We recently connected with Lana Tavares and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Lana, thanks for joining us today. How has Covid changed your business model?

Covid–the “C” word people that impacted everyone around the world.

When 2020 rolled in, I had a one-month-old, and a long list of Clients I had to reschedule due to the crisis we were facing globally. The rescheduled dates were tentatively set, as no one quite knew how the regulations would keep changing. As a result, I found myself being forced to take time off of work. With my family and nature being the only photo subjects I could document, I started envisioning new ways in which I could document other people and their families. We did a lot of traveling and purchased an RV so that the need for food and restroom stops would be eliminated, and as a result, when restrictions lifted, I re-entered the field with a fresh new outlook on family photography.

As far as my business model went, I had to find ways to completely reinvent “the wheel.” I hired assistants and devised new methods and procedures in order to keep every family safe during our Sessions, and I’m proud to say a lot of those policies and procedures are still intact today.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

222 Photography was founded in 2018.

Prior to the start of this business, I was a cocktail waitress for nearly a decade. I remember thinking for years that there had to be something greater out there for me, I just didn’t really have a clue as to what that “something” was. Don’t get me wrong–I love being in the service industry. In some ways, what I do now isn’t much different from what I did then. It’s humbling and it’s gratifying, but I always felt tugged in different directions. The founding of my passion for photography was purely accidental; I had purchased a camera to document the homes I intended to list as a real estate agent when I considered a career shift, but while I was taking classes for real estate, it didn’t quite feel like a good fit, either. I remember thinking: “What is it that truly makes me happy?”

I began asking friends and family to pose for me, and there I learned my first real lesson in business: that strangers are more likely to support you than those who have known you for eons. The friends who did offer their help really paved the way for me. I dabbled in different areas before finding my niche in Family Portraits. While this took nearly two years to do, I discovered that my passion for documenting families was what resonated most with my creativity. Coupled with my passion for exploration and travel, elopements and Adventure Sessions are my second specialty.

If I had a theme song, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” would certainly be it.

I wanted to give to my clients an experience I have yet to experience as a mother who is still trying to find her “go-to” for Family Portraits. I wanted to deliver an experience that extended beyond just showing up, doing my job, and getting paid. I wanted to connect with families, to watch their children grow, to deliver to them timeless treasures that surpass the test of time. Every Session that I step into, I go about with the pure intention of documenting as if I were the subject, and these are the moments I wished someone would capture for me. 5 years later, my greatest accomplishment is still my loyal base of clientele who continue to love and support my business.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

In June of 2022, I found myself having to start over in my personal life.

My marriage had fallen apart, and now as a single mom of two, dependent on my own income, I found myself taking an even closer look in the mirror.

As far as competition went, I knew that I was priced below what everyone else was charging. The double-edged sword here is that while I really dislike comparing myself to others, and I have always prided myself on catering to the needs of those with a smaller budget who understood the true value of photography, I was stuck between: I have to make sure I’m making a living wage, and “What if no one can afford me?” I knew I had to set firmer boundaries in order to ensure that my business would be viable, after all–I did not have my husband’s income to rely on any longer, and I really had to stick to them. This also meant that I did not have the propensity to take uncalculated risks, I simply did not have the luxury to “see where it goes” each time a new idea would encroach.

It was terrifying.

The majority of clients supported me. Some who had grown to know my family withdrew their support, not understanding why our family was splitting, and coupled with my insistence on not speaking out in regard to my uncoupling, they simply decided I was no longer a fit for them.

I had work to do.

Three months later, my youngest was diagnosed with Autism.

So here I am, at the beginning of busy season (September), shuffling between co-parenting, homeschooling, doctor appointments, and running a full-time business, I was shaken. I dug deep–deeper than I have ever had to, and I looked to God and my close circle for support, and the answer was always the same: Just keep going.

So, I did. I worked as much as I could, when I could. I minimally increased my prices, and I held strong on my policies and procedures, and as a result, my business has continued to grow.

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

They say that travel is the only thing that you can invest in that will continue to pay you back, and I feel that this is the same with quality photography. A photo is the only thing that can withstand the test of time, the only thing whose value increases as time passes, and the only thing you’ll have left of someone long after they’re gone. With that being said, my goal on this creative journey is to cater to everyone who shares this same belief. I want to inspire every single person to just “take the photo.” I used to be so self-conscious about how I looked, what I was wearing, how tired I felt, until I decided…one day, these are the only things my children will have of me, and I decided I would just take the damn photo. I’ll tell you what I tell all my clients: In 50 years, your kids are not going to look at your photos and comment on your body, your hair, your clothes; your children will look at your photos with nostalgia and remember that YOU WERE THERE. It isn’t just the photo, it’s the memory.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.twotwentytwollc.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/two__twentytwo
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/photosby222

Image Credits
First Photo of Lana: Andrew Figueroa, 222 Photography Lana Tavares, 222 Photography