Life & Work with Giti Tehranchian of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Giti Tehranchian.

Hi Giti, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in Knoxville, TN, where it’s rather suburban and there’s not a huge creative scene. I’m a model now, but before that I was a photographer. The summer after my junior year of high school, I found myself quite bored and yearning for some fun and inspiration. I started photographing friends around town, dreaming up creative and fun shoot ideas and posting them to a little throwaway instagram account I had. As the summer progressed, I found myself feeling more and more invested in photography and was even able to start booking paid shoots. I loved the thrill of being able to explore my creativity and expression and bring my ideas to life. Aside from the imaginative shoots, I just loved capturing moments in everyday life. To be honest, although I had a passion for it and will always have a love for it, I knew that photography wasn’t going to be my final destination. But I did know that I wanted to explore this path a little longer and see where it would lead me. I decided I wanted to finish out my senior year of high school online and head to LA. I reached out to as many people as I could, whether it was photographers, models, producers, HMUAS, etc. In the months I was there, I was able to work alongside many helpful mentors who allowed me to shadow and assist on their shoots, or met up with me and shared their wisdom and advice with me. I also learned so much from the events and parties I attended by navigating conversations where I felt like I was out of my depth. People much older and successful than me would ask what I did for a living and what value I brought to the table, and I would just be thinking,“I have no idea what value I bring to the table, I’m 17 years old and haven’t really accomplished anything yet. I’m here to learn.”.

A few years later, I was 19 years old and living in Miami, I picked up a waitressing job for the first 4 months and then started working at Alo Yoga for a while. I get nostalgic for the city sometimes, but while I was there, I worked most of the time and felt unhappy in my relationship. After 9 months there, I decided to quit my job, leave my relationship, and start solo-traveling. I spent 3 months going through 8 different countries, staying in hostels and living on a budget. It was one of the best decisions I ever made and one of the most impactful periods of my life. I felt like I was living out my childhood fantasies. I’ve always dreamed of traveling since I was a kid and loved (still love) watching Anthony Bourdain go through different countries on his show and get so deep into the local cultures. I would love to do something like that.

When I returned, I moved to Charlotte, NC and began working again, but I couldn’t help but visit a new country practically once a month. On one of my trips, I visited my photography mentor (who is now a close friend of mine), Susan Berry, while she was living in Tulum, Mexico. I wanted to get into modeling, and so I reached out to one of my favorite brands, Voight by Valentina, before the trip and asked if I could get some photos for them in the Caribbean. They very kindly sent me some swimwear, and Susan was lovely enough to take the photos for me- for my first shoot as a model. A couple of months later, I joined Susan as her photography assistant and model for some photo shoots in Italy- where we shot my all time favorite photos with some of the locals in Naples. I had packed my entire life into 2 suitcases and brought it with me to Italy and proceeded to move to Tulum to continue building my modeling portfolio there. I moved to Tulum and started building my modeling portfolio there. When I arrived, I had no savings and was truthfully very low on money. I spent the first two weeks crashing on Susan’s couch and walking around town looking for a part time job as well as a place to live. It was low season at the time, and places were not hiring. Luckily, I was able to secure a work-exchange with a hotel, where I provided photography services in exchange for a place to live and food from their restaurant. I absolutely loved my time in Tulum,and I was able to start my portfolio there.

After Tulum, I headed back to LA. I wanted to grow as a model and strengthen my work. I stayed with my aunt and uncle for 3 months while trying to gain experience and find opportunities. I reached out to as many people as I could and tried to learn as much as possible, while also trying to book paying jobs. Those 3 months in LA proved to be harder on me than anything prior- even moving to Mexico. I felt like I was trying as hard as I could to grasp on to something, and nothing was ever tangible. At the end of the 3 months, I finally started seeing progress. I was able to collab with photographers and add stronger photos to my portfolio, I grew my network, and I began booking paid shoots. I still wasn’t financially ready to rent a place in LA but I wanted to keep going. I felt like I was just starting to pick up some momentum and I didn’t want to let monetary obstacles get in the way of that. I’m a big believer that there’s always a way to figure things out, and so I started to book house sitting and pet sitting gigs and stay in LA for a few months at a time. During my stays, I worked as hard as I could, continuously trying to grow and make progress. I spent 2024 packing up my suitcases every 3 weeks or so, going back and forth from different areas in LA where I would be house/pet sitting as well as heading back to Tulum at times and making a few trips to Miami and New York for shoots. Needless to say, it could feel overwhelming and stressful. But, it allowed me to move forward and go after what I wanted.

I’m very grateful to have more opportunities come my way these days and to be able to work with amazing people. It’s hard for me to articulate “where I am today” because I feel like I’m still on my way. I haven’t hit the end point yet, and hopefully I never do. I’m excited to keep experiencing new things and to continue evolving.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been anything but a smooth road. There were many struggles, but one of the most prominent ones for me was just trusting myself regardless of the outside noise. I definitely took risks and went down unconventional paths, and it hasn’t come without criticism. I had to remind myself many times to not let other people’s fears and doubts become my own.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a model. I love be able to do a variety of different kinds of shoots. My favorite shoots are the ones where I get to travel and incorporate the locals scenes or when there’s cool vintage elements involved. I enjoy the process of getting better and learning new things. I’m probably most proud of my adaptability.

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
There’s always a possibility of things going wrong, but it seems to me that if you really trust yourself & keep going, you will always find a way to make things work. I also think it’s important to have grace for ourselves and for the people around us.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/g.tehranchian?igsh=MTl2cDVibWdqYmltNw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Other: https://we.tl/b-N6HWAwluLO

Image Credits
Photos in Naples with local men: Susan Berry

Studio photo with super long hair and white outfit: Dametreus Ward

Photo in field with black outfit: Summer Horchem

Photo with cherry necklace: Rose Loren

Yellow Bikini Photo: Niki Cram