We recently connected with Celene Tolentino and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Celene, thanks for joining us today. Do you take vacations? Why or why not?

Yes! I love – love – love taking vacations!! If we had 0 financial responsibilities, I would be traveling with my husband monthly! Vacations are so important in keeping a healthy work-life balance. It is so easy to get caught up with our hustle culture in the US, we forget that the rest of the world doesn’t operate like this. If we could… I would have annual trips to Mexico, Italy, Japan and the Philippines!!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Celene Tolentino and I’m a designer/photographer working in the Greater Seattle area. My background has always been in design, starting out as an apparel designer. I actually graduated with a BA in Fashion Design where I’ve built my career and network working for the big leagues in Seattle like REI, Eddie Bauer and Tommy Bahama. Now I work for a big tech company working on licensed apparel. It wasn’t really until 2020 that I committed and stepped in my role as a photographer. I would say that it was the pandemic that kick started my photography as a business, but the passion and love for it goes way back – ask any of my friends from high school…who took their senior portraits!?

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I would say that my goal for each of my creative endeavors is always to create art that everyone can enjoy while taking up space in an industry that is predominantly white. As a Filipina immigrant, finding an opportunity to showcase my fellow BIPOC community will always be my priority. I hope that my work and art can showcase the breadth of the beauty and diversity that is often under represented and undervalued within Seattle.

Second, is connection. Each time I work with my clients, my job is to capture specific moments in time for them. Weather it be a reminder to them of who they are at the moment, or maybe even show them a side of them they don’t necessarily see every day. The amazing thing with photography is that it’s another person’s perspective! As a client, you are allowing your photographer to curate that perspective while creating a narrative for the world to see. Its truly so amazing to be able to deliver client galleries and receive amazing reactions. It fills my heart knowing that I was able to capture special moments for them.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Honestly I am the queen of pivoting! Having graduated with a degree in fashion and being a clothes designer, to now working in a tech company managing licensed products to now my photography business, I am constantly pivoting. At the height of COVID, I began a small business selling greeting cards and stationeries online and small stores. These cards were hand drawn and I used original artwork that I drew myself. The thought was, we can’t see each other as often so why not send some love via snail mail! The cards were printed, folded and stuffed in cello bags by myself, so they were definitely made with so much love! My stationery business allowed me to use my graphic design skills – a side of me that was untapped for so many years. (Little secret – I almost dropped out of being a fashion major to take up graphic design!) However, after 2 years of pursuing this endeavor, I realized that the return of investment was not there. At least not for me. I decided on December 2022 that I would no longer continue my stationary business.

Instead I shifted all my efforts and energy to my photography which I was at the time simultaneously doing. In retrospect, I had to pursue both for me to truly realize that photography was where my heart was. But I will always be a designer no matter what. My clients can attest to this! From the style guides that I design and create for them, to their custom mood boards with color palettes to help curate their outfits – I will never stop designing! Now I just do it with a photo twist.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.seattleinkandpaperphoto.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seattleinkandpaperphoto/
• Facebook: Seattle Ink and Paper Photo (page)

Image Credits
Headshots by https://www.instagram.com/hallvisuals/