Check Out Tara Heidary’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tara Heidary.

Hi Tara, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve been taking photos since I was about ten years old, so in many ways, photography has always been a part of my life. My dad was the kind of person who always had a camera in his hand, and I suppose I naturally followed in his footsteps. I would take countless photos and have him develop them for me every weekend (bless his soul), which, looking back, was probably the beginning of a lifelong obsession with documenting life as I saw it. When I was thirteen, I wanted my first digital camera badly enough that I spent my summer washing cars for $2 each to save up for one. Little did I know, you probably shouldn’t be using Windex on cars, but I eventually got my camera. Even then, I think I knew this was something I wanted to keep doing, although I certainly couldn’t have imagined where it would eventually lead me.

My creative eye definitely comes from my mom, who has a background in interior design and architecture. Growing up around both photography and design probably shaped me more than I realized at the time. My dad taught me to document what I saw, while my mom influenced the way I saw it in the first place. Somewhere between the two, I developed this natural appreciation for aesthetics and the little details that make something beautiful.

Despite always loving photography, turning it into a career was a different story. Like a lot of people, I grew up with the idea that creative work wasn’t necessarily the most practical or stable path to take, so I went on to work more traditional jobs. Eventually, though, I reached a point where I knew I wanted to build something around what I genuinely loved and what I knew I was good and once I finally started treating my work as a business, things began to fall into place.

Today, my work is centered around travel, lifestyle, and hospitality, with a particular love for hotels, interiors, and thoughtfully designed spaces. I’ve always been drawn to the way different creative disciplines influence one another, whether it’s interior design, fashion, architecture, or photography. I find inspiration in the way a visual can evoke a feeling, how textures and colors complement one another, or how light can completely transform a space. I’m constantly noticing little things that catch my eye, and I think that’s what keeps me so creatively curious. As someone who sees so much of life through an aesthetic lens, I find it difficult to limit myself to just one thing. There’s beauty in so many different places, and I think a big part of what I do is simply finding ways to capture it all.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely wasn’t a smooth road. I grew up with that “starving artist” idea, and for a long time, I was made to feel like there wasn’t much of a future in creative work. Paired with my own imposter syndrome, it meant photography stayed a hobby for much longer than it probably needed to. The landscape feels different now, and I’ve slowly started carving out a space for myself. One of the biggest learning curves has been figuring out how to charge for something I’ve always done simply because I love it. Learning to recognize the value of my time, skills, and creative vision took practice.

I think there’s a bigger conversation to be had about how creative work is valued. People often see the final result without realizing the hours of planning, production, editing, and creative thinking behind it. There’s a tendency to treat creative work as something people should be grateful for the opportunity to do, rather than a skill that takes time and experience to develop.

Businesses also sometimes overlook how much their visual identity shapes their brand. If you’re building a brand, you should want to invest in how it looks and feels. You can’t expect thoughtful concepts and quality execution without valuing the people behind them. Free collaborations have their place when you’re starting out, but they shouldn’t become the expectation. Creativity is a profession, not just a passion, and people deserve to make a proper living from it.

What I’m most proud of is turning something that comes so naturally to me into a career that’s ended up paying me more than any of my “good on paper” jobs ever did. We’re often taught to measure success by job titles or how closely we follow a traditional path, but everyone’s version of success looks different. I have so much respect for people who are willing to put themselves out there, take a chance on an idea, and pursue something without knowing exactly where it’ll lead. It’s easy to sit on an idea and wait until everything feels perfect, but there’s something admirable about trying anyway. “Just do the damn thing” has become a bit of a motto for me lately, and honestly, I think there’s a lot to be said for it.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’ve always worn many creative hats, so it’s hard to pin me down to one title. I’ve worked as a photographer, videographer, content creator, social media editor, and creative director. I enjoy the way those roles overlap, from developing a concept to bringing it to life visually. I have a general love for creating aesthetically driven visuals in any form, whether that’s a beautifully styled tablescape, gorgeous interiors, or capturing the atmosphere of a hotel.

What sets me apart is that my versatility allows me to see the bigger picture while still appreciating the little details that bring a vision to life. I’m not interested in being boxed into one niche. There’s a saying I love: “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.” I connect with that because I enjoy bringing different skills and perspectives together to create a more complete vision. I’m still finding new ways to express that, which keeps the work exciting. At the end of the day, I just want to make beautiful things, and I love that I get to build a career around doing exactly that.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Pinterest is my biggest source of inspiration. I love collecting ideas, discovering new aesthetics, and drawing inspiration from everything from interiors and fashion to travel and lifestyle. I think my goal is to have a life that feels like a real-life Pinterest board, where even the little details feel intentional and inspiring. Creating a life worth romanticizing is the ultimate flex.

Honestly, anything that feeds your delusions haha. I’m drawn to anything that feeds into personal growth, spirituality, and mindset. I’ve found that the more I’ve leaned into those things, the more I’ve seen my life and career shift. Whether it’s a book, a podcast, or even a quote that makes me look at something differently, I love consuming anything that reinforces the idea that we’re capable of creating a life beyond what we once thought possible. I’m a big believer that the internal shift often has to happen before the external one does. Because you can have the creative eye, the talent, and the ideas, but if you don’t believe you’re worthy of pursuing them, you might never give yourself the chance. So, may your delulus come trululu.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tara-h.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tara___h/