WORD OF MOUTH
THERE IS NOTHING COMPLICATED ABOUT TIANNA’S MARKETING AND PROMOTION STRATEGY…
How do you market yourself?
Word of mouth is powerful. If people have a good experience and have good photos they’ll tell everybody. Conversely, if they have a bad experience they’re going to tell every single person too. So make it a good one! I worked on my website from the beginning, so I have good Google rankings, well enough so that I get three or four enquiries in a day, phone calls sometimes. I use Instagram quite a lot. It’s my favourite platform. I don’t use Facebook so much because I don’t feel that the clients I get from there really align with what I do. They tend to be less about the experience and more because they just want a few pictures. So, I don’t spend too much on my Facebook advertising. I’m not forced to do a lot of heavy advertising to get people in the door.
And this all happened in your local area too?
I am a Brummie, yeah! It was the type of job change that meant I didn’t have to relocate. I mean, who wants to move out, especially when by September 2018 I had another baby. I had two children at that point, so trying to move and figure all that stuff out was not an option. I was fully self-employed by January 2018, and then soon after found out that I was expecting.
Nice timing!
Yeah, go self-employed, get pregnant, well done! But I think that was the rocket fuel that made me decide, if I’m going to do this, I’m going to jump in with both feet first and make a go of it. I knew I could always return to midwifery. It’s not like babies are going to stop being born. I had good connections with local hospitals, so I could find out when the jobs would be coming up if I had to go back.
Were there moments of uncertainty?
I did have my moments when I was applying for jobs again because I was thinking, “This is really hard, money’s tight, I don’t know how I’m going to get through it”, but by the time it came to interviews or job offers, things were going well so I was like, no, I’ll continue with this. So, I did and it’s just grown year on year.
Even during the pandemic, you still managed to keep making the business grow?
Definitely. I actually had my best years during the pandemic. They weren’t even full years and I even relocated the studio during the pandemic. That was a big risk, I’m not going to lie. I went from paying £300 a month to £1150 a month, so that was a massive commitment. However, when my studio was able to reopen, I was not short of clients wanting to book.
Why was that?
Maybe because people weren’t really allowed to socialize in the same way pre-pandemic. They weren’t having baby showers and big parties so people were looking for other ways to celebrate this new life coming into the world, so they wanted photo shoots, and I thought, “This is good!”
At what stage during their pregnancy do mums contact you? It varies. I’ve had people contact me very early on, like before 12 weeks, before they have even had the first scan, either because they know someone who has had a shoot with me or they have been following my work. They’re like, “I’m going to book this shoot with Tianna because I love her work and journey.” Then, I get people that book six or seven months into their pregnancy and they want to capture this moment because for some it’s been a long journey, like IVF pregnancies, and for others it might be their last so they’re not having another baby and they’ve decided, “I’m doing this to honour what my body has done to bring these babies into this world.”
Do all mums want the baby bump photograph, or do some only want pictures of their newborn?
I get a mixture, although I do more maternity than newborn, for two reasons: I think I push the maternity side of my work a lot harder because I was a lot more passionate about it. Not that I’m not passionate about newborns, but when people contact me they only then realize I also do newborns. When you see my marketing, my Instagram or Facebook pages, the first thing people see is pregnancy, and often I’ve had this discussion with clients where they say, “We can’t afford to do both with you but we want the maternity. When we see your work, that’s what we want.” I’m happy with that because that’s my favourite session.
Do you always do those shoots in the studio?
I’m always studio based. I have done one maternity session outdoors. We did a combination of studio and then went to a local park. It wasn’t too bad, but it was a bit of a faff carrying equipment. I had a colleague who helped me, and he held the lights so the wind didn’t take them off. I would probably like to do a bit more. I’m going to look at doing something with outdoor flash with maternity later this year. I don’t see it a lot and I’m really interested in how I can make it my own.
I love bold, beautiful, cultural portraits when people are proud of their heritage and they want to show that
What are your favourite studio lighting setups?
I’m really in love with using an Elinchrom 125cm umbrella. I put it in a beauty light position and have this gorgeous light trailing down on mum. Just one light, really simple. Sometimes, it’s almost like an art-nude portrait, so a tasteful nude image, or maybe they’re wearing a dress, or perhaps just some fabric.
It’s requested quite a lot and it’s just so simple and elegant and timeless. You want to be able to look back and still feel it’s something that you want to hang on your wall. Those tend to be my favourites – using fabrics and materials and just a single light.
