We were lucky to catch up with Tammie Valer recently and have shared our conversation below.
Tammie, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
It was a long and bumpy road to try to find my purpose. I wasn’t fully certain what that was until I left my hometown of Los Angeles and moved to Nashville in 2022. Before then I ventured through different career paths. Some corporate and some on the more artistic path. However, throughout these many ventures, I was already doing what I was meant to be doing for the rest of my life. I have been a photographer for more than 10 years now. I ventured through many avenues in photography. And until recently I was primarily a music photographer. After a year of contemplation, I realize that I am not meant to be placed in a specific category. My interests in the photo world holds no bounds. I have decided that I am the maker of my path and society will not restrain me.
You would think that I would have realized photography was my calling from the start. I wasn’t raised to believe that you can thrive in society doing art. It took a lot of work to convince others and especially myself that this was the path I needed to take. Why did it take me moving away to fully realize my purpose? Leaving home and leaving my old life behind was not easy. It’s still a work in progress. But starting this new chapter in my life has left me with so much time to think and process my goals and my PURPOSE. There’s a possibility that waking up in the morning to look out the window and see nature and not apartment buildings, might have had a hand in it as well.
Photography is the one thing that gives me joy consistently. Even on the most difficult days. I realized that there is nothing else that could replace it. Whether I am successful in the industry or not, is not what’s important to me. What is essential for me is that I live my life following my purpose. Bringing someone’s vision to life or capturing the essence of my subject on camera is what gives my true purpose.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a photographer based in Nashville, TN, originally from Los Angeles, CA. I began my photography career by taking snapshots of friends and family. In high school, I began shooting with my first professional camera and creating themed photography projects. Photography became a creative pursuit that allowed me to visualize my emotions and make sure valuable stories are heard. Since the first day I picked up a camera, I knew I would spend my career exploring art.
I try to capture the essence of each person I photograph. Through creative lighting techniques, post production editing, and colorful styling choices I ensure that each photo tells a story. For me, a photo project is not complete until a subject sees their vision come to life. As a queer, Latinx creative, I know that every person has a unique story. I use art to make sure each subject feels they are seen and heard; not just photographed.
I am most drawn to photograph creative people, some of my favorite subjects are musicians. I have a lifelong love of music and I work closely with each artist to create memorable portraits. My work has been featured in Billboard Magazine and Alternative Press Magazine. Music photography has taken me hundreds of miles from home and to historic venues like The Ryman Auditorium and The Wiltern. My focus is to capture the moment behind the music and share candid portraits.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Learning how to properly utilize the settings in my camera. The last thing you want to do when you’re shooting is the be spending valuable time fidgeting with your camera trying to figure out the settings. This was my mistake when I first started my career. Take the time to learn your camera settings so you use your time efficiently. This will also help with your confidence in shooting!
2. Learning to edit my photos.
There are definitely some photographers who prefer to not edit their photos. If natural is your thing, there’s no judgment. However, I highly recommend learning it regardless. You just never know. The one thing that has made me stand out the majority of the time from some photographers, was the fact that I know how to edit photos. Even simply learning to use Lightroom or a similar program to adjust the lighting or coloring of your photos, can goes a long way.
3. Practicing lighting techniques in both natural and studio environments.
Master lighting. No joke. I made the mistake of just “winging it” for years, which resulted in poor quality work and more hours of editing. Get yourself some affordable lighting equipment on Amazon or wherever you’d prefer. They now have wireless lighting equipment that you can easily carry with you anywhere. Invest in a speedlight. Practice, practice, practice. Find a friend to model for you and practice until you get it right.
I learned to do all this by working and making the mistakes. It takes time and patience but you’ll be happy when you get the results you and your client wanted. One thing I can guarantee is that your confidence will rapidly grow once you have mastered these things.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
Step away from the work and give yourself a break. Society has taught us that in order to be accomplished, you must overwork yourself to get there. This is not the way. Your brain and body need to rest. How can one function properly without balance in your life? You also need to feed your soul. Do something that has nothing to do with your career. We make the mistake in thinking that real life is your career. Life is more than a career. If you’re overwhelmed, the quality of your work decreases. We don’t want that. Trust me, you can have way better results if you just stop for a minute to actually smell some roses.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tammievaler.com
- Instagram: @tammievalerofficial
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tammievalerofficial
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammievaler/
- Twitter: @tammievaler
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmjVznOnqDmn_4NfLmxt6Pg
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tammie-valer-nashville
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@tammievaler
Image Credits
Photos of Aloud, Orlando Garcia, Beau Payne, Liz Labelle, Cage The Elephant, Kamilla Ponce, Alicia Blue, Nicole Kiki Jaffe
