Our Antwerp Chamber of Commerce spotlight for October is Memories by Tawnya Photography owned and operated by Tawnya English.
Tawnya has always been very interested in art and graphic design along with photography. 10 years ago, a senior at Antwerp High School approached Tawnya and asked her to take his senior pictures. The experience went so well that the senior kept referring his friends to her so she could take their pictures. It was this simple interaction that got Tawnya thinking about starting her photography business, Memories by Tawnya.
Tawnya is best known for her senior photography and her artistic flare that she showcases in each senior’s portraits. She loves to dig deep and find out what her clients are all about and what their interests and hobbies are. She uses this to her advantage to bring out the true smile and personality within her client. She admits that she really gets attached to the teens while she spends time with them during their sessions. Most of all her MBT-419Seniors Model Team. She enjoys helping the teens gain confidence and grow their self-esteem. She has taken photographs of seniors from all around the Northwest Ohio area, as far north as Fayette and Edon, to Montpelier down to Van Wert and Crestview and as far west as Fort Wayne, Butler, Auburn and Angola, Indiana.
While Tawnya is busy taking senior pictures this fall she is also doing family portraits and getting ready to do mini sessions for Christmas. She is also happy to photograph newborns, tots, teens and everything in-between. Tawnya also does personal branding-A Personal Photography Shoot is for small business owners and entrepreneurs who want to use photography to help build their brand and online presence. She is also the photographer for the Antwerp Chamber’s Cutie Pie contest that is held during Day in the Park each summer. She is a proud member of the PPA-(Professional Photographers Association.) She has attended many Professional Photography conferences and she is self-taught which is something she is extremely proud of.
When a customer chooses Memories by Tawnya, they can be assured that she will give 100% to her work. Her customers keep coming back to her because of her high quality, her unique ingenuity, the fun experience that she provides and the ease of ordering the prints. She is most proud that because of her businesses her own confidence has grown and she tries to instill that confidence in the people that she works with. She likes to think out of the box and provide a distinctive experience as well as mentor budding photographers and models. She offers boutique style sessions and has many different backgrounds available in her studio just outside of Antwerp.
Tawnya has had her work published in Senior Year Magazine (National Magazine) issue Jan 2019. She also has been published in Inspiring Teens Magazine(National Magazine) in two separate issues in 2019. She will submit every senior that she photographs to the magazines if the seniors show interest in making something out of their future goals. Either it be becoming Entrepreneurs themselves or going to college to be a career minded individual. If the senior is chosen they are eligible to receive scholarship money. Currently, she has 6 that were submitted and two of them are currently in runner up status for a cash scholarship. One teen is from Edgerton, Ohio and the other from Fort Wayne, Indiana. The other nominees were from Paulding, Fairview and two from Wayne Trace.
Currently she has two teens in the Model Network Program that have the chance to model all over the United States, Olivia Stallard from Paulding High School and Chase Friend from Antwerp High School. These two teens will be traveling to Las Vegas, and will have the opportunity to model in a stylized theme that is picked by the Model Network and will be working with the WPPI ( Wedding & Portrait Professional International) They will have the chance to get paid for their work while they are there. Congratulations to Olivia and Chase. Enjoy the adventure!
In her spare time, Tawnya works for the Paulding County Carnegie Library system most recently driving the Bookmobile all over Paulding County. The Antwerp Chamber of Commerce is excited to have Memories by Tawnya partner with us in the Antwerp Community.