How many of your shoots are in black and white?
Portraiture especially lends itself to black and white…
Oh yeah, definitely. I had a client recently, her whole gallery is black and white, and that’s what she wanted. I think it adds to the timelessness and the mood.
Not to say I don’t like colour. I love bold, beautiful, cultural portraits when people are proud of their heritage and they want to show that in the clothing that they wear. That really drives me also.
What is your go-to lens and how much flexibility do you give yourself in terms of focal lengths? My absolute go-to is the 50mm f/1.2. The clarity is stunning and it’s a fast lens. I am very lucky with the Z Creator relationship where I was able to acquire a Nikon Z 6II, the 50mm f/1.2 and the 70-200mm f/2.8, but the 50mm is the first lens I will reach for every single time.
I use the 70-200mm in my studio, I can shoot full length at maybe 85mm, it’s a little bit on the tight side, and then I can do the usual three-quarter-length portrait at 135mm, nearly 200mm – it depends on how far back they are. I love the compression of that, it’s just
My absolute go-to is the 50mm f/1.2. The clarity is stunning and it’s fast. It’s the first lens I reach for every single time
gorgeous if you want that milky, smooth background that you don’t have to do any kind of clean up on.
How easy was it switching from the D750 to the Z series? I’m imagining that you’re a convert… Oh yeah! I am an absolute mirrorless advocate now. I got to try it out for a month before Nikon invited me to become a Z Creator and I didn’t pick up the D750 once in that time. I was just so in awe of the speed, and the electronic viewfinder was gamechanging – to be able to see your setting change in Live View was something else! It’s so much lighter, faster, sharper; the colours are richer, so I’m an absolute convert.
There wasn’t too much of a change for me, it was just figuring out what custom settings I wanted to make the most of, so that I could make my shortcuts quicker. It was an easier transition than I anticipated.
Are you thinking of upgrading to the new Z 9 at any time soon? It’s in my sights. I probably don’t need that camera but I absolutely must have one!
You also shoot weddings. Is that something you recognized as being a good divergence?
I’ve made friends with other photographers in the industry who are doing weddings and one said, “If you’re interested, come and shoot a wedding with me and see how you feel.” I enjoyed it so I ended up second shooting a lot for the same photographer and I was doing maybe 15 to 20 a year. The photographer I was second shooting for was saying, “Once I’ve handed over the photos to the couple I’d be happy for you to use your images and build a little portfolio.” So, that’s what I did and I started getting my own wedding bookings. I don’t do too many, because it’s a lot of work and I love the studio. My comfort zone and happy place is definitely the studio. If I can do the wedding and I’m not too busy at that time I’ll take it on.
Weddings are more timeconsuming and the studio is a more comforting experience?
For sure. I mean, I love my strobes! They are my absolute comfort zone, I know what I’m doing in my space. I’m confident in that space.
And that’s key, to feel confident in your own space…
Yeah, definitely. I think you can take ownership of what you do and when you present yourself that way your clients are confident about you too: “Just make me look good!
You choose the background, you choose the outfits, tell me how to pose. Tell me what to do, I trust you.” It’s so nice because it’s such an intimate session.
How long is each session? Typically, clients will start with me at 10 in the morning for hair and makeup. My hair and makeup artist Gabrielle, she’s a star, she will come in the morning, meet the client, get setup and have a chat with them.
Usually, I will arrive just after the client arrives with Gabby, say hi, offer refreshments, we’ll have a brief chat about outfits, but I tend to come back a little bit later because I want Gabby to have authority in the room at that point because she’s styling them. Hair and make-up usually finishes by 12 or 12:30 and then we will move to the studio and the actual shoot is 90 minutes to two hours. Sometimes we go over because I get over enthusiastic and the client’s having a great time.
Do they get back in touch again after the birth?
Yes, they do actually! It’s so nice. Some of them are like, “I had the baby this morning!” And I say, “You didn’t have to tell me today.” It’s so lovely that they come back and I get to be a part of that new baby’s journey into the world. That’s incredibly special for me.
As a midwife, you’re the first person to put hands on that baby. That is a privilege, especially when they’ve had such a long journey to get there, you’re the first person to hand that precious human over.
So, for them to come back, for me that’s like another connection to my past career and I get to see the baby. “Wow, you were in mummy’s tummy when you were last here.” I feel like I’ve become a small part of their life.