May 1, 2017

Meet Tina Smothers of Tina Smothers Photography

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tina Smothers.

Tina, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I began my photography career in 2006 as an assistant to a Chicago commercial photographer. In 2009 I started my own freelance business as Tina Smothers Photography and quickly became one of Chicago’s top-rated actor headshot photographers. I went on to expand into commercial and corporate photography, amassing Fortune 500 clients such as Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley, Deloitte, PR Weekly and the Walton Issacson Ad Agency.

Although I have done many other types of photography over the years (jewelry catalogues, interiors, architecture, and products to name a few), today I exclusively shoot corporate, commercial, and magazine assignments. I have photographed 4 magazine covers, countless executive portraits and headshots, and have documented hundreds of events all over the country including the tenth anniversary of Sept 11 at the World Trade Center memorial. I have also had the good fortune to photograph celebrities such as Robin Thicke, Jennifer Hudson, and Mike Ditka, Saturday Night Live’s Nora Dunn, and the group One Direction.

My previous life as a social worker combined with my improv comedy training at Second City and iO Theater are what gives me the “bedside manner” and top-notch customer service skills that make my business a success.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has taken several years to iron out what types of photography I wanted to focus on as a career. When I first started out, I wanted to photograph everything, which is not realistic. I needed to refine my brand based on what I most enjoy photographing: people. I had a few years of struggling to photograph jewelry and products which I decidedly did not enjoy.

It was also stressful at first to understand how freelance life has both extremes of lots of work and no work at all. I had to learn to save up during the busy times to make up for the slower periods, and to not get too worried during the slow periods.

It was also difficult to get rejected for jobs at first. Now it doesn’t bother me as much, because I now I have a solid repeat client base to soften the blow of losing a job to another photographer. I also know it’s a numbers game and that I won’t get every job I bid on.

Please tell us about Tina Smothers Photography.
I am a commercial and corporate photographer, which means most of the photos I take will be used by a company for their external and/or internal marketing materials such as websites and brochures. I also photograph for magazines when they need either a cover photo or a portrait to accompany an article.

One of the things that makes me different is being a female photographer. There aren’t many other female corporate photographers in Chicago, so that makes me unique. With so many women in high positions in the corporate world nowadays, I feel that many women like to hire other women, which is great. As a feminist, I am also very aware of how to photograph women that communicates power and equality to their male counterparts.

I am also different from some other photographers in that I have formal training in improv comedy, and have been in the improv community for a little over 7 years now. I took the yearlong improv training program at both Second City and the iO Theater, and am currently in the improv training program at the Under the Gun Theater. I have performed improv comedy off and on over the years, and this helps quite a bit during photo shoots where having a comfortable and relaxed subject is vital to the process. I can usually coax real smiles and relaxed expressions from my subjects in most scenarios.

Another thing that makes me different is my background in psychology and social work. I completed all the coursework for my M.A. in psychology when I decided to make the switch to photography. I worked in psychology and social work for about 5 years prior, so I have a unique set of people skills that enables my subjects to feel comfortable during photo shoots.

I am very involved in philanthropy for different animal charities and was in Thailand in September of 2016 to photograph a dog shelter called “Elfe’s World Thailand” which has rescued over 500 dogs from the meat trade. I am looking to find gallery space for these photos so give me a shout if someone out there can help! I have also volunteered for PAWS and photographed the cover for their 2016 calendar.

I don’t photograph models. I photograph real people on location at their workplaces. Most of the time I have very little time to get the shot, as my subjects are very busy and don’t have the time for long photo shoots. To get someone comfortable in front of the camera in a very short amount of time and help them tell their story takes a very unique person and lots of experience. I am just as much of a director as I am a photographer.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Playing softball with my dad.

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