Not Just a Rebrand — A Realignment: The Transition from By Darius to TIKA Studios
By Darius served its purpose — but it no longer felt like mine.
TIKA Studios isn’t just a new name. It’s a return to creating work that feels personal, collaborative, and lasting.
This is about stepping fully into my vision — and making photographs that hold presence and stay meaningful over time.
For a while, I was just moving. Saying yes to projects because they paid. Shooting weddings, working with brands — grateful, but disconnected. Over time, the spark I had for photography dimmed — it no longer felt like mine.
What once felt exciting and instinctive started to feel distant.
I wasn’t creating from instinct or curiosity anymore. I was creating based on what others needed. The work didn’t feel collaborative. It didn’t feel alive.
At one point, I even asked myself — do I still want to be a photographer? That question stopped me. Not because I didn’t love photography, but because I realized how far I’d drifted from why I started.
In the beginning, I wasn’t chasing clients or checking boxes. I was chasing the feeling — the urge to create, to tell stories, to make something that lasts. That’s what TIKA Studios is about. It’s me coming back to my original intention.
I don’t want to be just another photographer — local or otherwise — churning out photos to stay booked. I want to make art. I want to capture emotion in motion. I want to create work that people feel — years later. Work that doesn’t go out of style because it was never about trends to begin with.
That doesn’t mean I’m stepping away from weddings or brands. It means I’m doing them differently now. With people who want to co-create, who value my perspective, and who trust me to shape the story — not just deliver what’s expected.
TIKA is not about cranking out galleries. TIKA is about making photographs that hold presence, carry memory, and live far beyond the moment they were taken.
If you’ve followed me from By Darius, thank you for witnessing my growth. If you’re new here — welcome. I’m no longer creating just to create.
I’m here to make work that lasts — honest, considered, and in rhythm with my perspective and purpose.
