We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jennifer Tanksley-coss a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jennifer, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
Have you ever come to a point in your life where you asked yourself, what is my purpose? Why am I here? What’s life all about? Why do certain things keep happening to me? Or simply, what the fuck happened? Where did I loose myself along the way of surviving in this life?
I have and it came hand in hand with what some may call a midlife crisis.
All my life I had been a people pleaser who wanted everyone to just get along and who wanted to be liked by every person she met. I had to wait until way into my adult life to accept that firstly, it’s impossible to accomplish and secondly, it’s unnecessary. It was a difficult period in my recent life that led me to making peace with it. Emotions like sadness, anger, frustration, anxiety, that I learned to suppress from a very young age on, were part of who I was no matter how much I tried to shove them down. From a very young age on I adapted to the fact that people seemed to love me more when I was happy and cheerful.
Here I was, in my 40s, my children old enough for me to go back to work and I wanted a job. Going back to what I had done before, being a camera assistant in the film industry, wasn’t going to work anymore. I am a passionately creative person and needed to find a way to express myself in an artistic way but still make a living.
And so my photography business was born. I knew that other people were going through similar experiences and wanted to create a space where they can see that being who they are at this very moment in time was extraordinary and beautiful. I want them to see what my heart sees when it looks at them through my camera lens.
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?
I was born and raised in Munich, Germany to an American dad and a German mom. After my mom remarried when I was 6 I basically grew up in the film industry. Straight out of high school I started working in the family business as a camera technician, lighting sales executive, as well as being involved in R&D of the companies own product line. Working for family is not the easiest task and so life took me to the US in November of 2000 where I joined IATSE Local600 and worked in Hollywood until my children were born (2010/2012).
It was their love for water that made me get into underwater portraiture. Photography had always been my hobby since I got my first camera at age 7. The shift from working in the motion picture industry to photography came natural to me.
At first I did what everyone else seemed to be doing. Family, maternity, newborn portraits. It took a few years of digging into my soul, to discover that it wasn’t so much the family dynamics that intrigued me but much more showcasing each individual for who they really are. That’s why I was never someone who would quickly meet at a park to snap a few photos. I take my time to get to know my clients and give them the opportunity to get to know me. Meaningful imagery, in my mind, can only happen when there is trust and a certain level of familiarity between the subject and the photographer.
Over time my mission has shifted from simple portraiture to helping people see themselves through my eyes. Showing them that who they are is magical and teaching them to see themselves as art.
Underwater portrait photography has taken it to a whole new level by providing my clients with a safe space to try something new, to enter an unfamiliar medium (at least as far has having their picture taken goes) and walking away with something tangible that says “I stepped out of my comfort zone, I am beautiful, I am spontaneous, I can learn to love myself”. It is that look on their faces, when they see the finished portraits, that tells me that I may have shifted their perspective on how they see themselves to a kinder, gentler place. That’s why I love what I do.
To be honest, I learn something new about myself with every client I photograph as I let them discover a new aspect about themselves.
We are who we are and first and foremost we are all human. Being human comes with a lot of facets and not everyone will like them all – and that’s ok. We have the power at any time in our lives to take inventory, take a side step, change direction, and start something new. Also, I believe we all have a story that deserves to be told. Photography gives us the opportunity to capture a moment and go back to it whenever we want. It’s magical that way.
I never wanted to do what everyone else seemed to be doing even though that’s where I started in my photography business. I know there was more that I could offer. I wanted my sessions to be an experience that left my clients with an adjusted view of themselves. I want to create a space where they could simultaneously express themselves freely while learning something about who they are.
For that to happen I decided to take my portraits underwater. The water with its calming effect on mind and body together with the fact that they will walk away with frame worthy artwork that proves to them that they can take a step into the unknown and come out on the other side feeling empowered and proud, was exactly what I had hoped for. I had found my calling.
As I said before, we all have a story that deserves to be told. Our story is represented in who we are at this moment in time. Our bodies and our mind are shaped by our experiences. That deserves to be captured in the most meaningful way.
That is, and always will be my business plan.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
The concept of being a creative by trade is something that most non-creatives seem to be struggling with. Often I get the impression that our services are expected to come at little or no cost since we are enjoying our “hobby” and calling it a job. The fact that this is our business which comes with many unromantic aspects like insurance, equipment cost, repairs, marketing, research, and a plethora of administrative tasks is easily overlooked.
The trick is to not let that stop us. The success of my business came within reach as soon as I started looking at it from a business standpoint, treating it like a business and working it like I run a business. That in turn is a very abstract concept to the creative mind. We walk a fine line between doing what we love for ourselves and meeting our client’s needs. All I know is that if we keep following our calling, even if we need to pick up a side job to help pay the bills occasionally, it will come together.
As artists we have no other choice but to do what sets our souls on fire. I wish there was a way to make all clients realize that we are in fact giving them a part of our soul with every piece of art we create create.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Social media and I have a love-hate relationship. I never felt comfortable putting myself out there to advertise my photography. However, I learned that the more you do it, the easier it gets. I believe in growing it organically and try to post consistently with a mix of stories, posts and reels. I do give myself permission to take a break every once in a while. We all need that to recharge and come back with new energy. My following isn’t very big but it’s a loyal one. That to me is much more important than big numbers.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jtc-photography.com
- Instagram: Jennifer_jtcphotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferTanksleyCoss
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-tanksley-coss-a40473165/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JTC-photography
Image Credits
JTC-Photography