Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin “Tino” Manor.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have been doing photography for five years in total. I started by shooting sports junior year of high school for the school newspaper/yearbook. I stopped my senior year of high school to focus on my future by getting prepared to go to college as a first-generation student. Once I got to the university, I picked up the camera again freshman year of college. I used my friend’s camera and went around campus taking photos of statues and other random things. I took my first portraits a few months later and decided to turn it into my business. I got my nickname “Tino” from my friend Razzy who I met in my dorm freshman year and she used to say “Justino” then she said I am just going to call you Tino. After I got that nickname and decided I was going to start taking photography serious, I realized that I wanted Tino to not just be my name but my brand and business. The summer of 2017 my friend Jerson taught me everything I know today. He taught me about iso, shutter speed, and aperture. After that night of practicing, my skills elevated each year. So, big shoutout to Jerson for being my mentor! A year later, I applied and got hired as a photographer for ktsw 89.9 (Texas State University’s radio station) going into my sophomore year of college. With ktsw, I shot university sports and other events on campus. I also got the opportunity to shoot at mala luna (2017) and jmblya (2018). After getting into the concert photography scene, I got selected by 21 savage’s personal photographer (John Canon) to shoot for him in Austin. Getting into concert photography definitely helped build my brand and get more exposure for more clients. I started to shoot graduation photos my sophomore year of college and I have been progressing ever since. I started to get my name out there and building clientele over the years and I still do graduation shoots till this day!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely wasn’t a smooth road. I used to only post creative shoot ideas on my Instagram and I went through a creative block many times. During those times, you feel like your work isn’t good enough or you just can’t think of a new idea and you want to give up. I think many creatives have experienced this no matter what their craft is. It was also challenging juggling 15 hours of classes and 20+ photoshoots during the times I had finals. Overall I think these challenges definitely helped my time management skills a ton!
We’ve been impressed with TinoProductions & Spread Love Inc., but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My business is called TinoProductions. I am a professional photographer, I am mainly known for graduation portraits. Before I expanded my business into the graduation market, I was known as a photographer for music festivals and concerts because that was the start that helped jump my career. What sets me apart from other photographers is my style of photography, I am a natural light photographer who focuses on the pop of color and natural edit look.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I like that Austin is continuously growing and full of opportunities. No matter where you go, you can make a connection with someone who might have the same interests as you or someone who has insight on something you want to pursue. I don’t like Austin’s traffic but I mean who does? It does seem that the city is starting to get a little bit overcrowded with everyone moving here and the city continuously going viral for something.
Contact Info:
- Email: justinmanor35@yahoo.com
- Website: https://www.tinoproductions.co /https://spread-love.store/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Chapterxiv/ /@spreadlove.inc
