Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Tran.
Hi Justin, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
My journey into the creative space started with a plane ticket, an old camera, and my beautiful girlfriend (now fiancé) as my model and muse. An educator by trade, teaching in the South Oak Cliff area of Dallas, I found my passion for telling stories through images and video during my summer travels abroad. Capturing all the sights and sounds of a new unexplored destination with my camera was enthralling! I quickly felt my interest in capturing life through my lens turning into a full-blown passion and with a lot of encouragement from my Fiancé, Lena, our friends, and family; I decided to start JT Media Arts as a way to funnel my passion for capturing intimate moments to help others memorialize and tell their own stories.
Soon after starting JT Media Arts (JTMA), I began putting my work out there and really learning about the business side of being a professional creative and developing my skills as a photographer/videographer. My first year was really about establishing myself and creating connections with my families, couples, and other photographers. By my second year, I was thriving and beginning to get opportunities I could have only dreamed of when starting JTMA. Everything from being a cover & guest photographer for a prominent modeling magazine, to being flown out to the Caribbean Islands and Mexico to capture moments of love and laughter.
It has been quite an experience and every day I am constantly learning new things about running a business, creative aspects of photography, and being humbled by the fact that each one of my accomplishments and completed projects, pales in importance to the lasting memories that are created for my clients, couples, and families.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As with any story worth telling, the protagonist is undoubtedly bound to encounter struggles and challenges but with help, will emerge and overcome.
Starting a business while working full-time is a struggle, to say the least. It hasn’t always been easy to balance life, work, and business. Throw in the need to constantly learn, evolve, and grow as a creative; you get what I like to call a long list on a short paper. There are always things to do and never a dull moment but throughout all of this, I have leaned heavily on my family and network of support. Prioritizing things that are important in my life while making time for developing my business and fulfilling my obligations to my students (yes, I still teach!) is certainly something I’m constantly recalibrating and balancing. For now, it’s a healthy balance of self-growth, quality time, beautiful stories captured, and corny dad jokes with my students during recess.
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?
I am a professional photographer and videographer based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. I specialize in Family & Weddings, Destination Elopements, Engagements, Maternity, Travel, and other Portraiture Work.
How do you think about happiness?
Aside from the obvious Wings, Lena, and soppy love stories? Well, when I’m not traveling abroad, out and about snapping photos, or in my classroom discussing the nature of the universe with my students, you can usually find me editing photos and videos or grading papers at a local coffee shop. Understatement: I love coffee. I’ll just leave it at that.
Contact Info:
- Email: justin@jtmediaarts.com
- Website: www.jtmediaarts.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/jtmediaarts_photo
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/JTMediaArtsPhotography
