American Photographer Frames Her Future in Tokyo
Setting the Scene in Tokyo
A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Haygood drew inspiration from her grandmother, the family photographer. She was delighted to receive her first SLR camera from her grandparents for Christmas at the age of 13 and honed her picture-taking skills with classes in high school and college. At this stage, however, her sights were firmly set on becoming a lawyer, not a photographer.
Haygood was also developing her relationship with Japan around this time. After spending a summer in Tokyo at 17, she subsequently returned for an intensive Japanese language program at Kanda University of International Studies. Following college graduation in 2010, Haygood came back to Japan for what was intended as a gap year before applying to law school—and has been here ever since.
Haygood initially worked as an instructor at an eikaiwa English conversation school, but says this role may not suit those seeking to immerse themselves in Japanese culture. "The selling point of an eikaiwa instructor is that people pay you to represent everything that is not Japan, and that can be very isolating," she points out. Haygood went on to teach at a private elementary school, which afforded more chances to connect with the Japanese community.
After four years, Haygood began questioning her future path, and the idea of building a business around her interest in photography took root. She continued teaching English in a part-time capacity to support herself, then later worked for a Tokyo photography studio, while continuing to grow her own business on the side. TopTia Photography was officially launched in 2016.
Establishing a Solid Base for Success
According to Haygood, it is very important aspect to demonstrate sound business acumen. "Because Japan is a risk-averse kind of society, you do need to prove yourself beforehand—which is actually good business practice. Ensure that your systems are in place and that your workflow is solid, so that people can slowly build up trust in you and will then recommend you to others."
Coincidentally for someone who originally wanted to be a lawyer, some of Haygood's earliest professional gigs in Tokyo involved taking headshots at legal firms. This helped her gain valuable experience and build relationships, leading to bigger and more creative projects.
"Sometimes people in the international community don't really understand how valuable it is to have earned trust here. Japanese people may not be very direct a lot of the time, so when I hear someone say, 'We only work with Tia,' that's worth its weight in gold!" she says with a big smile.
While Tokyo is an international city, never underestimate the value of Japanese conversational skills. "This is important from my perspective, because you want to be fully ready for any client or situation. Oftentimes you will be in Japanese-only spaces and you have to navigate that," notes Haygood.
And when it comes to engaging with fellow foreign nationals in a similar line of business, she dispels the notion that everyone else is a potential rival. "It's Tokyo! There's more than enough work to go around. It's vital to have this mindset of abundance, not scarcity."
Being self-employed can also make it easier to facilitate trips back to your home country—and perhaps to even take your work along. Drawing on her social media marketing skills, Haygood was able to set up a number of portrait sessions in Charlotte during a recent month-long visit to see her family.
Finding and Connecting with Your Community
As a successful small business owner, Haygood highlights the concept of niching—identifying your target customer base and focusing your business activities accordingly. "For me, this means internationally-minded women who are career oriented. That's the community that supported me, and it's also the one with which I resonate and want to create stories around."
One group that has been particularly helpful for Haygood is FEW (For Empowering Women) Japan, a multinational collective of English-speaking women seeking to create opportunities for professional and personal development. After initially benefitting from FEW's business mentorship programs, Haygood has since paid it forward by serving on the Executive Board. Most recently, members of FEW were among the participants in TopTia's 40 Over 40 Experience project, which shone a spotlight on women aged 40 and over through a series of portrait sessions.
Haygood sees networking as a valuable way to find community in Tokyo if it is approached in the right way. "Sometimes it's seen as just meeting a bunch of people and then following up with emails to see who responds. But I've found that what works best is to create value for that person you're speaking with in that moment. It isn't about selling yourself; it's more about, 'Hey, you have a project coming up—how can I help?' That's creating value."
It is very important for Haygood to surround herself with people who share her values. TopTia is a proudly LGBTQ+ and BIPOC-friendly business, and she advocates for "reading the room" at networking events to find and connect with the people with whom you want to work.
Looking ahead, she is excited about Kintsugi Reclamation, a new project that examines physical and emotional trauma through photography and storytelling. Painted in gold for their portrait sessions, people who have dealt with cancer, domestic violence, eating disorders and self-harm are among the participants so far. The theme was inspired by the traditional art of kintsugi, which involves repairing broken ceramics using lacquer, dusted with gold. In this way, brokenness can be part of a beautiful story of rebirth.
Haygood hopes that Kintsugi Reclamation will help her subjects find deeper value and empowerment in their stories through the lens of empathetic photography—values which she espouses for all her projects. "I believe in the power of making people feel their authentic best when I photograph them," she says.
Tia Haygood
