We were lucky to catch up with Tyson Wilburn recently and have shared our conversation below.

Tyson , appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

My most meaningful project to date is my photo book titled, ‘Love & Waves Vol. 1’ This book was made to not only show my progress and work as a photographer but to highlight the people in my city of Phoenix who have also been creating and making waves in their own rights. The concept came to me after I traveled to New York for the first time this past February for fashion week. While I was there, on my very last day I had to myself, I ran into this man and I was able to share with him my journey for the past year or so and explained why I was even in New York chasing my dreams. Coincidentally, I came to find out this man had the same name as my father. It felt as if I was speaking directly to my dad, as if I was catching him up on my adventures and where I’m at now. Needless to say, after that interaction and experiencing the jungle for the first time, I came home and felt moved to finally release my work physically but, in a meaningful way. At first, the plan was to make 1 book for myself but, after seeing all the photos I had accumulated over my career, I realized it had the potential to be so much more. I decided to make it limited to 100 copies at $100 each, inspired after the late Nipsey Hussle who had a similar approach back in 2013 for one of his mixtapes. The idea is that only the people who are truly invested in the movement will be willing to spend that much for a product that represents so much to the artist and the people in the community. The reason it’s so meaningful is because it showcases the pure potential of all the people in a city that no one tends to look out for. I almost see it as a beacon, proof that we all have something to contribute and what we have to contribute needs to be seen.

Tyson , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Tyson ‘Alonzo’ Wilburn, I’m a photographer/videographer from Phoenix, Az. I have 18 months of experience behind the camera. I have shot a multitude of projects, both commercial as well as personal, within that time. I shoot a lot of editorials/portraits for different artists & brands with a cinematic & artistic aesthetic. I first picked up a camera after I graduated high school, mostly in search of a creative outlet. At the time I was still figuring out what I wanted to pursue a career in following high-school, from writing raps, and comedy sets, producing music, and even an attempt at a YouTube channel. While none of those stuck, I eventually found my way to photography through instagram. At first it started with my sister and I taking fit pics with my iPhone around the city, but shortly after my curiosity was piqued by the potential of what I could do with an actual camera. The Fuji-film X-T30 was my choice of gear, and from there I went to work. Although it was challenging trying to teach myself while shooting everything in manual, jumping straight into it served me more than well in the long run. I didn’t realize it at the time, but learning photography and becoming knowledgeable in the production aspect would still allow me to follow a career in not only music, and fashion but as well as everything else I was interested in. I’ve been able to have a helping hand in a lot of meaningful projects throughout this last year while also being able to learn the ins and outs of this field. At this point of my career, I am really drawn to storytelling as a means to challenge not only my perspective but the perspectives of people viewing my work in order to make people stop and rethink what they believe to be possible.

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

For me, the most rewarding part about being a “creative” is being able to use this talent to inspire others and bring about change. Not many artists, me included, realize how much of an influence they have on others. A single post, project, or piece of art can have a snowball effect on somebody so massive & you will most times never even know it. Someone else can get so inspired by your work it’ll get them to move and practice their own passions as well. As an artist I have experienced both sides of this notion. Being able to see another individual not only grow but flourish in their respective field off a spark from another artist is one of the many joys that this passion brings. I feel that it’s important as an artist to not only recognize your influence and talents but to use it in a way that will serve others. The energy that is put into this world when you release your art gets reciprocated and dispersed into countless people’s lives. It doesn’t even have to be putting out your art that can have a positive effect on someone either. Even acts of kindness such as, sharing knowledge, a helping hand or even a little push in the right direction is enough to have long lasting effects on whoever you cross paths with. Knowing I’m in a position to move people in such a way is not something I take lightly and I’m always looking for positive ways to exorcise that ability while also expressing myself as an artist. Hopefully more artists can follow this approach, you never know what your touch can do for somebody.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

For me, building my audience on social media was an afterthought really. My main focus was always making something that I enjoyed first. When my sister and I were out taking fit pics, we were taking pictures that we enjoyed because we enjoyed doing it. My biggest advice for anyone trying to build their social media presence is to move in the same way. I feel as if the more you cater towards other people for approval/attention/likes, the faster you lose your individuality in the process and blend into everyone else. The best thing to do is staying true to yourself. Depending on the person you are, that could throw others off but, for every person that’s put off by it there’s someone that will admire you for what you’re doing. Once you find your niche and at least a few people willing to support and motivate you genuinely, that’s all you need to grow an audience organically. The hardest part of building your platform especially in the beginning is staying consistent and showing up for yourself. That is the hump that holds a lot of creatives back because you’re not automatically seeing results for what you’re trying to do so it’s hard to stay motivated. That’s why it’s important that you’re doing something you genuinely love regardless of the accolades and rewards that might come from it and that you have support from people that genuinely want to see you succeed. That’s the formula for success that worked for me and hopefully it can work for others as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tysonalonzo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tyson.alonzo/

Image Credits
Tyson Wilburn