We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tara Leigh a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Tara thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

In June of 2025 I took one of the biggest risks of my life and quit my full-time serving job and decided to go full-time with my photography business. I had worked in food and beverage for about ten years, and by the end of it I was completely miserable. I dreaded going to work every day. Being around so many people and their energy nonstop left me feeling drained and disconnected from myself and my business.

Photography has always meant something deeper to me than just work. What has always pulled me toward it is the feeling of helping people see themselves in a different light. For most of my life I struggled with my own self-image and never really felt beautiful or deserving of being in front of a camera. Because of that, I know how many people feel like they need to look a certain way, be a certain weight, or be “model-like” before they deserve to be photographed. But I believe the opposite. Everyone deserves to be photographed exactly as they are, at any point in their life. That belief shapes the way I photograph people and the environment I try to create during my sessions.

Still, walking away from a steady job was terrifying. Serving was predictable and lucrative. Photography, especially when you’re building a business and investing into it, is not. But eventually I realized staying where I was felt riskier than leaving.

After I quit, I took about a month to slow down and really think about what I wanted my business to become. During that time I hired an incredible graphic and brand designer, Femme Collective, who immediately understood my vision and the kind of audience I wanted to reach. I knew I wanted to create something that felt different from the typical Charleston photography scene.

Charleston has so many talented photographers, but a lot of the work here leans light, airy, and very traditional. That aesthetic is beautiful, but it doesn’t resonate with everyone. I wanted to create a space for people who feel a little outside of that mold. Alternative people. Queer people. People who love darker, moodier, more cinematic imagery.

My goal was to create a place where people can show up exactly as they are and feel safe being photographed that way.

Looking back now, quitting that job was the best decision I could have made. It gave me the freedom to build a business that truly reflects who I am and the people I want to serve.

Tara, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

’m a portrait photographer based in Charleston, South Carolina and the person behind Tara Leigh Photography. My work focuses on photographing people in a way that feels raw, cinematic, and deeply human. I photograph couples, families, proposals, and intimate weddings, but at the heart of it all I’m really just photographing connection.

Photography has been part of my life for a long time. I picked up a camera when I was young and started photographing people around me. What drew me in wasn’t just the creative side of it, it was the way a photograph can change how someone sees themselves. I’ve always cared deeply about helping people feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera.

A big part of my philosophy comes from my own experience with self-image. For a long time I felt like photography was something reserved for people who looked a certain way or fit into a certain mold. A lot of people still feel that way. They think they need to lose weight first, wait until life feels more “perfect,” or look like a model before they deserve to be photographed.

I don’t believe that at all.

Photography shouldn’t be reserved for people who look a certain way. Everyone deserves to exist in photos.

That belief shapes the way I approach my sessions. My goal is to create an environment where people feel relaxed, safe, and free to be themselves. I’m not interested in stiff poses or perfect moments. I’m drawn to the real ones — the in-between moments, the laughter, the quiet connections between people.

Stylistically my work is a little different from what people might expect when they think of Charleston photography. Charleston is known for beautiful, light and airy imagery, and there are so many talented photographers here who do that style incredibly well. My work leans darker and moodier and is heavily inspired by cinematic storytelling and emotion.

I’m also really intentional about who I create space for with my work. In the South, queer people don’t always feel safe or welcomed in every space, and that’s something that matters deeply to me. I want my work and my business to be a place where LGBTQ+ couples and individuals feel genuinely safe, respected, and celebrated.

The same goes for people who don’t see themselves represented in traditional photography. Alternative people, non-traditional couples, and people who don’t feel like they fit the polished or luxury mold that photography is often associated with deserve representation too. They deserve photos that actually feel like them.

One of the things I’m most proud of is building a brand that reflects those values. My work isn’t just about creating beautiful images. It’s about creating an experience where people feel comfortable being exactly who they are.

At the end of the day, what I want people to know about my work is simple: life doesn’t have to be perfect to be worth documenting. The moments happening right now are the ones that matter most.

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

The most rewarding part of being a photographer for me has always been watching someone see themselves differently. So many people are used to being their own worst critic. They look in the mirror and immediately notice the things they don’t like about themselves. When they see a photograph where they look relaxed, confident, and genuinely happy, it can completely shift that perspective.

Seeing someone’s face light up when they view their photos for the first time is one of the most powerful parts of what I do. It feels really raw and real. I love when people get to see themselves the way the people who love them already see them.

It happens with families a lot too. Moms will apologize to me during a session because they feel like their kids are being too wild or chaotic, but honestly that’s the stuff I thrive on. Those real, messy, human moments are usually the most beautiful ones. I never want my clients to feel like they have to perform or put on a show for the camera. The laughter, the chaos, the way kids actually behave with their parents…that’s the real story.

Another part of it that I think about a lot is the fact that these images will outlive all of us. Photographs become part of a family’s history. Years from now someone’s great-grandkids might be flipping through old photos and say something like, “Wow, look how cool my grandparents were playing pool in a dive bar on their wedding day in their Doc Martens.” I love knowing that the moments I capture today might still be making people smile generations from now.

At the end of the day, the most rewarding part is showing people that they don’t have to be perfect to deserve to exist in photos.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

One resource I wish I had appreciated earlier in my creative journey is the library. It sounds simple, but it’s honestly one of the most underrated resources available, especially when you’re building something on your own.

When you’re a creative working for yourself, it can be really hard to stay focused at home. There are always distractions. Discovering that I could go to the library and have a quiet space to work made a huge difference for me. Libraries offer free Wi-Fi, access to books and research materials, and so many resources if you want to learn more about running a business, photography, or really anything related to your craft.

My local library even has study rooms you can use, which became a game changer for me. Sometimes I’d reserve one and just sit in a quiet room with my laptop, music, or a show playing in the background and edit photos for hours or work on content for my business. And even when those rooms weren’t available, just having a quiet table and a focused environment helped me stay productive.

When you’re building a creative business, having a place where you can step away from distractions and really focus on your work is incredibly valuable. For me, the library became that space.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://taraleighphoto.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tara_leigh_photography
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taraleighphoto22/
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@taraleighphotography

Image Credits

Devin Beauford – took my headshot