Her VUE: Tamera of Darden Creative

Over the last few months, the VUE by SEK team has been interviewing ladies in the D.C. area to highlight their view on life, work and creativity. Below, you’ll find our interview with the incredible boss lady, Tamera of Darden Creative, which took place at Fostr Collaborative studio in Georgetown. Tamera is a brand photographer and creative director for beauty, wellness and lifestyle brands. Her first taste of photography was with an iPhone for Fortune 500 companies; in 2017 she moved back to DC for a change of pace and to foster community within the DC space. Enjoy her inspiring story!

1. Introduce yourself! Tell us about yourself and your business.

Hey hey hey! I'm Tamera, a photographer and creative director, the founder of Darden Creative, a content agency. I specialize in product & lifestyle photography for beauty, wellness & lifestyle brands. I'm a Taurus, my favorite snack is a donut and I'm pretty active. I'm a spin instructor and I'm training to get my yoga teaching certification. Being active helps me stay in shape and builds my stamina for long photo shoot days.

2. What brought you to start creating content and working as a photographer?

After six years in corporate retail (product development and buying) I left to pursue my own endeavors. After a year wardrobe styling (and being tired, overworked and underpaid), I decided to shift my efforts towards the digital space. I noticed there was a need for beautiful storytelling through photos, especially for small businesses owned by people of color. This was around the time IG was becoming popular, when posts were still in chronological order. I offered the service for free, to build up my portfolio, only asking for photo credit if images were posted on social media. Clients began posting their photos and I guess you can say the rest is history.

3. What’s your VUE? Tell us about your signature style.

I moved to Washington, D.C. in 2017 but I'm a New Yorker at heart, so you'll catch me in classic silhouettes in black, navy blue, or grey. I occasionally will where a pop of color, preferably in a jumpsuit because it's so easy and minimal. If I had to describe my style in 3 words, I'd say Easy, Chic and Minimal

4. What are you looking forward to in the Spring season?

I also enjoy the cherry blossom festival even though my allergies dislike me for it and there is also the crisp smell of Spring. You know it's coming and it's hard to describe, but I'm sure you know what I mean.

5. How did you decide on your custom VUE by SEK pairing?

Pairing gold with a white stone certainly fits into my chic and minimal aesthetic and honestly, for me it was a no-brainer! Plus I loved the geometrical shape of the gold stud.