Meet Jony and Liliy Tanase | Photographers

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jony and Liliy Tanase and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jony and Liliy, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Our Mission is to capture the unique love between our couples in a way that expresses their oneness – A Candid Love. It has been put in our hearts to serve and care for our couples in whichever way they need with genuine help, attention to detail, in kindness, while being prompt in all things. With all that, we deliver products only that we would be proud to hang up in our home for others to see. Our service is not only for the wedding day, it is for the entirety of the journey that it takes to get there.

Nothing is left to complacency.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I (Jony) started taking photos when I first started high school and it was in a lot of ways an escape for me. High school was a challenging time in my life and discovering photography allowed me to be somewhere else mentally, emotionally, and personally. I remember buying my first camera and taking it out of the box unaware of how much it would change my life. The thought process behind starting my business was not something that came easily or comfortably to me. I did photography because I loved it. I was innocent in the world of art and photos and wasn’t tainted by the overexposure of social media influencers and everyone posting their lives and amazing photos. I was doing what I loved. There were many moments when I knew I was in love with photography, but one sticks out more than the others. It’s when I was in Romania, my birth country, and I remember my family driving up the mountains and me with my new camera coming up to the bottom of the valley towards the top of the mountain and just being dumbstruck by the awesome grandeur of the mountains. It was a photo that I still hold to be one of my favorite photos I have taken. The Cabin on the Waters. I had this newfound love for photography because I was discovering its meaning for me in my own life. Purpose. To invoke an emotion. To stir something inside yourself that would make you go and say, “Wow.” Or even a simple nod because the photos for me were a piece of who I am that I was just meeting for the first time and now it’s on display for everyone to see. Unfortunately, I was pressured into starting my own photo business, which was exciting but not exactly what I wanted. I was trying to get my name out there and I had a few clients but I was quickly burnt out and uninspired and everything seemed so manufactured to me. I didn’t love the process of photo taking or the concept of art. I was done. I took a year away from photography and hung up the jersey and said no more. My camera would sit on the shelf taunting me, but worst of all I felt like I peaked and was a failure. Then I met my wife, Liliy. She helped me see the beauty and wonder of the photos and art I had created. There the fire was rekindled again! We then came together and talked about rebranding my old business to Tanase Photography and focusing on weddings with a unique and personal touch. We believe that the reason we think we are successful is not because of the amount of money or the number of weddings we do a year but it’s measured by the joy we can give a couple and their family when we take their photos and deliver those photos－embodying the very nature of who they are. It is about the entire process. Our thought process was not about making money but making an impact. Most of our couples are now some of our best friends and we are able to share a beautiful memory with each one of them. Love the passion of what you do. And push through the process of growth. After all, failure is your best teacher.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We absolutely love going near Boulder, Colorado in the Red Rocks. We LOVE the colors and formations of the landscape. We both are suckers for the mountains and getting a good cup of coffee and just spending time together. We recently took a trip all the way up to Glenwood Hotsprings and it was an absolute delight! We went when it was a little bit colder outside and it made the warmth of the water that much better. And lastly, we went up to this little coffee shop in Nederland, Colorado named The Train Cars Coffee and Kava. This little coffee shop was built inside of an old train car-truly unique! Having the mountain air all around you while you sip on your favorite coffee beverage… heaven to us.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We would love to shout out to our family for being there for us and seeing us go through our journey. They have been our biggest fans and at times our biggest critics other than ourselves. Though it was all for us to learn and grow and have fun.

Website: tanasephotography.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tanase.photography

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JonathanTanase