Grass often withers to make room for leaves, but rarely for a girl lying there to take pictures with a Nikon D3200 camera. If this scene is not captured by a self-taken photo, hopefully another human is there to witness this beauty. With writing time on a weekend, I am honored to have been that other human watching this girl take pictures of nature. After approaching this process, the girl agrees to answer questions about photography, during which I discover an all too familiar name: Tatum Kevlin. Tatum, a name resonating as the girl in high school, whose hobbies were so obscure, even close friends like me could not piece them together. 4 years after high school, now photographer, Tatum Kevlin, neither I nor her Nikon D3200 camera can behold the hobby she has turned into a career between Summer and Autumn.
Whatever the maximum capacity is for posts on instagram, Tatum Kevlin does not hesitate to be considered worthy of exceeding with over 1,000 pictures. Instagram gives fresh faces a platform, which Kevlin says, “takes my work to a different level.” When asked what exactly she means, Tatum goes on to explain how her love for photography has grown because of instagram. “My plan is to create more than a portfolio,” which Tatum has followed through on since adding Tumblr to her plethora of social media. Tumblr not only expands Tatum’s portfolio, but its dimensional layouts serve her diverse entrepreneurial needs.
Tatum’s love for photography lends her gift the freedom necessary to flourish. The landscapes which she snaps, captures Tatum’s futuristic mindset. Nature seems symbolic of the simplicity Tatum wishes for her clients and supporters. As subject matter appears consistent, themes become more important. The authenticity extracted from tall buildings in the middle of her hometown, Wisconsin, has ideally become the constitute for small children making faces for a portrait.
“Taking pictures of my little sisters is risky,” a statement which Tatum predicates as advice for photographers. Tatum’s respectability emphasizes a personal touch to her work, further placing an interesting distance between the artist and the artwork. An inevitable feat for Tatum is keeping her family out of the spotlight to make room for the family that is bystanders, walking in front of an almost perfect shot of an object. Not much is left to the imagination between a photographer and the photograph, however, as Tatum cherishes the messages carried through two, growing girls. Focus on her artwork has taken unpredictable transitions due to growing demands of profiling her clientele.
Picturing two, young girls penetrates the dynamic of having women in industries new to the practices of inclusion. Photography itself has become an open field compared to the exclusive-like mentality of its artistic beginnings. Tatum barely wants to make an impact with the underscore of being a woman, however, the weekend needs to be open more often for two, young women to collaborate like Tatum and I. Looking forward to work from Tatum Kevlin is an easy task, as she keeps photography between the lines of school, family and friends.
To stay updated on work from Tatum Kevlin, follow her on Instagram ( @tkevlin ) and visit her official website, tmkphotography.tumblr.com!
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