Tamara Lackey, a distinguished Nikon USA Ambassador, acclaimed author, PBS television host, and dedicated philanthropist, has transformed her passion for photography into a powerful force for social good. Through her lens, she has established Beautiful Together refuges that provide sanctuary for vulnerable children and animals in both Ethiopia and North Carolina. In an extensive interview, Lackey opens up about the essential elements of developing a unique photographic voice, overcoming creative obstacles, and building a meaningful career behind the camera.
When it comes to essential gear, Lackey maintains a carefully curated collection that serves her diverse photographic needs. Her beloved Nikon Z8 serves as her primary camera and never leaves her bag. For portrait photography, she relies on the NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.2 S, the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S, and the NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S lenses. Wildlife photography demands a different arsenal, including the NIKKOR Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S, the NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-6.3 VR S, the NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S, and both 1.4x and 2x teleconverters alongside her trusty Z8. For pet photography sessions, she switches to the Nikon Z6III, complemented by either a reflector or her Nikon SB-5000 flash depending on lighting conditions.
Beyond cameras and lenses, Lackey's bag contains crucial support equipment that many photographers overlook. She never travels without 1TB Atlas Ultra memory cards, multiple backup batteries, individual sensor cleaner wands for extended shoots in dusty environments, extra lens caps, Aquaphor for personal care, sunscreen stick for outdoor protection, and several packs of Smarties candies to maintain her energy levels during long shooting sessions.
Lackey's signature technique involves holding her camera far from her face while capturing images, a method she has refined over more than two decades. Even before vari-angle LCD screens became standard equipment, she trusted this approach to deliver exceptional results. This technique eliminates the physical barrier of the camera between photographer and subject while providing greater freedom of movement. In her experience, this creates a more consistent sense of connection that translates into portraits with stronger emotional engagement.
Defining photographic success goes far beyond technical excellence for Lackey. She considers a photograph truly successful when it compels viewers to care deeply about the subject and motivates them to take meaningful action. This philosophy originated from her early work photographing children in care centers and orphanages, where her images served as powerful storytelling tools capable of creating real-world change. This mission eventually evolved into Beautiful Together, the nonprofit organization she co-founded in 2014.
The Beautiful Together initiative expanded significantly in 2020 with the establishment of an 83-acre animal sanctuary in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. This facility serves a dual purpose by connecting children from at-risk situations and under-resourced communities with rescue animals in need of care and rehabilitation. Since its inception, the organization has rescued approximately 3,500 animals from overcrowded shelters and inhumane conditions while maintaining their ongoing programs in Ethiopia. Throughout this journey, Lackey has continued her relentless photographic documentation, recognizing that images remain the most powerful vehicle for advancing these important stories.
When asked about her greatest photographic strength, Lackey identifies her ability to capture professional-quality images rapidly in virtually any situation. This skill developed through years of shooting weddings and sporting events, where unpredictable conditions and fleeting moments demand instant adaptation. Her early mastery of manual camera mode proved invaluable, transforming technical adjustments into instinctive muscle memory that allows her to focus entirely on the creative and emotional aspects of each shot.
Lackey's creative inspiration has evolved significantly throughout her career. Currently, she finds herself captivated by the striking parallels between wildlife and at-risk animals in her photography. Their expressions, body language, and movements often display remarkably similar qualities – unguarded, unpracticed, and completely authentic. She frequently captures nearly identical shots of wild tigers in India and rescue dogs in North Carolina, separated by only a week, demonstrating the universal nature of authentic animal behavior regardless of geographic location.
For photographers building their equipment arsenal, Lackey recommends prioritizing three key investments after securing a quality camera. First, invest in an exceptional lens, as one superior lens will outlast multiple average alternatives while immediately elevating image quality and boosting photographer confidence. Second, master lighting equipment and techniques, understanding which additive light works best for specific shooting scenarios based on subject matter and environmental conditions. Third, invest in high-quality memory cards, which Lackey believes most photographers significantly underestimate in terms of their impact on final image captures.
