How Coco Rocha Influences My Career

If you’ve been following me on my socials, you’ll know that I’ve been lucky enough to attend Coco Rocha Model Camp, not once, but twice, and both times were as unforgettable as an experience can get. I had been following Coco for as long as I can remember having social media (so since I was around 13) and she was always this incredible figure who was so elegant, refined, and the epitome of what I wanted to be when I grew up.

I’ve been told I should model from an early age as I’ve always been the tallest girl in school. Even in my awkward-lanky phases, the adults around me could see the potential I carried for modeling as a career, however, when you live in rural Montana, and I mean RURAL (like 1000 people in the entire town rural), a career in the arts is just the stupid dream of a dumb kid. I was laughed at if I brought up wanting to model. I was told I was “too smart” to do something like that. I was told I wasn’t “model material” from the other kids. My nose was too big, my boobs not big enough, my eyebrows too thick, and my body just not good enough in general. So I became embarrassed, I never wanted to discuss my true passions and I forced down who I really wanted to be all for the sake of fitting in. I’m not proud of how I handled myself throughout high school and who I felt I had to be to “survive,” but some good did come out of pushing aside that passion.

I picked up a camera.

Even though I felt like I could not pursue what I really wanted to do, I always knew I wanted a career in fashion in some way. I had always been drawn to photography, fashion, and life in the city. I mean, I was the kind of kid who would put on my swimsuit, grab my Highlights magazine and a beach towel and go lay down by the giant brown puddles in my driveway just to pretend I was at the beach. I also know I used to steal my mom’s film camera and take photos with it, I don’t remember doing this, but there are lots of random prints of stuffed animals and when I’ve questioned these images, my mom always says something along the lines of “oh, you probably had a hold of the camera again.” I don’t know what it is about photography, but I’ve always been drawn to it. I remember watching the slideshows of family photos displayed at my grandmas house and studying the film prints my parents had of my siblings and I growing up.

And fashion? Oh, I’ve always loved fashion. Some of my earliest memories include picking out the outfit I was going to wear for picture day. There are photos of a young me in wild outfits when I asked my mom how she could let me out of the house that way, she just replied with the simple fact that I liked to dress myself and she wasn’t going to stop me. I always giggle when looking at old photos of myself and my siblings because I’m always dressed up in some sort of way and they would always just be in their nice jeans and button ups. It’s not hard to tell that I’ve always loved the elements of the career I’ve made for myself. I followed through on little me’s deepest desire. I never wanted to admit it at that age, because that would mean I was far different from anyone else around me, but all I ever wanted was to escape the sprawling emptiness and go somewhere where I would be fully accepted. I dreamed of city life while listening to the crickets chirp and watching the stars and no one I knew could ever understand that.

After I picked up my very first camera, a Nikon D3400, I was hooked. Now, this was a school camera so I wasn’t allowed to keep it, but boy, I made the most of having it. I didn’t even know what I was doing most of the time, but I knew what a good picture looked like. All my time looking at magazines and reading books payed off and I was immediately good at composition and finding the beauty in what I wanted to capture. Even now, after all the growth I’ve endured, I still look back at my first images with pride and I still feel that some of them are my best work. Though I didn’t fully understand how to do certain things with my camera, I never let that stop me. I remember switching back and forth between my “real camera” and my iPhone camera to allow myself the space to get the perfect shot.

It wasn’t until I got older and more educated that I started second guessing myself and my abilities, but I think that happens often. As we learn the “rules” we lose the experimentation that comes with learning and we criticize ourselves for our failures even though those mistakes are vital to create something incredible. I got scared and I stopped pursuing photography, it became less of a career path and more of a hobby. Eventually I stopped taking pictures at all, but it always stayed in the back of my mind and tried to weasel its way back into my life any way it could. I met my husband in a photography course, I won awards with my photography, I was asked to take senior photos for people, no matter how much I tried to give up on photography, it seemed like it never wanted to give up on me.

