Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Marie Manges.
Hi Tiffany, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
I got started with photography rather impulsively. While I had always displayed an interest in the medium, always snapping away on my little Nikon point and shoot, taking it EVERYWHERE with me because you know, for memories sake. I didn’t truly get started until 9 years ago, I was gifted my very first beginner’s DSLR. I remember I got it for Christmas and 1 week later I was kicking it out of auto and jumping right into learning how to shoot manually. I had no concept of what ISO, FSTOP, or any of the “fancy” photographer lingo was. That’s honestly just how I learn; I dive right into everything I do head first and figure it out as I go. I didn’t enroll in any photography course; I really had no plans on being a photographer until one day I did. When I made that decision, once again not knowing anything about starting a business I jumped right into the research and before the day was over, I had my name, LLC and a photography page started. In the beginning, I focused on offering free sessions, trying to figure out what I would be good at. Of course, I shot anything and everything from family sessions to weddings and all the things in between. I was content with that for a little while until I realized I started to not really look forward to my sessions. My turning point was after one of my very first boudoir sessions, I truly fell in love with the whole experience and realized this was what I was meant to be doing. After that, I finished out my contracted sessions and publicly declared my mission to help women learn to celebrate themselves, as cliche as that may sound. Since that day, my style has evolved from shooting the traditional boudoir look, but my purpose remaining the same. As of today, I am a full-time photographer and recently opened up a second business called Unravel (an elemental self-care store) that sort of stemmed from my efforts of helping women care for themselves both mind and body.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It absolutely has not been easy, and to be honest, I probably wouldn’t do it if it were, I’m just not wired to take the easy path. Being a small business owner comes with way more responsibilities than one would think. It’s nearly impossible to keep up as one person trying to juggle it all and yet you have to until you can allocate a budget for help and learn to let go of control. The latter is the one I still struggle with the most. In the beginning, I wrote every email from scratch, kept a binder of every contract, and a spreadsheet of every transaction. This is of course before I learned about client management systems and how to use QuickBooks. I owe the creator of those tools some serious gratitude. Since those early days, I’ve learned other “tricks” and to delegate some of the tasks I’m not good at, i.e.; accounting. Though I’m still a one-woman show, given I’m a woman with ADHD so somedays it’s like I do the work of two people thanks to those hyper-focusing abilities, I am starting to let go of more control and I’m sure will eventually be brave enough to hire an assistant. Another, hardship not talked about enough is burnout. Being your own boss and not knowing when to say no, is hard. Even with help, many still experience it. This past year, I was in that situation, I took on too many projects and didn’t allow myself enough time in between for a break. It resulted in my autoimmune disease to start flaring up, I had inflammation in my hands and wrists, it hurt to shoot and even worse edit. Yet I was still saying yes. I decided at the end of the year, that I would not do that to myself again. I want to be able to give each client my all and make time to focus on my other business as well as my health and family life. This year I’m setting limits, perhaps starting a waitlist rather than squeezing someone in, because life is too short to be so stressed about a job that brings me so much joy.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I once considered myself a boudoir photographer but as my work has evolved over the years, I no longer fit into that traditional boudoir photography box. I now describe my work as portraits for the unconventional woman, women who also don’t fit in a box and don’t resonate with traditional boudoir portraits. Though my work usually displays my subject’s nude or some sort of state of undress I focus on photographing women as a whole in all their natural glory rather than sexualized bits of the female form. I don’t shoot for the pleasure of others but rather for how women want to see themselves. It’s about telling each woman’s story through mostly black and white portraiture because every woman is unique and not meant to fit in this nicely, pretty packaged persona but stand out as herself without all the extra “BS”. I’m extremely proud that I’ve been able to help so many women over these years truly see and celebrate themselves. I set out with that mission in mind and I look forward to continuing my work.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
I have learned so many lessons throughout this journey, I could almost write a whole guide about it. Perhaps titled “Don’t Do What I Did”…but in all seriousness, the most important lesson I have learned is to have trust in myself. In the beginning, I put myself in this “box” because that’s what I thought I was supposed to do to be a good “boudoir photographer”. I worried too much about the opinions of others instead of following what inspired me. It took some time and self-reflection to realize I needed to stop worrying about what others thought and what others in my industry were doing and focus more on what I wanted to portray in my own work. So, I put my head down, got off social media for a bit, and looked inward. From that point forward I decided not to put myself in a “box” and not worry about what others were doing, instead trust in myself and not let fear deter me. I read once that it takes a ton of work and intentionality, but getting to know yourself on a deeper level will help you thrive. Those words could not be more true whether you own your own business or not.
Pricing:
- Commissions with Tiffany Marie Studios start at $500
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@tiffanymariestudios.com
- Website: https://tiffanymariestudios.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiffanymariestudios/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tiffanymariestudios
- Other: https://www.unraveltheday.com/
Image Credits
Tiffany Marie Manges
