Tamia had her first taste of film at University of Colorado, studying film theory with Stan Brakeage and working in the Film Studies office. It was during this time that the seeds of film production took hold. She then gained experience working in production, doing lighting for festivals in New Orleans, Louisiana! This inspired her to go to Vancouver Film School in Canada to see if she could realise her dream of working in the camera department.
After film school, Tamia worked consistently in the Seattle area for more than 10 years, working mostly on indie features, some HETV and car commercials. This was the era of big car commercials, so she got to work with Cadillac, Toyota and Hyundai, to name a few. She also became a member of IATSE 600, the US camera union.
Tamia came to the UK for a change of scenery back in 2011, where, as fate would have it, she met her husband. Since then, she has worked on rekindling her camera career, working her way up through the camera department to the role of camera operator. She’s been slowing and learning the art of operating over the last 3 years, adding Steadicam and crane operation feather to her cap. In those 3 years she’s been fortunate enough to have been part of the crew that shot a little show called Crongton, which has won a BAFTA, an RTS award and a Broadcast Award, as well as be chosen to be part of the WFTC 2026 Mentee program, mentored by Lucy Bristow.
Tamia also wants to ensure she gives back to the industry — last year she was part of the Orchard Crew mentee scheme, mentoring a lovely new camera trainee. She’s also one of the directors of Women Behind the Camera, a group formed to educate, promote and support women working behind the camera in the industry.
