Life & Work with Tana Lee of Raleigh

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tana Lee.

Hi Tana, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Some may say my story begins in Massachusetts, as that is where I was born. I, however, feel like this is not true. My life may have begun there, but not my story. In reality, my beginning lies nestled in the heart of the Bear’s Paw Mountains, 30 miles outside of Havre, Montana on about 200 acres of land. My family found home in October of 2002 after Mom and Dad decided to move out West back to Mom’s hometown. At the ripe old age of 10 months, surprisingly, I do not remember much of settling the ranch or moving across the country. Going back this far into the past to introduce myself may seem dramatic, but trust me it’ll give you, dear reader, a much clearer understanding of who I am and why I do what I do.

As much as I would have loved to be a spoiled only child, I was, unfortunately, blessed with two siblings, Tyler (older) and Tracy (younger). Yup! I’m the middle child. Could you tell? Yes, the three “T” names were on purpose, no, Tana is not short for Montana and was completely unintentional. My siblings and I love each other, really, we do, but lets just say that if anyone is the “black sheep of the family” it’s me. My brother likes me now, but when we were younger, he only loved me because he didn’t have a choice in the matter. I was regularly reminded of his disdain for me and the grudge he held against me for not being the little brother he had always wanted. Even once my sister was born, he made it clear that she was his favorite and they would regularly gang up on me. You might think this would have made me stronger, having to defend myself against a brother who would try to bury me alive and a sister who’s temper scared even my parents, and in a way I guess you could say it did. But I was still just a little girl who would burst into tears at just the thought of getting in trouble. It didn’t matter if my little sister would pinch me until I bled. It didn’t matter if my brother pushed me off my bike. It didn’t matter what they did to me, I was always more worried about injuring them than what they did to me. Now, did this mean I didn’t tattle-tale and go running to daddy every time my siblings were mean to me? Absolutely not. I was very obnoxious as a child and was NOT made for the rough and tumble lifestyle that comes with living in Montana.

You might be wondering what life was like growing up in Montana. Yes, I did all the things that come with the lifestyle of a ranch-kid. I bucked bales, I took 4-H, I helped raise cattle, horses, sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, and pigs. I was in FFA, I learned to shoot a gun and go hunting at 12 years old. I woke up at 6am to do chores before school. I walked around barefoot all over the countryside, I know how to ride a horse, I went to rodeos. I even took woodworking and small engines in high school. So basically, yes, if society ever collapses and everyone has to learn how to survive again, I’ll be perfectly fine. Yes, I did all these things, but did I enjoy them? Absolutely not. I hated it.

I never felt as if I belonged in Montana and regularly felt as though I would never reach my full potential if I stayed. When I was little and it was just my family and me on the ranch I was so outgoing and dramatic. I was a star and I knew it, nobody could tell me differently. It wasn’t until after I started school that my personality began to change. Like most kids who want a life outside of what they were born into I was attacked for it. My bubbly personality got smaller and smaller as I went through school. I became the person they wanted me to be, but behind the mask I put on to make people like me, the little girl I once was screamed to let her back out. She knew I was worth so much more than I had begun to believe over the years, but it would be a long time before I finally allowed her back out and grew my self-confidence to where it is today.

I know this story feels long already, so I will summarize a few important parts that contribute to building “Tana Lee”. I did my very first runway show at 12 years old at my local mall. I had always been tall and thin and had been told I should be a model since I started school so when I had a chance to actually try it I jumped on it. It was a disaster. I loved dressing up, getting my hair done, and everything about the show. Except the part where I had to actually show off the outfit to the “crowd” of people there. That small show traumatized me for years. I was not only ridiculed for the idea that I could possibly make a career out of modeling, but I was self-aware enough to get stage fright from being front and center for even 30 seconds. I had been drawn to fashion my whole life and would always try to put my own outfits together growing up, but after the terrifying experience of my 30 seconds on stage, I never actually looked into a career in fashion or put any weight behind the idea. I was told fashion was stupid, models were idiots, and I was worth so much more than selling myself and looking pretty. Though these words hurt, creativity through fashion continued to interest me. When I felt as though I could not pursue modeling, I found photography.

I started shooting photos when I was little as well. There are many random prints of my stuffed animals that were developed from when I would steal my mom’s camera. In high school, I was given a Nikon D3400 to play with for an art class. I loved it. I was convinced I would become a career photographer from that point on. Not only did I have a natural eye for composition, but I was quite good at editing for being a complete newbie. I was winning awards and grant money for my photography, but just like modeling, I was shoved down and told it was a ridiculous dream. Again, I was ridiculed. I was told that I over-edited, simply because I was trying to pull out colors the camera wouldn’t pick up. I was told I could not make a career out of photography and that it was a stupid idea to follow. Photography though, unlike modeling, was something I knew I could get good at. Photographers didn’t have quite as much stigma against them as models do either, so I felt okay to push on. I knew I was good, but I also knew I could get better. I bought my own Nikon D3400 and took it with me everywhere. It came to Israel and Jordan with me and some of the photos I took on that trip are still some of my favorites.

