We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tania Del Carmen. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tania del Carmen below.

Hi Tania del Carmen, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

I’m Tania del Carmen Fernández — a Puerto Rican-born visual artist and photographer. My creative life began in childhood through drawing, painting, and sculpture, always driven by a need to understand the world around me. In my twenties, I discovered the camera, and photography became my language — a way to stay connected to the world while maintaining my introspective, observant nature. As an introvert, I found in photography a perfect balance: I could witness deeply and create a connection without noise.

In 2014, after many years working in the photography industry in NYC, I left the media world and moved south. That shift was more than geographical — it was a calling. I started Tania del Carmen Photography with the objective to use my experience to create meaningful, honest, story-rich imagery. My mission is clear: to co-construct imagery that honors identity, culture, and presence — especially for those who have not always had space held for them.

For the past decade, I’ve been building a body of work that is both soulful and sophisticated, intimate and intentional. My photography blends a minimalist aesthetic with the warmth, rhythm, and richness of my Caribbean roots. Today, I’m a commercial portrait and lifestyle photographer who creates images that endure — not because they follow trends, but because they seek the truth.

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 professional journey began in New York City, where I had the privilege of working alongside some of the most talented creatives in the editorial and commercial photography industry. As a photo editor and producer, I learned firsthand how powerful images could be — how they could elevate, distort, or erase. I saw how media could direct attention, shape perception, and define who gets seen and who doesn’t. Those lessons became the motivation behind my photography work.

I specialize in commercial portraiture, lifestyle campaigns, and branding photography, while I continue to work on my personal projects. I create images that honor presence, identity, and emotional truth. What sets my work apart is the intentional, collaborative space I hold. Subjects often share they feel seen, grounded, and transformed by the creative process — and that’s what I’m most proud of.

For me, photography can be an offering, a quiet act of resistance against the superficial, and celebration of authenticity. My images are elegant, intimate, and rooted in my Caribbean sensibility — made to endure, not impress. I want people to feel something lasting, to be reminded of who they are, and to be seen in full.

I work with a wide range of clients, branding agencies, and not-for-profit organizations. My process is rooted in collaboration and communication.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

One of the most defining pivots in my life and career came when I left the publishing industry behind. For over a decade, I had built a career as a photo editor and producer in the heart of the media world, working at prestige publications and world-class agencies.

I was surrounded by creativity, ambition, and incredible talent. But somewhere along the way, I realized I was helping to shape other people’s visions — not my own. I knew how to curate, direct, and tell stories through other people’s lenses. But I had set aside my own.

When my husband and I decided to move to Richmond, VA to raise our growing family, it felt like a huge risk — stepping away from the fast-paced industry I had worked so hard to be a part of. But it also felt like a return.. A return to my own creative voice. A return to the camera.

That move marked a turning point. It gave me the space — both literal and emotional — to reimagine what my creative life could be. It was humbling to begin again. To trade the prestige of big-name publications for local clients and personal work. But in doing so, I found a deeper kind of fulfillment. I wasn’t just producing and editing images. I was creating them — and with them, a life and body of work that feels truly my own.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the ability to bring my inner vision to life — and to use that vision in service of others.

As an image-maker, I’m not just capturing photos; I’m creating a space where people can be seen, sometimes for the first time, as they truly are. There’s something sacred about that process.

It wasn’t until I went back to my own work again that I truly understood the power of authorship — of having a clear, intentional point of view and using it to reflect something deeper in the world around me.

What makes this work so meaningful is the collaboration. I don’t just show up with a camera — I show up with curiosity, care, and attention.

Each session is a dialogue, not a directive. I guide my subjects, but I also listen closely to who they are and what they need. Together, we co-create images that feel honest, empowered, and deeply personal.

The moment when someone sees their portrait and says, “That feels like me” — that’s the reward. That’s everything. It means we’ve cut through the noise and created something real. As an artist, I get to bridge aesthetics with emotion, craft with connection.

And that ability — to shed light to the unseen — is what keeps me inspired, humbled, and always growing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://taniadelcarmen.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taniafernandezphotography/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tania-del-carmen-fernández-3618122/

Image Credits

Copyright Tania del Carmen Fernandez