TJC Photography is a small town girl’s dream to capture beautiful memories

By Willis Patenaude | Times-Register

It’s a familiar story in communities like Elkader, when a small town kid, instead of leaving for someplace else, stays in their hometown to lay down roots, start a family and create a new business. While there may be other “cool” places worth venturing to, there is something special—some “nostalgia”—attached to the place they’ve always called home that keeps them firmly entrenched.

The latest small town kid going places, here at home, is Tracy (Curran) Cummer. The St. Olaf native and Central graduate spent much of her youth intertwined with the community, whether on the volleyball team, on stage during the fall play, as a member of the National Honor Society or working at various establishments. She learned the values of hard work and responsibility while serving as a tour guide at Spook Cave and wearing numerous hats at the Elkader Pizzeria, back when it was known as JnJ Pizza. 

In 2018, Tracy graduated with plans to become a physical therapist, eventually “bouncing around,” as she put it, between college and working as a CNA. She is currently on her way to finishing the licensed practical nursing program at NICC, but for the last few years, another idea has been floating around in her head. That spark of motivation remained dormant until Tracy found herself overcome with emotion at a friend’s wedding.

Tracy admitted getting emotional comes more easily since the birth of her 2-year-old son Clark, and as she sat at that wedding, she became tearful while taking in “how beautiful the weather, setup, decor, bride, groom, guests and venue was.” Tracy recalled leaning over to her husband, Justin, to gush about her love of weddings, and she spoke a phrase that would invariably put her on a new journey in life.

“I remember saying, ‘I wish I could be a wedding photographer, so that I could just experience weddings for a living’ [and] my husband simply replied, ‘Well why don’t you just do that?’ It hit me then that I could actually try it, so I did,” Tracy said.

Though she cannot pinpoint the moment becoming a photographer first came about, Tracy always had a passion to “capture beautiful memories” that last through time so they can be enjoyed and looked back on with fondness and affection. There has also been an admiration for photography in general, the uniqueness of every artist and picture. One in particular, Evergreen Photography run by Bailey Caldwell, stood out as a sort of influence.

“She took the very first family photos of my husband, son and me. She was an absolute delight to work with…I love seeing her photos pop up on my Facebook feed, because they always wow me. If I can become half the photographer she is, I’ll be happy with myself,” Tracy said.

Mentally ready to make the leap, Tracy started with the basics: researching cameras, finding a good starter camera, practicing taking pictures with family, picking a business name, making social media pages and sharing content to establish a presence. 

Tracy credited her time at Central with helping to achieve this portion of the journey, because it’s where teachers challenged and encouraged her to always continue learning to better herself.

“My time at Central helped shape my journey by teaching me how to research well in order to learn for any type of situation. My knowledge of cameras, their settings, editing, etc., was very minimal at the start of this process, so I did need to do a lot of research to get my feet wet,” Tracy said.

Picking a name came down to Tracy wanting something unique that represented her as a person. In an area with a plethora of photographers, she was looking for something original and easy to remember. After “toying around” with a handful of names and a conversation with her sisters, she landed on TJC Photography.

Since starting in fall 2024, Tracy has focused on learning about the business, the camera and photo shoots, which have been some portrait sessions, something she “really just loves” doing. Her journey so far has taken her to all the local “hot spots,” like Backbone, Motor Mill, the Whitewater Park in Elkader and Pikes Peak, but Tracy is always on the lookout for new spots to “shake it up a bit.” 

Tracy has also done a few family and senior sessions and a Christmas pop-up photo shoot. No matter the shoot or where it is, they’re all special.

“I think each session I do holds meaning for me, because I take it as an opportunity to learn and grow as a photographer, especially this early in my craft. I also really enjoy seeing my clients happy, so it gives me a lot of joy to immediately see my client sharing the photos I took to their social media,” Tracy said.

Through this newfound journey, Tracy has found support, especially from family, who have “been wonderfully supportive throughout this whole process.” This includes her dad and sisters Rebecca and Brenda.

“They have been some of my biggest supporters. They are always sharing my content on social media, without me even having to ask. I appreciate them more than they’ll ever know,” Tracy said.

Support has also come from clients and families who “enjoy getting photos to document where they’re at in their life at that moment” and are willing to give a burgeoning artist a chance. 

Tracy views it as a  chance to make people happy and find a little enjoyment in the process, while she continues to hone her craft and perhaps expand the portfolio by adding what got her to make the leap: wedding photos.

“I would, of course, love to photograph a wedding. I believe that is one of the most special days you can have as a person, and to be a part of that and capture those moments would be something special,” Tracy said.

Tracy can be reached via Facebook messenger at “TJC Photography,” by direct message through Instagram at “TJC Photography” and through email at tjcphotographyy@gmail.com.

“I’ve been blessed to be supported by my clients, friends and family [and] I will keep offering my services and trying to make people happy,” Tracy said.