Adventurer Of The Month
– Darian Tarver –
Instagram | Website | Facebook
Interview
1) Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m 22 years old and recently moved to the wonderful city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I drink way to much coffee (and yes, I add sugar and cream. Not cool enough to be a black coffee drinker yet…). I also think a person can’t own too many pairs of fuzzy socks and candles. I love to take pictures, travel, and sleep. Oh yeah, and I really love One Direction.
2) Wow we loves seeing photos of your adventures, how did it all start for you?
Like I mentioned before I love taking pictures, but where I’m from you really have to explore to find the cool places to shoot . Adventures don’t always have to be far from home; they can literally be in your own backyard. There will always be something you haven’t discovered yet. It’s your job to get off Facebook, twitter, instagram, go outside and find the things you’ve never noticed before. I had to train my mind to think, “if I can’t appreciate the beauty of where I am, will I really appreciate the beauty of where I’m going?” So I think that’s where it started for me, looking around at the everyday things first, then moving on to the unknown.
3) Do you have a favorite trip, if so what makes it so special?
Ah, yes. In July 2015 I went on a 2 week mission trip to Cape Town, South Africa. Wow, I have never seen a place so beautiful in my life. It was my first time out of the country, and it did not disappoint. A lot of our time on the trip was spent walking around talking and praying for people. But one day we got to go explore the mountains and the beach. It was so different than the flat land in Louisiana. I thought about purposely missing my flight so I wouldn’t have to go home, haha. I also got to meet so many people while I was there and I heard so many stories. To me, meeting people and hearing their stories beats any view. The experience was totally unforgettable!
4) If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would your next destination be?
That’s a tough question. I think I want to go to Ireland. I see pictures from there all the time and I think it’s absolutely gorgeous.
5) You capture photos so beautifully, do you have any tips for new photographers?
Thank you! I’d tell them this: don’t compare yourself to others. My biggest struggle my first few years was comparison. I was always just making pictures that looked like someone else’s, but not near as good. Once I decided to stop comparing myself to others and stepping out to pursue who I was as a photographer, I started making images that I was proud of. It didn’t even matter to me what other people thought. If I was loved it that was all that mattered. My other word of advice is to not compete with other photographers but to work with them. Some of my most creative moments were produced because I was with other creatives. When you work together, you make something twice as better!
6) What makes your heart beat? What is that one thing you strongly believe in?
I don’t think I would be so passionate about photography without Jesus. It’s my way of worship. Jonathan Helser said once, “God dared to leave something uncreated so His sons and daughters could sit on His lap and create with Him.” Knowing I get to create along side my Creator really encourages me to never stop pursuing my passion.
7) Favorite Camera(s) ?
I mainly shoot with my Canon 5D Mark II, but I also love film a lot. I have a Canon AE-1 that I love to use and an Fujifilm Instax camera, because who doesn’t love instant pictures??
What a great interview! We loved getting to know Darian and her kind heart! Stop by her instagram to see more and to say hello;
Rad Pictures !!