Abi Coop
Melissa Richard
Kristen Ryan
HS Member Feature | Tanya de Villiers
It’s time for our monthly Member Feature! Each month we will choose one member to feature and share with the community. If you’re a member and would like your chance to be featured, please click here to fill out our application!
This month, it’s our pleasure to introduce you to the amazingly talented, Tanya de Villiers!
Tell Us Your Photography Story
My name is Tanya and I’m originally from South Africa now living in Scotland with my family of six my (superhero) husband, my two boys, a wild pomeranian named Basil and Dachshund called Emily. I discovered photography when my first baby was born. I remember the moment my husband bought me a canon 50mm lens and the photo I managed to capture of my little one just blew my mind. Photography became an obsession over night and during the next 6 years, capturing every minute of their childhood became my raison d’être. I now photograph other families in Scotland and I’ve found a community of photographers and friends, including here on Hello Storyteller, which I’m so very grateful for.
What course(s) have you taken, if any?
So many wonderful courses! But a few of my recent favourites are Leanna’s Azzolini’s Self Portraiture: A Complete Journey, and Holly Awwad’s Autumn Glory.
What is your favorite thing about the HS Community?
This community is so inspiring and everyone is so kind. There are so many helpful tutorials and advice. I love that everybody’s growth is celebrated.
What is your favorite technique | style you have tried or mastered this year?
Freelensing, but still working on it!
What are your 3 favorite images (or session series) you have shot this year and share the story about them?
We took a pause during a recent newborn shoot when the baby started to get a little unsettled. I sat back to give the mum some space and watched this incredible scene of unfold: a mother nursing her baby with such love and tenderness, the warm morning light pouring in through the window. It was one of the most truthful moments of motherhood I’d ever seen. I felt transported back to when my first baby was born. The stillness, the intimacy, the serenity, just the two of us. There is nothing quite like the magic of that time.
We recently went to visit family on the Isle of Wight. On our last night we decided to stay on the beach for while after sunset. The moon was so big that night and the sky so beautiful. I was glad I managed to capture the moment when my two children, who had been playing in the sand up until then, suddenly looked up to see the moon emerging from behind the clouds.
This was one from earlier in July (summers here in Scotland aren’t necessarily the warmest and driest!) It had been pouring all day. So, at a break in the rain we left the house to walk through Old Town. When my kids started dancing and singing on the steps in their formal outfits (the fashion in our home just now) it felt like a perfect capture of freedom after the rain!
Love these photos!