring, fun but firm with moving everything along. You really helped me to relax and enjoy my wedding!”, or when I hear the doctor in the hallway telling the next “victim” for headshots, “It’s not awful like you think, this photographer is different, you’re really going to like getting your photos done this time around.”..
My goal is to get amazing quality photographs for my client while making them feel like they’re with an old friend while doing it.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I think how we define risk is really personal, and when we consider what is and isn’t risky, we’re viewing it through our own personal lens. For instance, I branded myself kind of silly and colorful compared to the stereotype of crisp, clean, cool-toned elegance that many people expect when going to a wedding photographers website. For some people I’m sure my slightly outlandish vibes, fonts, colors and the speaking tone I use are way too risky from where they are standing. For me, a self proclaimed cautious person, I felt it was too risky to create a persona and brand that I would have to wear like a mask, so I stepped fully into embodying my personality in my brand to attract similarly vibed people.
My biggest risk to date was totally re-branding after years of gathering a following, tons of 5 star reviews and great website traffic for my first business that focused on maternity, newborn, milestone and family photography. I’m talking complete overhaul, starting with a completely new business name and website with no reviews, recognition or SEO to speak of. It was a very scary decision to make, because in the end, I didn’t know if I was going to actually make it as a wedding photographer, but I wanted to follow the joy, and that meant taking a leap.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.racheltannerphoto.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/racheltannerphotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/racheltannerphotography
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-tanner-photography/
