About | Tinalooa Photography

Meet the Photographer

WHO I AM & WHAT INSPIRES ME

My name is Tina, and the husky-mix you see is my best friend, Kanga! I grew up in Lansing and love this community; I believe in the power of photography and how much of an impact it can have on others. My continuous goal is to create everlasting memories for my clients.

After adopting Kanga in 2015, my love for storytelling bloomed beyond my expectations. I gained enthusiasm for recording my dog's life through photos and videos. Growing up, I was always passionate about connecting with others, so I pursued a degree in interdisciplinary humanities and professional communications to work with people and animals. I have worked as a dog handler outside of photography and enjoy working with all types of animals.

Background

I began to take photography seriously in 2014 and started Tinalooa Photography four years later. I gained knowledge about the technicalities of the camera, Lightroom, and Photoshop work after graduating from a New Media program in 2015. A year later, I studied at Lansing Community College for a degree in Photographic Imaging. I am proud to say that I still learn new things each time I create photographs. Because I enjoy working with people, I graduated with my B.A. in Professional Communications from Siena Heights University, minoring in Interdisciplinary Humanities.

Experience

Since starting Tinalooa Photography, I have worked alongside the Lansing community and am grateful to have met some exceptional human beings. My work has been published by Lansing Promise, Downtown Lansing Inc., Delta Dental, and Capital Area Women's Lifestyle Magazine. More importantly, I have accompanied my clients by documenting their lives and milestones; nothing could be more rewarding as a photographer.

I currently work as a dog handler and have met many different breeds of dogs, understanding different temperaments and personalities. Animals have taught me so many lessons in regards to love, patience, and understanding of one another. I set out in my career hoping to work as a vet technician, then a pet photographer, and it has led me where I am today: a people-person who enjoys the company of non-human animals. While it might sound silly, I take great pride in caring for animals and finding ways to continue working with them as a photographer.

THE THIRD ANNIVERSARY

Every year since I've adopted Kanga, I make a film for her. One of my favorite ones is "The Third Anniversary", a video to celebrate her third year of life---a memory to remember her as my best friend. See a glimpse of how I document Kanga's first three years of life in this video.