Photographer Spotlight: Tammy Ward
April 15, 2010 by Kim Hill
Filed under Focus On, Photographer Spotlight
Tell us your name. Tammy Ward
Where do you live? Atsugi, Japan (outside Tokyo)
Please link us to your website. http://www.tammyward.com
Describe your area of expertise (ie., weddings, babies, seniors, etc). Families and children
How long have you been a photographer? I played with photography all my life, but I have been in business for 3 years and pursuing a MFA in Photography since January 2007.
Please share with us your absolute favorite photograph you’ve ever taken and tell us the story behind it, why it speaks to you, etc. I don’t think I can pinpoint one favorite photograph. I have a new favorite quite often, depending on my mood. 
However, I think most of my favorites come from my MFA thesis “Life in a Blink”. The series explores the child within through use of children acting the part of adult related roles. There is a child inside of us all and no matter how time and experience change us, we are still children at heart. Over the summer and fall I will be adding quite a few more to the series for my final thesis presentation in December.
What brought you to create the “Life in a Blink” series? As a mother of four children, I feel a deep connection to this project. I am privileged enough to experience everyday life through my childrens’ eyes. The spontaneity, the innocence, all of the childhood emotions echo my youthful past. The fleeting existence of our youth goes by in a blink, leaving us with the serious and foreboding prospects of maturity and obligation. My intent with this series is to compel the viewer to grab hold of their inner child through visual displays of inner children trapped in “grown up” roles.
How would you describe your style? Colorful and clean
What is your standby pose (the one that everyone tends to want from you)? People tend to love the usual swinging the kids or feet pose, no matter how many times it has been done before, it is always a client favorite.
What gear is in your bag? Canon all the way baby! 5d Mark II, 85mm 1.2 L, 50mm 1.2 L, 24-300mm L, 580ex II in an awesome Kelly Moore bag.
If you could only use one lens what would it be? Love my 50mm 1.2 L, although I had to send the first one back that I bought, its hard to find a sharp copy.
Are you considering any new gear purchases this year? Yes, I am thinking about the 35mm 2.0 L lens. I am not sure I am in love with the 28-300 because I miss the wider aperture so I am thinking of replacing with a 35mm and the 70-200mm 2.8 L.
What is your go-to camera shop? B&H photo!
How do you stay motivated? Lots and lots of energy drinks. No seriously, through my clients’ excitement!
Do you prefer to work in the studio, on-location, or both and why? I like both but prefer to shoot on-location as it opens your options for creativity.
What sets you and your work apart from other photographers in your area? I am located at a base in Japan and there aren’t a lot of other professionals in the area. However, I do work very hard to make sure all my work is something that I truly love myself and would want to cherish for years to come.
Do you use a Mac or PC? MAC
Tell us about your image processing style and the software you use. I import into Lightroom, tweak manually or sometimes I use presets. Then in Photoshop I do some minor skin and eye retouching. Most of the time I will edit each image individually and uniquely, I don’t batch edit. I usually have a processing in mind when I take the image.
Have you attended any workshops that you found to be helpful in your work? I am continually learning from my schooling, however I really enjoyed the ProPhotogs convention that I attended in 2008.
Which professional organizations do you belong to? PPA, SPS, NAPP
Tell us about your long-term goals. Would love to shoot childrens edgy fashion photography and a book for my Life in a Blink series.
Best advice for new photographers breaking into the business? Immerse yourself in photography, study it online through tutorials and forums and read plenty of books. Understand that there is so much more than taking the photo when in business (licenses, taxes, permits and insurance).
If you could choose anyone to do a photo shoot of you and your family, who would your choose? Red Leaf Studios or Purple Nickel
If you were not a photographer, then….. I would be interested in being a stylist for photographers.
What does photography mean to you? The world! I can’t imagine a life without photography. There is something so wonderfully special about capturing a moment in time that only our memories can vaguely grasp.
Magazine must have? Vogue!!
What ’s your guilty pleasure? a good vampire novel.
My weakness is… finding time to get all the ideas out of my head and into action.
My strength is… perseverance. I’m a mom to four kids, working on my masters degree full time, running a business with a husband that is deployed.
What do you do when you first wake up? push the snooze button, lol.
Finish this quote: When it rains… I want to snuggle up with the kids and enjoy an afternoon of movies.
Who do you love? My four beautiful children, my awesome husband, and all my other family and friends.
Do you read your horoscope? Yes, I’m an Aries!
Tattoos… Yes, on my ankle. It means carpe diem.
MAC or PC… Mac
80’s Music… is so fun to Karaoke to.
What’s on your iPod? Right now I have a bit of everything from Michael Buble, Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas, songs from Glee.
Morning or night? NIGHT
My friends say… I’m way too busy.
Travel dreams… Europe, anywhere in Europe!
On my day off… ha ha, that’s funny, when does that happen? But every spare moment I get I enjoy it with my kids, although I should probably be spending some time in the gym.
One of your top 100 to do before you die? What isn’t? Publish a book.
Thanks so much, Tammy, for sharing your vision with our readers. I’m sure we will all find inspiration in your amazing images.
