Meet Tiana Jackson | Photographer & Student

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

Hi Tiana, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
When it comes to creating, it can be really easy to go back and forth between whether what you’re doing is worth pursuing or not. As much as I wish it wasn’t true, I doubt myself and my craft quite often. I wonder, Is this really what I should be doing?What makes me so different from others pursuing photography?Who’s going to care about this?Will this ever sustain me in life? The truth is doubt only shows me that what I’m pushing for is worth it. Everything that has ever meant something meaningful and powerful to me was so scary to pursue. Fear tells me that the path I am on isn’t easy, yes, but it also informs me that my soul has to work hard to win in ways I can not truly see in the present. I know to keep going because I’m scared, I doubt myself, and I don’t know if this is what my life should be, but despite all of that I love it. I love the feeling of meeting new people and showing them how I view them with my camera, I love starting a project and staying up all night until I finish it, and I love that I’m scared and despite it all I push myself to be uncomfortable and seen. Love keeps me going.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Overtime, I’ve really had to learn how much power I have as a creator. Starting out as a young creator, I found that I wasn’t valued or acknowledged fully because of my age and my lack of experiences. As I develop my style and my approach to creating, I’ve developed a better understanding within myself of my own worth and the power of my vision. It has not been easy understanding what I, as a creator, bring to the table. I’ve been used, overworked, underpaid, and dismissed quite a few times. I hate to admit it, but those experiences have helped me better formulate my own expectations and desires pertaining to my work. When considering what sets me aside from other creators, I would have to say my emphasis on creating a space within my work that encourages connection between my subject/s and I. I hold the camera, but the outcome is what is established in the moment. My work is a reflection of the energy between whoever is in front of the camera and me from behind it. I always want comfort and character to shine through in my photos. This is all a journey for me, and I want the world to know that this is only the beginning for me. I am only scratching the surface and there is so much more for me to understand and find out about myself and my craft.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, to start our day we would have to get brunch at Salt’s Cure. Every chance I get, I try to get some brunch there and I would have to hook my friend up. Hopefully, they’re visiting towards the end of the month, so that after brunch we could hit up the Black Market Flea. This is one of my absolute favorite things to do in LA. We would get the opportunity to support tons of black owned brands and meet some amazing people. There is always such good energy and community there and I think it’s a prime example of what LA is all about. I’d definitely need to take them to the Getty Center Museum because I live for the scenery there and the photographer in me would love to get them some nice photos. My friend could not leave without getting Roscoe’s chicken and waffles. I am not joking when I say I am obsessed with this place and if I could eat it at least twice a week, which I have before but that’s not the point lol.

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’d like to shout out my mom (Denise), sister (Taylor), and best friend (Aicha). My mother believed and supported me from the beginning. On my 17th birthday she bought me my first camera. I didn’t know what I was doing or how any of it worked at the time, but she made time and space for me to do something she knew made me happy. She would drive me around my city, Chicago, and watch as I took photos of things I found interesting. My sister and best friend continue to push me to honor and appreciate my own work. As I stated before, this all gets really scary sometimes. Nothing about creating seems secure and that contributes to a lot of fear and doubt. They remind me often that nothing in this life is worth giving up if it makes your soul jump up and down and brings you the joy and love people search their entire lives to find.

Instagram: shotsbyti