Meet Tara Reiners | Intimate Photographer & Owner of AG Collective: Coworking. Studio. Events

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tara Reiners and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tara, what role has risk played in your life or career?
As an intimate photographer, I am asking each and every human that steps into our studio or on-location experience to be vulnerable. Vulnerability is risk. When we show up vulnerable, we recognize that it’s a possibility (a risk) that we could get hurt. We could also experience empowerment, self-growth, and from that, step into our life in a way we have never dreamed possible. The best things in life are on the other side of risk- how would we ever know what’s waiting or could be if we are never willing to just jump and trust?

I believe in living my truth authentically and with vulnerability through willingness to do things that are hard and uncomfortable…including getting in front of the camera, opening AG Collective {knowing that at a community level it would be very difficult), choosing to stand up for things I strongly believe in, and most recently removing gender from our intimate photography and asking people to see human as human- vulnerable and emotional. Sometimes I question if it’s just my ADHD impulsiveness that drives risk, or perhaps it’s lack of knowledge, but I truly wouldn’t have it either way. I’ve seen such amazing changes for my clients who were willing to take a risk and step into the life that was waiting for them.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is an expression of emotional need. Nine years ago when I started specializing in intimate photography, as a mom and female, I felt a loss of self as did many women I spoke to. Women are often sacrificing self, needs, and wants for family. An internal struggle exists in balancing out and prioritizing who you are and your own needs. My work and my why behind what I do has changed a lot over the years. I now understand and believe that regardless of gender, we are all humans. As humans we experience the full range of emotions, including insecurity, and that as we drop the role of gender we can remove societal driven gender “boxes” and acknowledge who each person is with understanding and empathy. Additionally, I practice and align with energy work. Understanding that everything around us (including ourselves) is made of energy. Life is an exchange of that energy and balance- yin and yang, push and pull, light and dark. My work primarily focuses on use of shadows and emotional expression. It is important to understand that light and dark are a representation of masculine and feminine energy. Using and understanding light and shadows in this way with emotional expression is the foundation of my work with each human, landscape, or inanimate object I shoot.

I recently launched my mobile studio. The mobile studio allows me and my clients to have an indoor shooting location while also adventure and shoot in breathtaking spaces throughout the united states. Additionally, expanding our offerings to really focus on the humans we each are has been extremely soul-filling for me. I am absolutely grateful for our success as it existed previously, but am ready to step into work that resonates my personal growth.

I got to where I am today by showing up vulnerably. Every decision behind my business has echoed my own struggles, needs, and desires. Being vulnerable has allowed individuals going through similar struggles or desires to know that they have a safe space to be who they are without judgement. It was not easy starting out. I primarily live in an area that does not share many of the belief systems of larger cities. At the time that I started specializing in “boudoir” it had a perception in our area that was very difficult to get past. It required a great deal of education and trust building. While it did take many years, once the foundation had occurred, it was no longer a struggle in that sense. Human beings want a space to feel connected and accepted. It was a matter of making sure each person had a space at the table.

The most important thing to know about my brand and story is that it’s representative of who I am as a person. As I change and grow, so does my brand, When I work with other photographers and businesses owners we focus on authentic branding. Be you, unapologetically and authentically. At this time, my brand is about really allowing people a space to be who they are without fear, offering a space to connect with themselves, the earth, and others, and to leave the experience feeling empowered through their vulnerability.

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.
If you are heading to Billings, I definitely recommend starting your day out with brunch at the Sassy Biscuit and exploring downtown Billings, heading over to the Burger Dive for lunch and then getting a little adventure in over at Steep World for some indoor climbing. While Billings has a lot to offer as the biggest city in Montana. There’s much to be explored in a small radius. Red Lodge is only 45 minutes away from Billings. Drive the Beartooth Pass with a picnic lunch, walk through downtown. and hit up some amazing restaurants – Prerogative and Picolla Cuccina are not to be missed. Red Lodge is a town full of Makers and Artists- definitely check out their work. Columbus and Nye are also only a short distance from Billings and include the beauty of Montana mountains, hiking, camping, and exploring. If you enjoy Craft beers, Montana has a plethora of them!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I feel like this could fill a book. I know that I would never be who I am today without a ton of people behind me, driving me, to be my best. As a business owner, my clients outcomes have been my driver to continue to push forward, even in the hard, knowing that vulnerability changes lives. Additionally, there’s a list of people I could shout out, especially recently, definitely my kiddos who sacrifice for the goal of community growth, Chris Miller, Dan Granger, Mark Ager, Jasper Heins, Brittany Smith, creative community members who collab and throw their ideas out at me, and for sure my sister, Ashley, who always hears me out and understands the frustrations in choosing to trailblaze.

Website: http://tarareiners.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tarareinersphotographer/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tarareinersboudoir