Meet Samantha Tica” Colombo | Photographer & Owner of Tica Photo”

We had the good fortune of connecting with Samantha “Tica” Colombo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Samantha “Tica”, what do you want your legacy to be?
My passion for photography all comes from the fact that it is a very personal and social career.  I have always known that my career would be focused on working with people. When I started college, photography was actually my minor and nursing was my major. However, after taking one photography class my first spring semester (Spring 2014), I knew it was going to be a significant part of the rest of my life. So I changed my major to photography and I figured I would sort out the career path later. As a photographer, I have the privilege of capturing people’s happiest moments and their biggest celebrations. With everything going on in the world at any given moment, it can be hard to take a moment and see the light side of life.  I believe that photography is so special because it is the closest thing we have to time travel. Photographs freeze special moments and when we look back at the picture,  we can instantly be transported back into that memory. That’s my overall goal with every session. I want my photography to always remind people exactly what they felt during those special moments. I want people to remember how beautiful they were on their wedding day, or how complete they felt when they saw their newborn for the first time, or how happy they are with their family, or even how loved they were by someone who has passed. I want my images to help people take a moment and see that light side of life.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My simple working title is Portrait and Event Photographer. I offer sessions for individuals, couples, and families, as well as offer coverage for events and weddings. The sessions that I feel most passionate about are boudoir sessions. My “why” with photography, especially boudoir photography, is because I am someone who has had and sometimes still does have insecurities about my looks. Growing up, I didn’t look like the girls or women that I saw on TV or in magazines. I think from a young age, girls and women are taught that our looks need to fit certain boxes and if they don’t, we need to focus on making ourselves fit into those boxes as much as possible. In my own experience, when I look back at images of myself I often have the thought “man, I was so insecure about _______, but I can’t even notice it here” or “dang, I really thought I looked _______ that day, but I didn’t”. Within that moment, I realize that my insecurities then are the same insecurities I have now. Those insecurities remained consistent even though my body and style continued to change as I grew up. I started to question the validity of those insecurities. During almost every session I have, regardless of the type of session, I hear the joke “can you make me look 10 pounds lighter” or “okay, now make sure that you edit me to be beautiful” . My response has always been to wiggle my hand around and exclaim “Done! You’re beautiful now!”, which is usually met with some laughs. I want to always recognize and empower people to have the same realization that I have had time and time again. The insecurities are not facts. They are fears and will continue to remain constant unless we change how we speak and talk about ourselves. I love that offering boudoir services has allowed me to help people redefine and reclaim their beauty by showcasing what makes them feel most beautiful. So no more waiting to realize how beautiful we are. I want to continue to help others have that same moment of “I’m here. I’m beautiful exactly how I am at this moment”. I believe that every body is a body worthy of boudoir no matter your size, shape, physical limitations, YOU are worth celebrating!

It certainly has not been an easy journey. I struggle with imposter syndrome and I am constantly comparing myself to others within my field. I think something that has really allowed me to gain some confidence, aside from having the most amazing and supportive clientes, I once heard the saying (unfortunately, I can’t remember where I heard it) “the market may be saturated, but it doesn’t have you and that is what it needs”. I remind myself of this quote often and I remind myself that although there are so many talented photographers, my clients picked me for a reason and that is usually the push I need to keep going.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

Well, when I am not out and about at sessions, I am definitely more of a homebody, so most of the trip would be spent at home hanging out with my family, however, I do really enjoy eating out. My favorite local spot to grab some ramen is DARUMA. They also have amazing sushi and a wonderful happy hour menu. For drinks, I prefer to go places that are aesthetically pleasing so a fun themed bar is always my go-to. Some of my current favorite bars I’ve been to are Grey Hen in Phoenix, Stardust Pinbar in Phoenix, and Endgame in Mesa.

I would most likely try to convince them to do an impromptu session with me. If they are wanting indoors (because AZ summers can be a lot to handle), I would recommend that we book at my favorite studio in downtown Phoenix, Studio House. However, if they want to have a session outside, I would take them to the Salt River or to Papago park because those mountain views are top tier and I love the beautiful desert landscape.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Laura Elizondo immediately became someone I could look up to as a mentor. When I met her, she was my director with the school district I worked in. Not only did she guide me through learning the basics of Human Resources, she’s always encouraged me to find what fills my bucket. We would talk about her passion for woodworking and her dreams to make it a sustainable business. She made it a mission to always check-in and ask me what I had done for myself with photography or what my latest session was. She was one of the first people I told when I wanted to pursue photography as my full-time career.

Obviously, my family has also done wonders for me to pursue starting my own business. My parents gifted me my first camera and have always encouraged me. My sisters have always been ready to jump in front of the camera when I have a crazy portrait session idea. My brothers have always been ready to provide any feedback on my website or sessions that I was needed encouragement for. Last, but definitely not least, my husband has gone above and beyond for me to pursue this dream. He is the backbone of everything. He’s invested in my equipment to make sure that I have the best lens and camera. He has jumped in as my 2nd shooter for weddings. He reviews every single marketing design, social media post, website draft, gallery edit, everything. He has driven me across the state for sessions. When I told him that I wanted to pursue this as my full-time career, there was zero hesitation; he was onboard and ready to support me and our home while I got my bearings together.

Website: ticaphoto.com

Instagram: instagram.com/ticaaphoto

Facebook: facebook.com/ticaaphoto

Image Credits
Branding images taken by Elvia Fernald with Desert Fern Photography