Ryan Tatar
- Text by Alex King
- Photography by Ryan Tatar
Mother nature is where it all begins for Ryan Tatar. His photography radiates natural beauty as he creates seductive images from light, water and surf. Surfing is a huge part of his life and a major inspiration for his creative work, with analogue the only medium capable of authentically capturing the magic Ryan sees when he ranges his viewfinder out towards the ocean.
When and why did you start shooting pictures?
When I moved to California I started trying to work on a body of work around sub cultures within the surf community. Surfing had so inspired my life that I felt I needed to capture certain moments to share with friends and family. Before that though, I had always enjoyed shooting with a disposable 35mm camera or digital point and shoot during adventures.
What is it you love about film photography?
Film creates a certain vibe, tone, and magic that speaks to me and is the only medium I use at the moment.
What are you passionate about – interests, hobbies outside of photography – and how does this inform the images you take?
Obviously surfing… which comprises the majority of my work. But lately hiking and exploring the mountains and deserts of the Western USA. Oh, and good coffee.
Who or what inspires your work? Any other photographers?
My work is inspired by mother nature in all of her elements, the surfing lifestyle, vintage cars, road trips, the DIY ethos, the hand made, and good design.
What do you do for a living and how does photography fit into your life?
I work in Silicon Valley on very popular magical devices. Photography is a priority during free time, surf sojourns, and adventures.
How do you share your work? Zines, books, exhibitions, blog etc? And what’s the editing process like for you?
I share my work in magazines and galleries when possible, but I try to release frequent material on my own direct website, tumblr, and social accounts. For editing, I use a great lab in Southern California at the moment to process and scan my film. My apartment in San Francisco is much too small for a dark room at the moment.
Are your photos staged/posed or documentary? Can you describe why you choose to shoot in this way?
Documentary. I shoot mostly to capture a moment that is happening around me… although I have occasionally shot a portrait or two for a magazine assignment. However, I go out of my way to make it authentic and just a result of what is going on during that particular moment.
Head over to Ryan’s site to check out more of his amazing photography.
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