Hello! My name is Alaina and I’m the face behind the camera at A.R.T. Photography.

What does the A.R.T. name mean?

No, my nickname isn’t Art, nor am I making a claim that my photography is Fine Art. Rather, my name is Alaina Rose Tackett, hence ART are my initials.

What inspires you?

YOU! It’s such a beautiful thing to see families enjoying being together and having fun while I’m snapping away. I feel so lucky to share those moments and I’m constantly inspired by the unconditional love that shines through when I’m photographing my clients. Each and every session is so special to me and drives me forward in this profession.

Why did you become a photographer?

My love for photography goes way back to when I was in high school and I took a photography class. Not to date myself, but at that time I was learning with real film and developing photos in a dark lab, which was the coolest. I can recall how excited I was to experiment with capturing still-lifes and portraits of my friends and family, then eagerly awaiting the results while developing. Fast forward a couple decades, I decided to rekindle that excitement when I bought a Canon DSLR and started begging my friends and family to let me take photos of them again. This continued for a few years, and I continued upgrading my equipment and working hard to teach myself more and more, until my hobby eventually turned into a profession. And I’m proud to say I’m still learning and working hard to continue to advance my craft each and every day!

What is your biggest accomplishment?

My daughter, Lily, will now and forever be my biggest and most important accomplishment. 

Where are you from?

I was born in Lafayette, IN (Hoosiers!) but my parents moved to the Chicagoland area shortly after, and here I’ve remained. A Midwesterner through and through, and a die-hard lover of Chicago, the most beautiful city in this country! 

If you could live anywhere else, where would it be?

Hands down, no question, Northern California. I fell in love with the Sonoma and Napa Valley region of California about 13 years ago when my husband and I first visited. Now I’m lucky to say my baby bro and his beautiful wife permanently live there and I get to visit whenever I want! (Oh, I’d also settle for living in Paris if forced. 😉)