Untameable Tessa Tadlock: Boho Wedding Photographer, Grover Beach, CA
[smartslider3 slider=10]
Let’s face it…we’re not all photogenic. Some of us couldn’t look pretty in a pose even if you paid us a million. We’d end up feeling awkward, tense and possibly looking a little ridiculous. So…why is it that every one of Tessa Tadlock’s brides looks like she belongs in a magazine? There’s a secret to Tessa’s success, talent.
Wedding photographers, the good ones, don’t attempt to create something out of nothing.
Wedding photographers, the good ones, don’t attempt to create something out of nothing.
They eavesdrop on real life, capturing moments that are beautiful on their own, real moments of love, family and happiness. When that avenue’s temporarily exhausted, they need to step in and create ‘real’ situations out of the love that’s already there…that’s what Tessa does.
It’s no easy task, a wedding photographer has to know the clients, know the venue, know the timetable and be someone who makes people feel comfortable, feel free and feel at home.
Looking at Tessa Tadlock’s portfolio of blissful boho images that capture not only tender moments of love and laughter but also perfect landscapes and moody vibes…it seems Tessa does all of that and more, catching a shared joke, making the most of the light shining through the trees, anticipating a gust of wind and using it.
Tessa is a Grover Beach, CA, based wedding photographer who shares an office with her inspiration, boyfriend and wedding videographer, Jimmy (jfinnmedia.com). It was Jimmy who started the fire in Tessa when he told her he was thinking of becoming a wedding photographer. Although she’d never thought about it before, she found herself overcome with jealousy at the notion of someone doing it before her and went out to buy herself a camera.
it was Jimmy who’d gotten her past her worries, told her not to care what people think, that everyone starts somewhere
She didn’t use it for 6 months…concerned about what people would think of this sudden decision but when she finally did do her first shoot it was much like love at first sight. Butterflies in the stomach and a feeling that this was going to be forever. And it was Jimmy who’d gotten her past her worries, told her not to care what people think, that everyone starts somewhere. He’d told her not to let anyone get in the way of something that could become her passion. That’s exactly what it did.
Tessa’s a ball of joy who’d be an asset, I think, at any party…her exuberance overflows from the page when she writes, in a fountain of exclamation marks, words like loooovvvveee!!!! Bohoooooo!!!! and sooooo grateful!!! Gratefulness is Tessa’s motto in work and play, which are actually the same thing for her, she’s living her deepest passion.
“Have fun and roll with the punches, no matter what happens-cause something always happens! Remember that this day will end and you’ll be married to your best friend. You’ve put in so much work to make this day come together, now it’s time to enjoy it!”
Tessa is clearly obsessed with boho and it shows in every image. Her work is the epitome of what you’d look for in a boho photographer, unapologetic, natural. And that’s what Tessa asks her clients to be when she photographs them, just themselves. “Have fun and roll with the punches, no matter what happens-cause something always happens! Remember that this day will end and you’ll be married to your best friend. You’ve put in so much work to make this day come together, now it’s time to enjoy it!”
You’d have to describe 24 year old Tessa’s photographic style the same way you’d describe boho, adventurous…free-spirited and romantic. She favors emotion over perfection and she loves to capture her couples’ true personalities in beautiful outdoor locations. Judging by this portfolio, Tessa never falls short of doing what she sets out to do.
When asked about her MO, Tessa says she does a mix of blending in or eavesdropping and creating situations. So it’s kinda like telling someone to pose but keeping the situation dynamic so that they never feel awkward or silly or in the air. She poses people in a way that gets them laughing, interacting with each other and livinnngggg. Also, Tessa shoots everything digital so that she can shoot wherever and as much as she wants, as fast as she wants.
Becoming friends with her clients is one of Tessa’s favorite aspects of the job. One of the most rewarding experiences she’s had on the job happened when the same wedding party booked her for photographs and her man for video without knowing that the two were connected. After shooting the engagement session Tessa and her BF hit it off like a house on fire with the clients and they remain friends to this day, with backpacking adventures, game nights and actual airplane flights to visit each other.
You’ll recognize her by her sarcasm, her infectious smile and the fact that her lipstick is always on regardless of dress code or atmospheric conditions
Tessa has a tendency to emit a high pitched squealing of delight whenever things are going well at a wedding.
You’ll recognize her by her sarcasm, her infectious smile and the fact that her lipstick is always on regardless of dress code or atmospheric conditions. Tessa says lipstick stops folk from thinking she’s 16 and also makes her feel like she’s got her life together. Which she does anyway, blessings Tessa!
Bohemian Wedding Dresses featured here are: Dreamers & Lovers Aurora Dress, Catherine Dress and the Julia Dress
Check out more of Tessa’s work at www.tessatadlock.com