Addressing the common struggle of developing a personal photographic style, Lackey offers a comprehensive self-reflection exercise she uses in her workshops. This process begins with selecting favorite personal images – photographs that genuinely resonate with the photographer's artistic vision. Participants then describe themselves through a series of guided questions, followed by considering how others perceive them. The exercise includes examining memorable moments from books or films and analyzing their lasting impact.
The key questions focus on natural attractions and effortless skills that photographers may not even recognize as strengths. Lackey encourages examining what favorite images reveal about the photographer beyond their obvious subject matter. Most importantly, she asks what photographers would shoot if freed from concerns about social media performance, financial pressures, or fitting into neat categorical descriptors. When completed thoughtfully, this hour-long exercise often reveals clear indicators of an individual's authentic style or voice.
Lackey shares a compelling example of this process's transformative power: a workshop participant who owned a polished, highly-posed children's portrait studio in downtown London discovered through the exercise that her true passion lay in photographing motorcycles in sleek, modern settings – essentially the complete opposite of her established career. Trusting this revelation, the photographer completely transformed her professional focus and now specializes exclusively in motorcycle photography.
Creative blocks have challenged Lackey multiple times throughout her career, each requiring different solutions. Her first major block occurred just three years into her professional journey when she felt compelled to accept every available job opportunity. This approach led to rapid burnout and over-scheduling to the point where she hoped for client cancellations rather than new bookings. Recognizing that creativity suffers when enthusiasm disappears, she stepped back to reevaluate her business model.
The solution involved raising her pricing structure, limiting her service offerings, and reducing the number of weekly sessions she would accept. This strategic shift provided essential breathing room, elevated her perceived value as a photographer, and completely reignited her passion for the craft. Her second creative block emerged when her studio operations were running smoothly but she felt driven to create more meaningful work with her photography. During this period, she began offering pro bono shoots for organizations she admired, which eventually led to launching Beautiful Together.
Regarding feedback and criticism, Lackey emphasizes the importance of selectivity, particularly when dealing with negative commentary. She draws inspiration from a friend's approach to harsh feedback: responding to angry, insulting comments with "Sounds like you need a hug" while maintaining focus on meaningful work. The key principle involves distinguishing between valuable criticism from respected sources that can drive improvement versus meaningless noise from unknown critics. Lackey advises against letting harsh feedback clip creative wings, emphasizing that feedback from people whose opinions aren't valued shouldn't distract from pursuing passionate work.
Lackey's photographic work has undergone tremendous evolution while maintaining certain consistent core elements. She began her career focusing on children, families, and weddings, but today dedicates most of her time to wildlife and at-risk animal photography. The constant thread throughout her career has been her attraction to subjects who cannot fake authenticity – either because they haven't learned how to do so or because their nature prevents artificial behavior.
Defining success has proven complex for Lackey, encompassing both artistic and financial dimensions. During her peak commercial period, she employed seven associate photographers, maintained a large busy studio with a full-time manager and assistants, and operated with a completely booked calendar. This represented clear financial success and met traditional professional benchmarks. However, her understanding of true artistic success has evolved to prioritize deeply meaningful work, particularly through her Beautiful Together programs that serve both local and international youth while operating their animal sanctuary.
Lackey believes that financial success and artistic success – representing the currency of the world versus the currency of the soul – can indeed be achieved simultaneously. However, she rarely observes this dual achievement happening immediately, suggesting that most photographers must navigate a gradual progression toward balancing both forms of success.
As a renowned professional photographer, Nikon USA Ambassador, author, and television host, Tamara Lackey continues to influence the photography community through speaking engagements at major programs and conventions. Her presentations focus on photography's transformative power, including keynote addresses at Nikon's Global Launch Event in Tokyo for their revolutionary mirrorless camera system. She has co-produced and hosted multiple live broadcasts, including "The reDefine Show" on AdoramaTV and "Chasing Frames with Tamara Lackey" on PBS. Her expertise extends to leading photography adventure workshops worldwide and authoring nine comprehensive photography books. Beyond her Nikon Ambassador role, she serves as an ON1 Guru, OWC Creator, and Think Tank Pro Team member, while continuing her vital work as Executive Director of Beautiful Together, demonstrating how photography can serve as a catalyst for meaningful social change.