I had decided on pursuing an art career, but I wasn’t sure which one yet, so while I finished out high school I focused on trying to figure out what my calling was. I tried floriculture, interior design, mural work, illustration, and I even briefly considered a career in agriculture, but none of these seemed to stick. At the very end of my senior year I received a message on Facebook. Some guy named Gary Luce (RIP) sent me a message saying something like “I really like your look, if you ever want to model let me know, I’d love to work with you.” and that was it. I didn’t know who this guy was, if he was a scammer, or some sort of pedophile, but I knew, somehow, that this was my start. I showed my mom the message and we started google stalking. We determined he seemed like an okay guy and she encouraged me to do it, but only if she was with me, which was good because I was only 17 at the time.

For the next few years Gary taught me, he taught me modeling, lighting, and the ins and outs of the industry that I would have found myself trapped in if not for him. He told me who to trust and why or why not, he told me which images were good and how to correct myself. He made me into the model I am today and if not for him, I never would have come down this path. He introduced me to other photographers and made sure I was safe and was my biggest supporter, but he was ill. I never knew him when he was healthy, but that never stopped him. He would always make exceptions for me when I was in town even if he had been in the hospital that morning, if I was in town and wanted to shoot, he made it work. I remember we struck up a deal at one point, he would do shoots for me if I traded him a homemade cherry pie. He always knew I would succeed, and as I’ve grown in this industry, I’ve learned how right he was about everything he taught me. Gary was my mentor, my friend, and the best damn photographer I’ve ever worked with. I miss him every day and often think about how proud he would be of the woman I’ve become and the accomplishments I’ve made.

If it weren’t for him I never would have applied to Coco’s camp and transformed into who I am today. I remember when I first came across Coco Rocha Model Camp. I was looking into trainings for models, which yielded limited results considering models tend to be the only untrained employees in any field, so I looked into the most recommended one. Coco Rocha Modeling Camp. This camp seemed like the stuff of dreams, held in NYC you get to work with supermodel Coco Rocha herself as she teaches you how to model for real. It definitely didn’t seem like something I could ever be considered for, I barely even considered myself to be a professional model, but I figured why not? The worst that would happen is that I don’t get in. So, I decided to apply to the in-person camp that only 5% of applicants get into. And then? Coco freaking Rocha sent me a DM on Instagram to congratulate me on being selected as an attendee for her camp. My heart started hammering, my blood drained from my face, my hands started shaking. Honestly, I’m surprised I didn’t scream with joy. Do you even understand how COOL it is to have a DM request from a SUPERMODEL??? I couldn’t believe it and this was the only proof I needed to see myself as a real model. If Coco sees potential in me I MUST have something.

Once the excitement wore off and I looked at the price, my heart plummeted into my shoes. It was too much. I knew I would need to pay for it myself and that plus travel to make it there on my own? It wasn’t going to happen. I was devastated. My parents had supported me on my journey so far, but I knew that I would have to pay my way for this one considering they had already helped me with a trip to Las Vegas and a trip to Tennessee to pursue my career, neither trip yielding much results for me. With a waning hope I responded to the email and asked if there was any way I would be able to delay the trip. I didn’t want to lose the ability to go, but I also knew I couldn’t make it happen at the drop of a hat. Their response brought air back into my lungs and gave my heart the ability to climb back into my chest. They told me that once I was accepted that was it. It didn’t matter when I went, I would have a place at camp the moment I was ready. I almost cried. The biggest opportunity in my career wasn’t going to pass me by, I had time. And three years later, I finally took my place in Coco’s classroom.

