Tanya Brittain describes herself as a cultural ambassador, Cornish language student, writer and tea drinker. Tanya was born and raised in South Yorkshire, England but has Breton ancestry. She graduated from Art college in the 80s and her first job was in the mining industry as an illustrator of specialist equipment for technical publications. She progressed rapidly through the ranks into general management and marketing. Working in the publishing, food and music industries over a period of twenty years, she ended up in Cornwall working on a six-month project. Six months became six years, six years became twelve, etc. Working actively with other Celtic nations and connecting with Cornish diaspora worldwide, Tanya has made an outstanding contribution to the promotion of Cornwall's traditional culture, heritage and language over the past decade. If you ask me where I am from I will tell you that my passport says 'Finland', but England is what I call home. I grew up moving around and studied in international schools surrounded by people from all over the world. My upbringing has left me with an open mind, a taste for adventure and the love for interacting with people from all walks of life. These qualities have been influential in my path to professional photography, which I think of as an observational art. I also consider myself as fully integrated to English culture, with thank you's and please's a-plenty! I think photos should always be creative, never boring or dull. I believe that you can find magic in every setting you photograph if you know how to connect with it. I always follow my intuition in capturing my subject matter and never stick to rules for the sake of it. I think this is reflected in my editing and final collections, and also what my clients really love. In addition to creative excellence, I place a high value on technical precision; I think as a client you should expect nothing less from a professional photographer.
Engaging, witty and relatable Kirstie Newton, Editor, Cornwall Today