Ana Tantaros is the owner, founder, and fierce creative force behind Side A Photography.
Growing up in Upper Darby, PA, Ana was surrounded by family who encouraged her to pursue her passions. Her parents raised her in an environment full of inspiration and artistic challenges to encourage creative decision making. The Tantaros family is full of entrepreneurs and business owners, making it no surprise that she has found such success and growth over the years with Side A Photography.
Ana has been behind the camera since 1998, shooting street photography as a hobby for years. In 2010, she embarked on a 365-day challenge where she photographed a new person or scene every day. The project gained a good deal of traction, and suddenly she had requests for photo services on a regular basis. Ana quickly learned what it would be like to run a photography business, and she was up for the challenge. She lived each day telling herself “Don’t say no, no matter how scared you are.” It paid off.
“2010 was an intense exercise of embracing the beauty of life and forcing myself to see and be in the moment each and every day.”
As a result of Ana’s success with her year-long project, she published two books (“365 Days” and “Best of”) and started Side A Photography in 2013. And she’s been going strong ever since. Ana’s incredible vision, work ethic, and unique service packages make her stand out among the rest in the Baltimore photography scene. They have also allowed Ana to flex her social connection skills, and engrain herself as an important member of the Baltimore community. Ana loves to host social gatherings, meet new people, and facilitate meaningful social connections. Since 2012, she has hosted an annual party for the "Saddest Day of the Year" - a creative and quirky event where guests listen to sad songs, commiserate about their problems, vent on the "Wall of Woes", wear sad/themed name tags, and much more. Ana was also a founding organizer of the Baltimore Bike Party. In 2013, she helped to start this popular event and organize the after-parties. Of course - a staple item at all of Ana's past and current social events are her flagship photo booths - a huge hit for all guests in attendance.
“Ana was such a joy to work with. Her enthusiasm during the shoot made the experience so enjoyable and effortless. I would absolutely recommend working with Ana and her team. They did a great job!”
“Baltimore is bursting with character, creativity and a network of people that support and push good ideas forward. I come alive when I see people interacting and smiling, I love to capture people’s expressions when they give it their all.”