I wasn’t going to squander this opportunity by not documenting it. I was going to be surrounded by industry professionals, photographers who’ve been in Vogue, MUAH’s that personally do Coco’s hair and makeup for events and public appearances, models from around the world and Coco herself. I had recently purchased a Sony A7iii and I made sure to bring it with me. I didn’t use my camera much for the first few days as those consisted of classes I was participating in. She taught us how to showcase real emotion, how to pose with our entire body without EVER running out of new body positions, she taught us how to be confident in ourselves and that the only person we are trying to impress is our inner 7-year-old little self. She taught us runway and finance and she taught us the ins and outs of the modeling world that no one ever discusses. I did not intend to learn as much as I did at her camp, but the experience was invaluable. After attending I could not believe how cheap the price was. I remember thinking to myself that she should be charging a LOT more than what she is, I mean, she’s basically giving away industry secrets and doesn’t expect anything in return (except the money of course, I mean she’s not getting paid to model when she’s teaching her classes). But the most exciting day? Shoot day.

Shoot day is what everyone looks forward to. It’s the day her makeup and hairstylists get you made up, it’s the day you work with the best photographers you’ve ever been around, it’s the day you see how far you’ve come since you walked through the doors 2 days ago. This is the day I brought out my camera. I photographed the models getting ready, I photographed them during their shoots, I photographed COCO FREAKING ROCHA as she was having her own photoshoot! But this day wasn’t just about me getting incredible content, it was also about me blossoming. I remember doing my thing and when Coco came up to help one-on-one like she does with every camper, she mostly just stood back. She told me how impressed she was with me and how much she was already loving my images. And then she gave me the biggest compliment I never expected to receive, she leaned in really close to me and whispered in my ear “you move the best in the room.” Hearing that from the Queen of movement herself made me lose my breath. It felt like the world stopped as I processed what she had just told me. I wasn’t just someone with potential, but I was one of the best in my group. But then, of course, I got too excited and started going too fast and she had to tell me to chill. *facepalm*

After my shoot with the group, I had signed up for another one, I thought it would be worth it because when am I going to get a chance like this again? Maybe never. I already had my hair and makeup done, so I worked with Coco’s husband James and her photographer Jeanie for the next hour making magic. I had brought a ton of extra outfits with me, but there had been a surprise, I got to select some outfits from Coco’s personal closet for my extra shoot. This blew my mind because who would even expect that?? After my shoot with Jeanie and James was finished, we were looking through the images together and James looked at me and said “If you’re ever in NYC again, let us know, we love your energy and we would love to have you back as an intern.” And again, my knees went weak and my lungs no longer housed air. I couldn’t believe it. I was being personally invited back to camp from the camp director himself. I asked him how much it would cost and he let me know it wouldn’t cost me a dime. They would provide housing, meals, and even give me extra merch as a form of payment. It seemed too good to be true. I had made so many connections and now I had the chance to solidify those connections and make myself more memorable?

The moment I got home I told my husband and he told me that I needed to sign up for the next available camp to make sure everyone knew who I was and to keep the momentum going with gaining these connections. So, I signed up and went back to the second camp of 2025. Because of the images I had gotten from my own camp I was given an art installment in Downtown Goldsboro and I finally pushed myself to leave my 911 dispatch job at Duke University to start a real career as a photographer with Strawbridge Studios so I knew going back to be able to get more images was going to be an incredible opportunity.

The second time around was so much fun. I felt like a camp counsellor like back when I was in 4-H. I loved being an intern, it allowed me to be the leader that I am and allowed me to make even more connections to the people I met at the camp. And, just like last time, I got some killer images. Without the help of these two camps I don’t think I would have the confidence or skill that I do now. Every time I walk into an audition I know without a doubt that I will be the best in the room and I have the education to back me up. Without Coco, James, and the rest of the CRMC team, I don’t know where I would be now, what I would be doing or how to continue my career. I can’t wait to see where her influence takes me next and I can’t thank her enough for all that she gave me.

Thank you so much CRMC team! You were the highlight of my 23 years and the memories I made are invaluable to me.

With love and adoration,

Tana Lee

P.S. My offer still stands to become the official BTS photographer, also if you ever have a job for me please let me know. I’d work with you all again in an instant