Meet Tanya Lavache | Photographer & Creative Director

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

Hi Tanya, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor behind my success and brand is how I make people feel. At the beginning of my career, I discovered the great Maya Angelou. Her words took hold of my mind like nothing I’ve ever experienced prior. Once I discovered this quote of hers,
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
my thought process was never the same. I think about her perspective every time I interact with someone. This mindset has truly shaped my brand and its success.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As a young girl, I always knew I wanted to be an artist. At one point I wanted to do it all because I was gifted at drawing, painting, fashion, graphic design, photography, and dance. After multiple rounds of trial and error then eventually getting mentors, I came to realize photography was my true passion. As a New Yorker, the hustle mindset is how you survive and my brand was created for me to have a path to share my gifts and overcome circumstances that were life-altering. The pandemic gave my brand a spotlight to be noticed. Since then, I’ve been able to work with fashion brands, celebrity clients, and beauty campaigns, as well as document unbelievable events. It wasn’t easy, but I overcame so many obstacles by staying resilient with a smile. I managed to move forward by staying warm, expressing tenderness, and having a strong belief in myself and my ability. My brand is a product of passion and perseverance giving creativity a place to play.

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?
So, it depends on what time of the year you are visiting. I’m a Queens girl but I would take you all over NYC because the fun isn’t just in Manhattan. I would take you to Martha’s Bakery for the best desserts, St. Marks Place, Chelsea Market, Coney Island, Beatstro, The Cookshop, Dumbo, Fulton Street in BK, watch basketball at Barclay Center, see a concert at Madison Square Garden, Blend on the Water in Astoria and walk the Pepsi park path, go shopping at Rosevelt Field Mall, visit The Egde some rooftop bars and visit Rockaway Beach for tacos and sunset watching.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to recognize and shout out my lord Jesus Christ, my grandpas, my parents, and my professors at SVA.

Website: tanyalavache.com

Instagram: @by.lavache

Image Credits
Headshots by: Manny Inoa