We recently connected with Paige Tinnel and have shared our conversation below.
Paige, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
Keeping creativity alive is not a simple task, especially with the everyday events that can make life even more overwhelming. Prioritizing time for yourself is the most important thing to keep in mind. It’s something I struggle with currently and am working hard on everyday. One of the best advice I have heard is to at least work on whatever it is for some time every night. When you’re sitting and starting to scroll online, try to pull yourself out of it and work on your creative art for that time instead. Even creating a daily goals list is less stressful and more motivating to complete than looking at a ‘task list’. We all know our goals can take time and effort, so even if your goal for the night wasn’t fully met, make it your first thing to try to wake up and complete the next day. Waking up earlier before scheduled priorities is also something that has helped tremendously. If I didn’t have time to get things put out for my day the night prior, having a period before the chaos starts makes my day flow easier, my mind feels clearer, and I don’t feel as stressed by the end of the day to work more on creativity. Everyone has their own way to help their minds feel free to think creatively, prioritizing time for yourself to do that has to be one of your number one goals as well.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a local photographer located in the central Ohio area. I love traveling as well, especially for work. I started off taking primarily sunset and portraits of my friends or pets when I was younger. I still take sunset photos for my own personal love but I have expanded my work in the last five years to weddings, senior pictures, events (graduations, car shows, birthday parties), animals, newborns, family photos, and so so much more. I am so in love with being a photographer it sometimes hurts (especially tripping in heels with a camera lens in hand). Being a photographer thought is one of the few things in life I can confidently say that makes my soul truly happy. Feeling 110% confident in a choice hasn’t came often to me yet, granted I am only 21, but being a photographer is one of those certain choices for myself. It brings new friends in life and I get to travel the world all while making permanent, happy, memories for others. It brings me more happiness that others find happiness in the photos I take of them. I have recently started to do senior representatives for my brand, it is currently open for submissions and will end September 1st, 2023. I am so excited to do this because one of my sisters is a senior in high school this year and I cannot wait to see her in-front of the lens this time! Being a senior representative brings lots of opportunities for photoshoots, discounts on unrelated senior shoots (Prom, family, headshots), exposure, and so much more. I have more details on my website, Instagram, and Facebook!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Going to the Delaware Area Career Center was certainly one of the most impactful educational choices I could have made for myself in high school. I highly recommend looking into seeing if your high school is connected to a career center, normally during your Junior/Senior years is when you would attend, but there are a few adult after school hour programs to get the same certifications. It’s so much cheaper than college and you get genuine one on one experience. I also account for obtaining more social skills throughout younger years that have helped positively impacted me to this day. I wouldn’t be able to do my job if I couldn’t talk to strangers. I also love my siblings for helping me with my confidence, being confident as a photographer is also very important. Finding confidence, social skills, and expanding knowledge are not always easy and may not happen over night but practice makes perfect. If speaking up for yourself is not an easy task but practicing with journaling has also helped me. Getting an idea of your feelings before confronting a situation will help clear your mind and gain the confidence in the direction you’re aiming for. If reaching out due to social skills is hard, try asking close friends first. It helps you get the groove of what to expect and it feels less scary. We also live in a time period where everything is online. Reach out to online groups and connect to other creatives in your area. Google videos on how to do something you’ve never understood before, just like Will Durant once said, “Knowledge is the eye of desire and can become the pilot of the soul”.
How would you describe your ideal client?
I would say an ideal client for myself would be someone who is possibly a creative themselves. Someone who is open to creative ideas, someone who can also bounce ideas back too. I love client feedback on their preferred poses or something they have seen online and want to try to recreate. An ideal client wouldn’t mind feeling goofy or letting others think they’re ‘silly’ for doing a photoshoot in public. They are someone who just wants to have genuine fun and make some beautiful art.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://paigetinnel.wixsite.com/photos
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tinnel.photography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tinnels.photography
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/tinnelphotography
- Twitter: N/A
- Youtube: N/A
- Yelp: N/A
- SoundCloud: N/A
- Other: Linktree https://linktr.ee/paigetinnel