Modeling came back into my life my senior year of high school. I graduated half a year early, thankfully, as COVID hit and shut everything down for the last half of senior year anyways. A photographer, Gary Luce, out of Billings, Montana saw my senior photos and sent me a facebook message. Modeling had always been something that captivated me, even if I did not think I would ever be one. I watched America’s Next Top Model religiously and adored looking through high fashion magazines. When Gary messaged me, the spark ignighted. After beginning to work with him, I began gaining confidence and started shooting with other photographers. Suddenly, modeling was a legitimate career path for me to follow. I still went to college at Montana State University – Northern to obtain a double BA in Graphic Design and Liberal Studies, but during my downtime I became known as “the girl who models”. I then began participating in theatre classes and wanted to push myself further in regards to my comfort level of performing in front of others. During this time I was also working full-time as a 911 police dispatcher for Havre. I would go to school and model during the day and on my days off and at night for several days in a row I would work 911 operations. This eventually got exhausting and after two years, I left to further pursue my career in creative fields.

In college, I was drawn back to photography and ended up taking a few film photography classes. It was in one of these classes where I met my future husband. Our love story is, as you would expect, filled with drama at every turn. I won’t go into detail on how we ended up together, but I will say that I could write a best selling romance novel based off our story. Basically, I would not be where I am at now without him. He has built my confidence levels to skyscraper heights, he pushes me to not only be good at what I do, but to be the best. He supports me through everything and when I no longer wanted to pursue modeling, he was the one to push me back in. He possesses my entire heart and I possess his. I could write this whole interview about him if I wanted to, but that’s not the point of this story so I will stop here.

2024 was the year everything started working for me in regard to my creative career. I was an extra for Paramount’s Yellowstone, I was an extra for the Untitled Christy Martin Biopic, I walked runway for Tim Johnson International, I went to Coco Rocha Model Camp in New York, and I have done an incredible amount of photoshoots among many other accomplishments. Since moving to Raleigh in June of 2023, I have been able to accomplish an incredible amount in such a short time. I work at the Duke University Police Department as a 911 dispatcher for my day job and work full time on my modeling and photography career on my days off. I have developed an incredible amount of skills within the creative world and I use every single one as often as possible to get me where I want to go, but the quality of my products never suffer.

I don’t quite know where I will go yet within the creative world, but I will be well known for whatever it is. I still have a lot to learn and a long way to go, but I grew up in Montana. I was raised in a blue collar family, my mom a teacher, and my dad a carpenter. Hard work is in my blood. As long as this story was, I really did water down my experiences. For being only 23 I have lived an exciting life and I can’t wait to see where it takes me next.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t think any creative career can be a smooth ride. Even those who are born into the world have to prove themselves over and over again to be taken seriously. The art world is chalk-full of the word “no”. I have had to learn how to keep pushing even when I am told over and over again that I am not wanted. I have to keep my confidence and know that I am worth it. I am as good as I think I am and if one person told me no it’s because I am not meant to pursue that particular opportunity. I mean, nothing is easy for my generation between COVID, women’s rights, the economy, and even just breathing has become a struggle. I’ve also struggled through sexual harassment, abuse, mental health, and physical health issues throughout my journey. I’ve had to learn who I am as well as who I want to be over and over again. If I’m not 100% sure I want to pursue this area, I’m wasting my time. Something I have to remind myself of often is “I may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I am EXACTLY what someone is looking for.”

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
When it comes to the kind of work I do there are two levels: the things I actually want to pursue and the things I’m also good at but I don’t see a career in it. Level one includes modeling, acting, fine art photographer, and illustration/design. Level two includes things such as floral arrangements, web design, writing, critical theory, book cover design, event photography, portrait photography, interior design, digital artwork, traditional artwork, and even driving a stick shift and being able to back up a trailer (though that would take some practice)

When looking at what I specialize in I tend to lean towards fine art. This includes both photography and modeling. I like to push boundaries and try new ways to view creativity. I also specialize in black and white photography, ink drawing, runway, commercial modeling, and digital art. I’m the girl that can put an entire ad together in all ways from the model, to the photographer, to the design, to the edits.

I am most proud of the fact that I went to Coco Rocha’s modeling camp and was able to make personal connections with everyone involved including the whole crew. I pride myself on being the “big sister” figure that everyone feels safe around. My mother is the kindest woman I know and I just try to be like her as often as I can.

There are so many things that set me apart from others. I understand all the workings within the creative world. When working as a model I know the terminology and understand what goes into creating the final product. As a photographer, it’s the same, I know exactly how the model feels and I know what they’re looking for in a photo. But what truly sets me apart is the fact that I can do it all and I can do it WELL.

What matters most to you?
The thing that matters most to me is making sure that everyone gets something out of a project. Whether that be a new connection, an incredible photo, new confidence, or even just a fond memory to look back on. So often people forget about the full process that goes into creation. When I am on the set of a film or TV show I talk to the crew, I learn about their jobs and make them know that they are seen and appreciated. I am always thinking about what others might be feeling in a particular situation and I just want to give people a dopamine boost when I’m around them. That’s all that really matters.

Pricing:

• I can work around your budget, but I also know my worth.
• I love a good Goods-for-services barter

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tanaleedesigns.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/officialtanalee
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tanaleephotographer/
• Other: www.instagram.com/tanaleephotographer