Today we’d like to introduce you to Timothy Leach.
Hi Timothy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Being a musician/ producer I had an artist that would go out on the road a lot and we needed a photographer/videographer. Everybody we knew was always busy and couldn’t go. So I took it upon myself, to go buy a camera, and learn how to work it in April of 2019. Months later the Artist moved on and o still had the camera collecting dust. This is the start of October 2019. 2019 was a rough year my dad died and I lost the artist I had built a great relationship with for me to get go get a camera to catch great content for them… so in all.
I felt like I lost everything, Until I looked at a picture of my dad sitting by the camera one day coll citing dust, I picked it up and looked at his picture, and said I’m going to learn this camera in honor of you. So I reached out to people I knew as the photographer and videographer to learn a few things. I read books and study videos on YouTube. I begin getting different models and shooting them for free.
I even did $25 Christmas photos in 2019 to get my feet wet. I started calling myself. T.O.L Photography, which stands for Tim O’Brian Leach. From there, I’ve been running my business with over 1000 clients. Having photos on billboards and publishing magazines. I am blessed to have this business and I thank God for it. I’m glad my dad’s picture was sitting by the camera because he was a man that would never give up and I wanted to do something to make him proud.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Running a business can be up and down. Some weeks you might have A lot of bookings and in the next week or two, you might not have clients. Also dealing with different attitudes. Some can be good and some not so much. I’ll say jr hasn’t been easy I do cases but not all bad.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a Photographer/Videographer from Gaffney SC that shoots anyone from the upstate. I think my specialty, is shooting Portrait shots and making any of my clients feel comfortable. I know how to make my clients feel comfortable and by the end of the session, they walk out with confidence.
I’m known for probably having the quickest turnaround time. Lol. What I’m most proud of is that I’m just not and known photographer in SC, I’ve had clients drive from Charlotte to different parts of NC 3 to 4 hours away. People have come from Florida Georgia and Tennessee.
I think what sets me apart, I always try to be as professional as I can communicate really well with my clients, and let them know about their appointments and what’s a good idea for their shoot.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
Honestly, I just go on YouTube and study some of my favorite photographers or IG to look at their work. I’ve read, How to create stunning Digital Photography by Tony Northrup and Steal like an artist by Austin Kleon.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tolphotography1.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/t.o.l_photography_?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tolphotography120
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCrCzbyIMISHZ3lLqick4NUQ
Image Credits
Jeremiah Drummond
