I don’t skate. I’ve never snowboarded. It would be safe to say that about 80% of my friends throughout my life do one or the other. I have a strange fear of falling and I hate snow but I love the photography for these sports. I’ve always secretly wanted to be a skate photographer. I would follow my friends around in college and take photos of them skating. But I never took the time to get good at it. I never felt cool enough for it. Tara Sanborn does not share these fears with me. Though, first meeting her, I had no idea she had this edge to her. Definitely funny and super cool but also a little quiet and shy. We were all taking turns showing each other our work one day and when I pulled up her site, I was immediately impressed. I praised her for how great her shots were and how rock and roll she was. She was bashful about it all and deflected the compliments. When I asked her if I could feature her, she blushed a little, smiled and simply said “I’ve never been featured before.”

I love Tara’s work and not just because it’s of skaters. Her work has a rawness brought through high contrast and honest personalities. Tara can capture the crazy moments as well as the somber ones. She even throws in a little humor now and then. Her compositions show strong lines that draw the view in and she has the ability to use all types of light at all times of day and night. That’s hard to do. Tara agreed to answer a few questions for her feature so I’ll let her answers and work do the rest of the talking here.

When did you first discover your love for photography? What made you decide to pursue a career in it?

I grew up snowboarding with my friends, taking the ski bus after school every Friday through grade school and working at the mountain in high school. My dad had bought one of the first digital SLRs Canon made after shooting film for years. I used to steal it from him when I’d go up to the mountain and found that I enjoyed shooting my friends riding and competing in the local competitions. We started shooting in the park and eventually moved to the streets shooting some urban stuff. After years of shooting my friends and shadowing some other local photogs I realized I wanted to take my skills to the next level and joined Seattle Central’s Creative Academy to pursue a career in Commercial Photography and build my portfolio. From there I’ve worked with local companies and branches of larger corporate companies doing lifestyle work for them creating local content for their every day and events.

Do you also do any skating and snowboarding yourself? 

I do snowboard as often as I can. I had a few bad knee and back injuries that put me out for a year or so off and on, but I’ve been taking it easier and not being too aggressive and hard on my body. I don’t do a lot of skateboarding. Mostly wakeboarding, snowboarding, and hiking 🙂

How did growing up in the Northwest influence your work?

Growing up in the northwest has greatly influenced my work. My family grew up camping, skiing, and hunting my whole life. I like to hike every chance I get and I don’t think I’d be the same person if I couldn’t have access to the outdoors. It’s definitely something I need to use to escape any sort of stress in my life. Every photo I take whether it be an action shot or portrait, I am thinking of their environment they’re surrounded by equally in the image. It wouldn’t be the same if it wasn’t for the mood and vibe that this state gives in every shot.

What was your experience going to school for photography like?

My experience going through school was great. Coming into the program I didn’t have any previous knowledge of technical lighting skills. I went into the program knowing what to expect and knowing that I wanted to leave the two years with the strongest portfolio I could. It was great being around other creative people including the designers who taught me a lot abo

What’s your dream shoot/client/job?

My dream would be to travel with a team around the world documenting their every day and making a living doing it. Being able to see the world would be number one and not having to sit at a desk job forever.

Where would you like to see your career in photography go? Or is there something else you would like to pursue?

I would like to be able to be able to shoot more personal work and create more stories and documentaries. I’m not sure what the future holds, but hoping to be able to support a family doing what I love and never stop EXPLORING.