By Brooke Pankonin, Grant Tribune Sentinel, reprinted with permission
Note: Tandy Overstreet, of Grant, reached out to Center for Rural Affairs several years ago to get her photography business started with a microloan. As her business has grown, we have grown with her offering her financing for more equipment and a work vehicle.
Tandy Overstreet of Grant, owner of Prairie Rose Photography, recently took her business to the next level with the addition of an indoor studio.
Overstreet is excited to offer her clients the opportunity for indoor and year-round photos. The studio also gives her a competitive edge.
Located on the top floor of Reese Mechanical, the studio has plenty of space, hardwood floors and two built-in backdrops—a brick wall and painted barn wood.
Overstreet has been posting on Facebook for the last two years in search of a studio. Jason Reese contacted her about another building, which wasn’t quite right for her, so he asked her about the current location.
“It was perfect. Perfect location. Perfect timing. Everything came together perfectly and I’m very thankful for it,” she said.
The studio is now full of Overstreet’s photography equipment, props and backdrops. Before gaining access to the studio, she utilized her home as her studio space, which she said was not ideal.
“You don’t realize how much stuff you have until you get it all in one place,” she said. Not only was it taking up space in her home, but she couldn’t utilize her lighting equipment properly because she didn’t have the space.
Even though Overstreet has only been photographing professionally for two years, she has been involved with it most of her life. She said her entire senior year of high school was basically spent in the dark room.
Her dad was also a photographer and a big inspiration to her. He owned a flower shop in Ogallala, which was next door to Fowler Photography. She spent time looking at photos and the equipment there, where her photography interest was sparked even more.
Her interest has grown as she has received so much support from the community and her family.
Two years ago a community member asked her to take the soccer photos, and from there she had more and more inquiries.
Prairie Rose Photography specializes in senior and family photography and also offers newborn, maternity, engagement and special event photography. She also would like to offer pet photography.
Over the last year, Overstreet began providing photography services to the Grant Tribune-Sentinel and Perkins County Schools (PCS) for school activities. She said she enjoys the adrenaline rush sports photography brings.
Currently, Overstreet works as a para-educator at PCS. Her goal is to pursue her photography business full-time.
For more information about Prairie Rose Photography or to book a session, visit prairierosephotography.net.
