Instagram Interview — Tyson Wheatley

All photo credit to featured photographer, Tyson Wheatley.

Name: Tyson Wheatley
Instagram Handle: @twheat
Location: Brooklyn
Website: www.tysonwheatley.com

Tyson is an Instagram master. His work appeals to a very large group of people and his feed always stays clean and beautiful. I think Tyson’s photos are a great representation of the world we currently live in. By that, I mean that 100 years from now I could imagine his Instagram feed being used to show people what the early 2000’s were like. His journalistic approach to shooting helps him get images of scenes that people may never think to photograph. Also, like many others on this blog, I’m very jealous of his travels and the beautiful things he’s had the opportunity to see. The best part about Tyson, he wants to help others succeed in photography! Check out his skillshare after you read through his interview: www.skillshare.com/twheat

Origins

I’m new to the freelance photography world. I’ve only been shooting professionally for two years. In my previous life I was an Editor and writer at CNN.com. Instagram was, in many ways, my entry point to photography. Connecting with creative people around the world and developing an audience on Instagram really gave me the confidence and desire to capture and share images. I just got sucked deeper and deeper into that world until the point where making photos was all I wanted to do.

Experiences

I feel incredibly fortunate to be doing what I do. Last year I travelled to 19 countries - most of it through photography, and I’ve met the most incredible people along the way and made lifelong friendships. You just can’t put a price tag on that. Traveling and experiencing cultures different than my own always inspires and motivates me to keep growing and learning.

Currently

Aside from a handful of commercial photography projects I've been working quietly behind the scenes to develop a podcast about the creative process - Tinker * Podcast - it should be available on iTunes very soon. It's a labor of love and wholeheartedly an experiment and I'm very excited about it.

This summer I'm planning a US road trip with my three kids (#miniTwheats) - who go to school in Hong Kong and who have never really seen the country they originate from - at least not from the road. I'm looking forward to capturing our adventure together on camera.

Future

My hope is to continue to get better, to try different things and find and develop my own voice through photography. I feel like there’s still a lot to discover and learn about the art and myself.

Gear

About half of what I post to Instagram is shot on a mobile device - currently an iPhone6.

For commercial projects I shoot on DSLR. I use Canon bodies and lenses. (6D and 5Dsr). If I'm on the road I'll often edit for Instagram on my phone - using Priime, VSCOcam, Snapseed, etc. For commercial projects I edit on Lightroom. I love the new Priime presets.

Remember to check out Tyson’s skillshare: www.skillshare.com/twheat