Meet Tina Parmelee | Photographer Specializing in High School Senior Photography

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

Hi Tina, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
The single most important decision that contributed to my success was deciding to specialize and focus on high school senior photography. Once I narrowed down my focus, I was able to gain more education on how to become a better photographer, explore more resources and dedicate more time and energy to becoming the best senior photographer I can be.

Don’t get me wrong, I still have soooo much more to learn, so much!! But one of the best things about photography is that there will always be more to learn, with technology, it’s always changing. Take for instance this year, I really wanted to up my images to get more of a “wow” factor, so I started looking at other photographers at the top of this industry and saw that many of them used off camera flash. I didn’t even know what off camera flash was! So I started researching and educating myself (thank you internet). I figured out what I needed, purchased the necessary set up and started incorporating off camera flash into my images. At first it started out rough. I over exposed, or underexposed and people would look like ghosts, or you couldn’t see them. But as I continued to practice and use it more, I started to get that “wow” factor I was looking for. But I still have a lot of room to improve and grow.

One of the reasons I decided to specialize in senior photography is because they are so willing to do anything to get that epic shot that nobody else has. They have their own great ideas they want to add, And the energy they bring is always a level above anything else. I Love capturing their senior moment in time, because it won’t happen again. Both the senior and their parents have been waiting 12 (or more) years for this moment, and I just love how excited they are to get their pictures taken.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Once I really starting focusing on my niche of high school seniors (which I have named The.Peak.Club), I found that I loved photography even more. Seniors have so much energy and are willing to help me create some awesome shots that have been floating around in my head, and they help bring those ideas to life. I get so excited when I talk with them and they tell me what their dream shoot is and we make it a reality. I really love sports action shots, because once I get the shot in camera, I still get to take it to editing and add elements that make it more epic. I just love making their pictures really show who they actually are.

Getting to where I am was not easy, and it still isn’t. I’m still in the middle of making a name for myself and getting my brand out there. I don’t think a hard worked after dream is easy for anyone. It takes dedication, time, skill, practice, drive, and a love to go after that dream. You also have to be resilient and thick skinned, because you will have so many things thrown at you that will make you want to quit. I was amazed at all the things and people that blocked my path or made me feel like I couldn’t accomplish the things I have up to this point, and it’s still hard.

But I know what I love, what I can do with my vision, the creative inspiration, and willing clients, to succeed and get over any challenge. I have a song that I heard last year when I was changing my focus, and it changed my whole perspective. You could probably say that it’s my theme song. “Till You Can’t” by Cody Johnson, and this verse was what helped me kick it into a different gear and follow my dream to be one of the best high school senior photographers in my area, which I’m working on.
“If you got a chance, take it, take it while you got a chance. If you got a dream, chase it, ’cause a dream won’t chase you back….”
The “dream won’t chase you back” words really hit me, because there’s truth in that. Your dream won’t chase you! If you want something to change, and you want to make your dream a reality, you have to make it happen, you have to put work behind it, and when you do, dreams start to become a reality.

And I want these high school seniors to go after their dreams too, so I strive to make a senior session more of an experience, because they want a full experience, full of moments and memories, with fun and a huge variety of pictures to chose from. Most seniors have a lot of ideas because they have been in front of a phone camera, so I love to use their input too. The photos I take help seniors to express who they are, encourage them to be uniquely themselves, and show who they are becoming. One thing that I really try to do as a senior photographer is to help these teenage kids see the beauty in them that everyone around them sees. These young people really have it hard with all the social media and having to have their lives look like they are perfect, the perfect body, the perfect house, the perfect family, the perfect boyfriend, the perfect life. So when I can show them that they are just as beautiful, or cool as everyone they see, it just makes my heart happy. I love their excitement they have when they see their pictures and see how amazing they actually are.

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.
Oh man, this is a hard one, because as a photographer I LOVE going to all the amazingly beautiful places around our great state and getting pictures. So we would be doing some road tripping. First we would start with the Denver metro area and hit RiNo, we would check out the wall art, shop and eat some great food at the Denver central market. I love it in there cause there are so many options. Try to get some sort of professional sports watching in there, depending on the season, because we have such great teams! Hit up Voodoo donuts because DONUTS!!!
Then we would start on a road trip, stopping first at garden of the Gods, then onto the hot springs at Pagosa Springs, hitting the sanddunes, and sledding down those, and a hike up to zapata falls. Then heading over to Ouray and go off roading up one of the many passes to enjoy the amazing views. From Ouray we would head to Crested Butte to check out the wildflowers and another hike, oh and a stop at Niky’s mini donuts is a must! Then a stop to see Bishop’s castle, cause that mans mind is one you have to go check out, and back to the metro area. As you can tell, I love all things outdoor, and donuts.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First and foremost is a shoutout the the big man above, God! Without him blessing me with this talent and giving me opportunities to grow, all the time, I would have no clue how to even start with a camera, or what makes an image an amazing photograph. I have always loved photography, I took classes in high school, where after that I took a break, and then I kind of lost my passion until my kiddos got older, and as they grew they inspired me.

Technology with cameras changed, and my interest peaked again. I was in an area where a lot of the seniors couldn’t afford senior pictures, so I offered free sessions, while I practiced what the internet taught me. The internet has really been my teacher in so many ways, I have learned so much from all the amazing people that put up YouTube’s, reels, tiktoks, behind the scenes, etc, about cameras, lighting, editing, and everything. I am like a sponge soaking it all in. I still try to learn something new each day from someone who has posted something.

I also have some great friends, who have been my main cheerleaders from my very beginning, 14 years ago, Alana Reeb, and Eloisa Bates, thank you for supporting me and always cheering me on, it means the world! When I made the switch to specializing in high school senior photography, I watched a lot of videos (found on the internet) from other senior photographers high up in the industry and am so thankful for those people who take their time to share information. I also found an amazing business woman who offers classes, mentorship, support and an amazing facebook page, that focuses on encouraging senior photographers to support and grow from one another. Her name is Beverly Williams and she runs the social media for Senior Year Magazine, she is also a photographer and a savvy business woman. I know that without learning from her, I wouldn’t be at this place in my business.

Above all, my family! They have have been my subjects from the very beginning. I would work on backdrops, lighting, posing, locations, editing, basically everything on them, and for the most part they did it with a smile. They also watched as I ran from shoot to shoot like a crazy lady, because I was taking pictures of EVERYTHING. They would take care of dinner when I was out at a session, or get those that needed to get to and from practices to those practices, or other activities. They would also help me pick the good pictures and get rid of the weird ones. Advantages of having teens myself!

I know I have missed some, because there are so many that have had an impact on me and my business, but all these people and more have helped me to become the photographer I am today.

Website: https://www.tparmeleephotography.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.peak.club/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-parmelee-18477b148/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tbtparm

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

Image Credits
Lisa Mcgee, Eloisa Bates