Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tara Hauck. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Tara thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of our favorite things to brainstorm about with friends who’ve built something entrepreneurial is what they would do differently if they were to start over today. Surely, there are things you’ve learned that would allow you to do it over faster, more efficiently. We’d love to hear how you would go about setting things up if you were starting over today, knowing everything that you already know.

If I were to start over, I may have chosen to take online classes vs going to school for photography. I also would have worked with more of a variety of photographers right away…learning on the job was great experience. Apprenticing and assisting professionals was exciting. Every photographer does things a bit differently so you get a lots of different tips and tricks to put in your pocket. Being in a class room and studying and testing has always been challenging for me…I’m a very visual learner. And now that YouTube is around, I would take advantage of all that has to offer. There are countless photographers teaching classes online for free and for much smaller fees then what I paid to go to The Art Institute. You can also learn from the comfort of your own home instead of driving to and from school. Don’t get me wrong though, I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from the excellent professors I had but now that there are so many other options, I would definitely choose another route. I also met a few life long friends while in school which I wouldn’t have met if I didn’t go, so there were many benefits to the path I chose.

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 have always been an artist, but when I was younger and in my first years of college, I didn’t know how I was going to make a career out of my artistry…I like dabbling in lots of different mediums. My Ahh Ha moment came to me after I graduated highschool and went on a road trip with my girlfriends to Glacier National Park…I always had a camera in me….mostly taking pictures of my friends and I hanging out though. Until that epic trip …I couldn’t put my camera down. I wanted to photograph everything, everywhere. That’s when I knew…photography was going to be my future.

After receiving my Fine Arts Degree, I ventured to Missoula Montana for a summer intensive program where I got to eat, sleep and drink photography for 3 months straight. I Loved it. Through my life journey, I eventually ended up in South Florida and attended The Art Institute where I received my Photography Degree.

I started out photographing all of my friends for practice…people photography wasn’t what I really had a passion for…I wanted more to photograph things…bugs…nature…fine art abstract kind of subjects. But in order for me to get into the field, learn my craft and make some money, I got into photographing portraits, events and weddings. I still do a small amount of those but my business has evolved into a more commercial world. I still photograph people but more in a lifestyle/fashion form. And from time to time I love to create avant garde works that include female nude photography. My main services include photographing jewelry, products, food, interiors and headshots. I LOVE capturing the essence of a space whether it is a boutique, fitness studio, interior designs to name a few examples.

I really appreciate having a variety of projects to work on. One type of photography would become redundant for me and I’d lose passion, so variety keeps me creating different things all the time that interest me.

What I believe sets me apart is how I capture a subject. It’s all energy for me ..whether that is light, colors, angles, textures or personality.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

What is most rewarding for me in having a creative business and working for myself is that I get to also create my daily life. This was one of my number one priorities. Freedom. Freedom to create every day as I would prefer it to be. To earn an income doing something I love and enjoy. To have the ability to focus on my health and my hobbies and be able to take time to myself to rest when my body asks for that. I certainly have had my fair share of struggles through out my journey but I wouldn’t trade any of it for the life I have created for myself.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Since I was a teenager, I have loved riding motorcycles. Being the driver ofcourse. Feeling the wind through my hair and that sense of Freeness with a touch of rebellion. Several of my motorcycles had to be sold in order for me to invest in school and camera equipment. It was unfortunate every time I had to let them go but I look back at those times now in gratitude for having those motorcycles as little nest eggs of sorts that benefited me in more ways then one along the way.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.taraincphotography.com
• Instagram: TaraIncPhotography
• Facebook: TaraIncPhotography
• Youtube: Tara Inc. Photography

Image Credits
HEADSHOT OF TARA by Talina Adamo