We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tamara Benavente. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tamara below.

Alright, Tamara thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We love asking folks what they would do differently if they were starting today – how they would speed up the process, etc. We’d love to hear how you would set everything up if you were to start from step 1 today.

If I was starting over I’d worry less about not having top of the line equipment and would try to shoot more. When I first started, all I owned was an affordable Canon Rebel and kit lens. I felt like an impostor showing up to sessions with it. However, most of my clients didn’t care about my camera. All they saw was the final photos and they loved them. Yet, I still felt insecure about it. I think I held off taking risks and pursuing bigger clients out of fear of not being enough. Instead, I wish I had pushed through and tried to photograph as often as possible. Because that would have made me grow faster than owning any fancy equipment.

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’m a Miami based Photographer who loves people and vibrant colors. I studied art in high school and film production in college. I got into my industry organically. I’ve been taking photos since I was little. However, as a teenager and in my twenties, I really wanted to be a film director. That didn’t quite work out, although I worked in film sets on and off for over 10 years as a camera assistant. I loved being part of a crew on set. However, I wanted to do work that allowed me create. So, one day about five years ago I decided that it was time to fine tune my photography to take it to the next level and make it my career. I began doing photoshoots consistently and solidifying my style. I also overcame my fear of studio lighting and that opened up a world of endless creativity! Fast forward to today, I mostly work as a family and children photographer. I enjoy capturing those spontaneous moments and interactions that happen between people that love each other. I also photograph small events and… when I do passion projects, they’re always either fashion photography or creative portraiture.

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

For me the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is that every job is different and that ideas are endless. You might have times when you feel uninspired, that’s normal. But the most unexpected thing, person or place can trigger your imagination and fill you with the adrenaline rush that comes with new ideas.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

This is going to give away my age, but I wish YouTube was a thing when I started! If you’re smart about it, it can accelerate your learning journey. Nowadays, I use that platform to get inspired, find answers to technical questions, and learn more about equipment I’m interested in using/buying.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tamarabenavente.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamarabenaventephoto/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tamarabenaventephoto
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tamara-benavente-photography-biscayne-park
• Other: Fashion and creative portraits: https://www.instagram.com/tamara.benavente/

Image Credits
© Tamara Benavente