Meet Tina Basinski | Photographer

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

Hi Tina, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When I first started photography, I never had the intention of it becoming a business. At the time I was a stay at home mom of two kids and my husband knew I needed a creative outlet. I was always picking up new hobbies, but nothing ever really ‘clicked’, until I had that first camera in my hands. It really just slowly grew, and friends & family started to ask for photo shoots with me. I slowly niched down to doing newborns, babies & family sessions, which made it easier for me thrive. I opened my first studio in 2014 after I had my 4th baby. That’s when things really started to boom. I’ve been extremely lucky to have an incredible client base from the beginning that have stuck with me. I now have moved to a new state and am in my 6th studio and work full time, as well as travel for sessions. It’s an amazing career as a mom-of now 5-to be able to work outside the home no my own terms & hours, as well as be home and not miss any of those special events with my kids.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Photography for me is more than just taking pictures, or creating galleries for families. As my own children have grown I’ve learned the things I want to remember most aren’t the forced smiles in matching clothes in a pretty location. I want to remember how their faces light up when they are in their happy place, or the way the interact together, or even their quirky, albeit weird, habits are-shoot, even picking their noses! Those are the things I love to document. Life is too short, so I love to remember the little things. I believe what sets me apart is I treat each of my clients like friends. My motto since the beginning is to treat my clients how I would want to be treated, with grace, love & kindness. I know that as a mom it’s stressful getting your kids ready for a shoot, sometimes things run late, sometimes kids are not happy to be there, and that is okay. I can confidently say by the end of the session, everyone is relieved that it was a lot more fun than they expected it to be, and it was so much less stressful than anticipated. It wasn’t easy to get to where I was, but I definitely enjoyed the process. Relationships are a huge key in my business, and I’ve gained some amazing ones through the whole journey. I love running into my clients out in the real world and getting to see kids grow, it’s so rewarding. One of my biggest hurdles in business is always myself. I feel like photography is such a head game sometimes and I’m always wanting to push the boundaries, try new things and change everything. I think it’s what has really kept me going is knowing that it’s an art and I can do whatever I truly want, but also that takes time. I have to dive deep into my own self and find what drives me. I’ve learned to take risks and putting myself out there may not always turn out how I expected, but I always learn something about myself from doing it. My newest adventure is traveling for sessions. It feels weird as a mom of 5 getting the opportunity to travel to other states to document families, but my kids have changed from it as well. Having my kids watch me follow my dreams, and even getting to bring them along when possible is amazing. I want them to learn that you can do anything, as long as you are willing to work your butt off for it.

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.
I love to be outdoors, wether just sitting in the backyard for a bonfire or out on a hike. I also love to cook & host, so as much fun as it is to go to a restaurant, I prefer my own kitchen. I love going to the beach and could sit there for hours and talk with friends, of course grabbing coffee or ice cream on the way. Of course I love to shop as well, with thrifting being high on my list of favorite things to do.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have been blessed by amazing mentors along my whole photography journey. The first mentorship I went through was with Heidi with Kinderbella Photography. She really helped propel my newborn side of my business when I was first starting. I also did a mentorship with Kayleigh from Paisley Ann Photography who was a huge inspiration for my family sessions. And of course, My Four Hens Photography out of Colorado, whom I attended a retreat with a few years ago an helped me get into the real ‘why’ of my business and also helped me fall in love with the mountains.

Website: www.tinamaephoto.com

Instagram: @tinamaephotography

Facebook: Tina Mae Photography

Image Credits
All taken by me.