Meet Tiffany Kelterer | Photographer

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

Hi Tiffany, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?

It didn’t start out that way; I spent 10 years in various marketing roles. I believe I was drawn to marketing in the first place because it has an artistic nature to it. I loved the strategy and campaign design, but I constantly found myself interested more in how the campaign imagery looked.

Photography has always interested me, but I rarely picked up my camera outside of documenting vacations. After I had my son, my interest was sparked again as I tried my best to document all his milestones while home on maternity leave. I quickly noticed I was rarely in photos with him and that this was a common complaint with other moms. Queue the ‘aha’ moment.

I offered to take portraits of my friends with their little ones as a way to get started. I had no idea what I was doing, but was determined to learn as I went. I was due back to work in March 2020 and amidst the chaos of the start of the pandemic, I decided not to return and pursue photography instead. My focus on motherhood photography quickly morphed into family photography, brand photography, and senior portraits.

Running my own photography business perfectly blends my interest in the lives of the people I photograph and creating photos that capture this time in their life. I have always loved the way a photo can bring out emotions in a viewer. That a simple shift in light can take a photo from bright and happy to moody with a sense of nostalgia. This pushes me to constantly learn new techniques in my edits and session workflow to stay creatively inspired.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Quitting a full-time job that I worked so hard to attain has not always been easy. It has at times put strain on my marriage and our finances. Being a full-time mom as well has it’s own struggles; I work when my son sleeps. Finding balance is key with owning your own business, otherwise you risk burn out. I am learning to say no when something does not align with my brand, schedule time to step away from my computer/phone, and take time for myself to reset. But, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I am able to spend time with my son that I would not have if I was still in a full-time corporate role and I feel truly fulfilled in what I do.

Ultimately, you could say there wasn’t really a well thought out process behind starting my business. I saw a need because I personally experienced it and decided to take a leap of faith (along with a little bit of a push from a pandemic). My focus has shifted along the way to expand my photography offering and I hope it continues to evolve.

I’ve learned to try something a few times before I decide it’s for me or not. This has not always been easy as I’m inherently a risk avoider and prefer to stick with what I know. But, this has opened up doors into areas I never thought I would be interested in and grow to love. I don’t want to pigeonhole myself into one form of photography or a specific type of edit style and feel stuck down the road. My goal in this business is to stay as creatively inspired as I can and keep telling my clients story in the most artistic way I know how.

If there’s one thing I want my clients to walk away knowing after a session with me, it would be how much care and time I put into their session and gallery. Whether I am photographing their newborn, graduating senior, or their business, I put my whole self into it. I am able to hone in on the moments parents want captured during a family session, as I know what I would want out of it with my own child. And, having worked for a large retail company in both marketing and loyalty program management, I have the skills to think like a customer or retailer when conducting brand sessions. I am beyond thankful for every client that has trusted me to tell their story through my work.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There is so much to do and see in San Diego! Below are some “musts” while visiting:

To Do:
Morning walks at Mission Trails or Ramona Grasslands Preserve
A day at Coronado Beach
Hike Torrey Pines Preserve
Shopping the Little Italy and Ocean Beach farmer’s markets
A day in Julian exploring, eating, and drinking
Wandering around Old Town
Watching the sunset at Sunset Cliffs Natural Park

Eat:
Breakfast at Cafe Coyote in Old Town
Brunch at Barbarella in La Jolla Shores
Ortega’s Cocina in Ocean Beach, definitely order pupusas!
Dinner and drinks at Madison in University Heights

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My business wouldn’t be where it is today without the encouragement of my husband. He’s been a constant support from buying my first DSLR camera, to believing in me when I wanted to quit my corporate role to pursue photography full-time.

I am also incredibly thankful to the photographer that have shared their knowledge and tips along the way to help me grow. I absolutely believe in community over competition and the power of helping each other.

Website: https://www.tiffanykelterer.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffany-kelterer-32911997

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