We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tiffany Thompson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Tiffany, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you take vacations? Why or why not?
Yes I love to vacation. It has been a little while due to the pandemic but I love to travel, especially out of the country. I enjoy experiencing different cultures, trying new foods, and documentation through my photography.
Tiffany, 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?
Hello I am Tiffany Thompson also know as Ohheytiff on social and in the creative world. I am a photographer and multidisciplinary designer and reside in Baltimore, MD. I offer freelance design and photographer services and have 13 years of experience in the design and photography realms. I attended Stevenson University for my undergrad degree. I admit from the beginning I wasn’t sure what I wanted to major in. I was interested in so many things. I started in Biology (which I loved and planned to be a doctor), but then I was introduced to organic chemistry. After deep consideration, I decided to change my major to Visual Communication Design – Photography Track. At this point, I realized how much I missed the arts. This is where I discovered my love of photography. At Stevenson I learned the ins and outs of studio lighting and how to develop film. During my undergrad I decided to study abroad in Spain on a photography trip, and this changed my life. I begin to enjoy the art medium even more. For that trip, I had my first DSLR camera (a Nikon D3000), which I still have.
From that point on, I have freelanced as a photographer and designer. Two years ago, I was introduced to a photography collective known as Black Women Photographers founded by Polly Irungu. Black Women Photographers is a global community and collective of black women and non-binary identifying photographers. BWP provides resources, workshops, meet-ups, grants, training, and more. Since becoming a member in 2020, I have benefitted greatly from this community.
One of my dreams came true of being able to photograph my first WNBA game thanks to Black Women Photographers and Black Rosie Media. Growing up an athlete, this was a dream come true to combine my love of photography with my passion for sports. I have received numerous contractural and freelance opportunities as a member of this community. The community has helped me establish a photography business for myself; I couldn’t be more grateful.
Currently I have expanded my skillset into the UI/UX design realm through a Google UX Design certificate course and CalArts UI/UX Specialization course. I offer various freelance design and photography services. On the daily I am a visual problem solver and strive to find more efficient and successful ways to communicate visually. I enjoy integrating my creative style into my client work to create bold, unique and visually appealing designs.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
The best source has been communities like Black Women Photographer and the Sports Creative Community. In these networks job opportunities are shared and both are great platforms for networking. Also attending locate events in Baltimore and the DMV to connect with new people and possible clients.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect is witnessing how something I created affects the viewer. Through both photography and design I am creating to communicate something to someone and the emotion or memories that are created are really gratifying. To capture a moment in time and have someone view my photography feel like they attended a basketball game or were at a concert is the goal.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ohheytiff.com/
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/_ohheytiff
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ohheytiff/
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/_ohheytiff
- Other: https://blackwomenphotographers.com/
Image Credits
For the WNBA sports photos this will need to be the photo credit: Tiffany Thompson for Black Rosie Media
For the non sports photos it can just be my name: Tiffany Thompson