Tia Liu

Meet Tia Liu: portrait and lifestyle photographer, college student, and overall creative. Sparked by the range of conceptual photography on Flickr a few years back, Tia fell in love with the camera in high school and has been showcasing her talent ever since. While Tia’s style is constantly evolving, one thing remains the same: showcasing the passion and joy of each and every one of her subjects.

photography by TIA LIU @tea.ah featuring ALIVIA LEVIE @alivialevie (left) & JUSTINE ELIZABETH @justine.elizabeth_ (right) interview by LEA PORCELLI @leaporcelli

To start off, can you tell us a bit about yourself, your education, work, etc.?

I’m a 4th year planning on graduating UCLA in the spring with a degree in Psychobiology. I’m from Thousand Oaks, CA, a suburb west of LA but currently live near UCLA. I hope to combine both my marketing experience from photography and my interest in science to pursue marketing in pharmaceuticals, while still continuing portrait and wedding photography on the side.

Tell us the story of your first camera:

My first camera I received from my dad when I was in 6th grade, but I didn’t really use it that much besides the occasional family vacation landscape photo. In my sophomore year of high school, I got inspired by conceptual photography I found on the site Flickr, and instantly fell in love with work by amazing artists such as Rosie Hardy, Rob Woodcox, Elizabeth Gadd, etc. This started my journey with experimenting with portraiture and conceptual work with my friends from school. I started to spend every free moment with my friends shooting for fun, and experimenting and learning how to use Adobe Photoshop.

How has your style evolved over the years?

My style is constantly evolving, even at this very moment. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. It’s good to have a general idea of what defines your work, but I also believe in switching things up sometimes, especially if you’re feeling uninspired or unmotivated as a creative. Over the years, I’ve definitely gone from someone who doesn’t understand how to edit or manage my tones, to someone who now does. I used to do a good amount of saturation and contrast, as well as a very moody palette. Then I started to tone down my colors just a little bit, and started to make my photos as bright and as crisp as possible. I’ve now developed a style that is still vibrant, yet can also contain muted colors, especially greens and blues. I used to only shoot during “golden hour”, but now I’ve experimented with all different times of the day that I can adjust my editing style to account for all sorts of lighting situations.

As a student, how do you manage to find time to do schoolwork while balancing creative endeavors outside of the classroom, like photography?

One of my strengths is being able to time manage and prioritize. As a student at a prestigious university with a fast paced workload, trying to fit in extra curriculars in addition to my passion of photography was very daunting at first when I entered college. For me, school and studying comes first. I’ve had to turn down some offers to travel or work for a company sometimes when it conflicts with important things such as midterms or finals for my classes. But one of the most important thing is that you have time. You just need to be able to make time for the things you want to do, like photography or modeling or styling. I try to squeeze in shoots throughout the school year, about one or two shoots every two weeks. Sometimes I’ll have a free weekend, and that’s when I would plan some shoots and then maybe grab brunch with friends.

What’s something you would tell students who want to pursue a creative career?

I think it’s definitely something that is more popular these days, so if you are fueled by others and your environment to create, I’d say go for it, achieve your dreams. But it’s also a very competitive field of work, so if you can get a college degree so you have something to fall back on, I would highly suggest doing that. It can even be photography or media related, such as media marketing, multimedia design, communications, etc. But I’m definitely not opposed to people working in a creative career, it’s not for everyone but if you believe in yourself, then just go for it.

What is it about photography that inspired you to keep creating?

Photography is one of my creative outlets that I turn to, and sharing my work on the internet allows me to share my lens of the world with others. I also love connecting with people, being able to bounce ideas or inspiration with others gets me pumped about creating. Meeting other creatives that come from different backgrounds or environments expands my worldview or my perspective on life.

photography by TIA LIU @tea.ahfeaturing LILY CRISTAL @lilycristal (left)

ALEXIA AKER @alexiaaker (right)

photography by TIA LIU @tea.ah featuring HALEY GAUTHIER @haleyngauthier

Does the passion ever run dry and what are some ways you regain that “spark” when it’s lost?

Definitely. There are many times where I feel like my work is repetitive, or that I’m not thinking outside of the box that much, and it’s difficult sometimes to regain my footing. But what keeps me going is honestly all of the support from my friends and my followers. Sometimes I’m just not in the mood to go out and shoot, and there are many times where I pronounce my feelings about how I’m unmotivated or not happy with my recent work, and some of my closest friends are always there to give me a more positive outlook on life. Recently, I met one of my followers while I was out and about and she was the sweetest person ever and said that I was one of the first photographers she followed when she started doing photography, and that really means a lot. It pushes me to keep going because I know I’m motivating fellow creators that want to pursue photography for hobby or for career.

Who do you look to for inspiration? Is it other photographers, nature, teachers?

for a while, and finally got the chance to meet and she asked if her friend Alivia could come along. I said sure, and we were planning on shooting in some grassy field in a park closer to sunset. But by the time we started the trek through the trails, the sun was already starting to set behind the mountains. We then had the amazing idea of taking photos driving down PCH with the top down in Alivia’s convertible, the tunes blasting as the sun beamed down us. It was such carefree and a genuine moment between friends, the photos are just pure joy and good vibes and it was one of the most fun I’ve had on a shoot in a while.

What’s some advice you’d give to those just starting out in the photography world?

Honestly, just go for it. Shoot with your friends! Shoot as much as possible, or just bring your camera with you as much as you can. I see creativity in the smallest of things, whether it be changing up the angle of a shot, the framing, or the colors while editing. The more you go out and explore, adventure, and make memories with friends, the more fulfilling a life you will live and the more it will shape your photographic style.

Mostly other photographers and nature. I think on a day to day basis, if I happen to come across someone’s art that is so unique or different, I feel fired up to create something on that level of talent but with my own spin on it. I’m also just a huge fan of Mother Earth and all of her natural beauty. I’m grateful that I am able to travel the world so much during my short two decades of living, and am often inspired by lands far and wide, but also the environment I am currently present.

Can you tell us a bit about your favorite shoot or photo you’ve taken so far?

One of my favorite shoots recently has to be with my new found friends, Chelsey Pecoy and Alivia Levie. Chelsey and I have been wanting to shoot

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gotten about your work?

Who cares what other people think, do what you want to do, post what you want to post, and create what you want to create. Take risks, and don’t let anyone tell you what to do or what not to do.

Do you see your photography and creative style changing in the upcoming years?

Definitely. I want to step into the wedding photography world, because I think capturing love and the most important day in someone’s journey is so amazing. But as far as portrait and lifestyle photography, I can still see my creative style changing. Photography isn’t static, the world and people are constantly changing and it’s my responsibility to capture the world around me as I see it.

What’s something creative you’re hoping to accomplish soon?

I really want to get back into the studio and do another shoot with florals or with exotic fruit. I’ve done one shoot with each product, and two different models, and I just love the editorial feel and how I can work with props that directly emphasize the image.

Are there any new projects that you’re excited for and can share with us? We’d love to keep them on our radar!

Not too much I can share at the moment, but I hope to be able to announce in the future! Stay tuned!

KEEP UP WTIH TIA: Instagram: @tea.ah tialiu.com