We were lucky to catch up with Theo (Tatum) Garvey recently and have shared our conversation below.

Theo (Tatum), thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you walk us through some of the key steps that allowed you move beyond an idea and actually launch?

As a photographer, I began my experience shooting the world around me, however that changed during the initial COVID quarantine. This isolation gave me the chance to build a world of imagery that was much different than the world around me. Executing this new aesthetic came with a lot of preparation. I started my research by looking at different artists, photographers, and films.

For one of my favorite shots, I worked with Alexandria Rose (@a.lexrose) and we created a vintage glamour shot using an orange Ford truck. I started the process by creating a color scheme and shopping for clothes that matched the theme. To my surprise, finding the clothes I envisioned was completely impossible. I ended up white dresses and dying them to be the perfect shade of orange. From there we ended up shooting in this large backyard with a lot of space to play with lighting and shot types. This shoot is still one of my favorites and was featured in VIGOUR.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I work as a freelance photographer creating bright and colorful imagery in my work. I found a passion for film and photography in high school and began to fall in love with the artistry once I was able to create my own worlds from it. I began using photography as a way to capture the world around me to then be able to create a new world, one that is polished, glamourous, and colorful.

The imagery I create is primarily used for fashion photography and marketing, working with smaller brands and companies to help their dream branding come true through photographs.

Have you ever had to pivot?

The initial quarantine in 2020 for many was incredibly isolating including myself, however, I was able to take that time to focus on what I wanted my art to look like. This time spent basically daydreaming instead of creating gave me the pause I needed to become better at my craft. I was able to draw out photographs and build an aesthetic of images that I don’t think would have been possible before that time.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me personally, watching the editing of an image together. My favorite moments were when I was just starting and would use friends as models to gain practice. We would sit on the couch together picking out our favorite photos, then she would hover over me while I would edit. Her genuine reaction to the creative process and the final image has always been the most rewarding part for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theothedirector.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theothedirector/

Image Credits
Models: – Arlo Dortenzio @0artl0w – Ash Jean @exquisenergy – Colleen Geraghty @colleenbyphoto – Carter Petit – Alexandria Rose @a.lexrose