Tara Kneiser of Dixie Pixel is an incredibly talented wedding photographer in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, whose photos make you feel the soul of each moment. She’s a Fearless Photographer, and out of the many random facts she lists on her website, we particularly enjoyed that she has a cat named Monster Truck, a Labradoodle named Dolly Parton Fancy and a Frenchie named Holga. See more of Tara’s work and read her refreshingly transparent answers to her experience being a photographer.
What inspired you to begin a career in photography?
As a kid, I loved creating art in any medium. I knew I wanted to study art in college, but I didn’t have the ability to see beyond college. My mom sat me down my senior year of high school, and she asked me how many people I knew who painted pictures for a living. That was all she had to say, and I immediately enrolled in the photography program at the Art Institute of Colorado. I had been taking photos for my high school yearbook since I was 16. I was responsible for the images beginning to end: shooting, developing in the darkroom, and then printing them for the layouts. My senior year, I was spending half of my school day either in the art room or the darkroom. It was only fitting that I pursued photography.
What has contributed to your success?
In the beginning of my photography career, I was preoccupied with mimicking my favorite photographers, only to be so disappointed when my photos didn’t look like theirs. Things began to get so much better when I quit looking at other photographers and decided that I should shoot like Tara Kneiser. So far, that’s been working out okay. Also, being an adult and tackling the boring things like budgeting and handling money has really helped me make better decisions for my business, as well as realize my worth.
What the most important thing you’ve learned as a working photographer that you were never taught in school?
Haha, everything! I was so cocky when I graduated college. I had a DEGREE in photography, so I knew it all! But I soon discovered I knew nothing. I still don’t know it all. I think the most important thing I’ve learned is to value myself and my work. I was so desperate for work, I was charging pennies for portrait sessions and weddings. In 2006, my salary for the year was $3,000. That was my first year of business. That was pretty eye opening, and I knew I wouldn’t make it even if I doubled my salary. Or tripled. Hands down, learning how to charge appropriately for my work and how to not blow that hard earned money on the latest toy that Nikon and Canon would dangle in front of me. When you’re broke, you become desperate and shoot the wrong things for the wrong clients who kill your drive and creativity.
What have you learned about achieving balance in your life between personal life and the demands of being a photographer?
I became a mom at 21 years old, and at the same time I was trying to start a business. The struggle has been real! A lot of my goals had to be put on hold. I PROMISED myself that I would never resent my son (and later, my daughter) for holding me back from my goals. But currently, I am so content and happy with my personal life and business, even though I still have many goals left to reach. I will press pause on my business, and I try to be involved with my kids as much as I can (I must have been insane when I chose to coach my daughter’s little league softball team in the middle of wedding season last year)! I will close my laptop and curl up on the couch with my husband and we binge watch our favorite shows. My floors are dirty and there are clothes in the dryer that need to be put away, but they’ll get done. Maybe not now, but they will get done. The art of patience is so delicate. I’ve definitely learned to embrace all that I have and not wish any of it away.
What is most important in your photography?
Soul. I want the viewer to feel something when they look at my photographs, not just mindlessly scroll through.
For more information on Tara Kneiser, please visit her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
