We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tatiana Birch a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Tatiana, thanks for joining us today. Often the greatest growth and the biggest wins come right after a defeat. Other times the failure serves as a lesson that’s helpful later in your journey. We’d appreciate if you could open up about a time you’ve failed.

Transitioning to weddings can be hard. You want to create the perfect images for your clients. A wedding that I did happen after daylight savings and it was outdoors and limited to lighting. My additional flash batteries had died and I was nervous that the pictures would not turn out great. I. did everything I could to create the best images for the bride and groom. I myself loved them and thought they turned out great. The bride was not a fan of the pictures. For months I thought I was the worst photographer and nobody wanted to use me. After a bit, I was asked to do another wedding. I was in panic mode because the last one didn’t turn out great. With all my doubts from the previous wedding. I thought the pictures were amazing. Turns out they were amazing because the bride and groom loved their pictures. From that, I learned to always be prepared and definitely keep additional batteries in my bag. When things go wrong you become a problem solver! You never stop learning.

Tatiana, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

In high school, I was required to take an art class. I knew that I couldn’t draw and ceramics wasn’t my thing. Next was photography which turned into my favorite class. My teacher made it fun and he loved the creativity I had. I have continued through the years learning and growing. When I first started I mostly did couples and families. I have now added senior portraits, headshots, newborns, maternity, baby, weddings, mini sessions, and interior photos. Two things that set me apart include my editing style and what I offer. With my editing style, I keep a more natural look to my portraits. I don’t want to over-edit it to where it doesn’t look like that person anymore. I get really excited at shoots and can’t help myself but show off the picture I just took. It makes them happy and more excited for the completed photos. For my clients, I offer all of the pictures instead of a set number of edited photos. The reason why I do give all unedited photos is the outtakes. Who doesn’t love to see goofy photos?

My greatest pride is where I have come from. Despite the fact that this is not exactly where I expected to be, I have had many experiences and continue to grow as I get more opportunities to meet new people and travel to new places.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

One of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist is sharing your work with others. There is nothing I enjoy more than seeing the reactions of others and knowing that I have created something that they admire. When I do portraits I don’t get to see their initial reaction but the biggest compliment I can get is seeing my pictures as their profile picture through social media or Christmas cards. If they didn’t love it they wouldn’t use it. It’s my favorite part of being a photographer.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Listening to podcasts is one of my main sources of learning. I love the Full Time Wedding Pro Podcast and the Gold Biz Podcast. It has made me more confident in my art and helped improved my business. Every day, I tell myself, “I am the best photographer there ever was!” It greatly assists me when I am preparing for shoots, creating social media posts, or interacting with potential clients. You cannot expect to grow your business if you are not learning and growing. Other sources I use are online courses, local photography groups, mentors, and anything that can help with my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tgbphotography1.mypixieset.com/
• Instagram: @tgb.photography.ut
• Facebook: @tgb.photography.ut
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tatiana-birch-745726106/
• Twitter: @tgb.photography.ut
• Other: West Tenth App Email: tgb.photography.ut@gmail.com