Santana • Over Crook • Bellflower

Savannah Tarver

Photographer

January 2022

Where are you from?
I am originally from Texas but I moved out to California when I was about 13. I lived in the Bay Area for about 6 years and now I am in Long Beach.


Assuming you started off skateboarding at what point did you move to photography and why?
I actually first got into photography at a pretty young age but it wasn’t until about 3 years ago I got into skateboarding and skateboarding photography. I was already interested in skating and always wanted to try it but it wasn’t until I shot skateboarding for the first time that finally made me go for it.


Is there one skateshot you wish you had taken?
I can’t really think of one specific photo I wish I had taken but there are many different events or contests that I wish I could have attended to get some shots from. But I know there will be countless opportunities in the future to get better and better shots.


Proudest moment as a photographer?
I think honestly anytime someone is super stoked on a photo I’ve taken of them or when other people appreciate it more than I expect, it always makes me feel super proud of what I’m doing. But when I very first started shooting skateboarding, the first event I went to was in SF and Rob Collinson from Lowcard Mag approached me and wanted to feature my photos on his website. It gave me a lot of motivation to actually pursue it, especially as someone just starting out.


Most embarrassing?
I can’t remember any embarrassing moments that really stood out to me…I guess I would say this one time I left my old camera on top of my car and it fell off as I was pulling out of a parking spot but luckily it was in a bag and didn’t get damaged. Still pretty dumb tho.


What gear are you shooting with?
I shoot with a Nikon D800e and usually a 12mm fisheye lens.


Is there any post-production you do? If so, how far do you go?
Yes, I use Adobe lightroom. I try to edit my photos as least as possible but I usually just change a bit of the coloring, clarity, and sometimes lighting.


What is on your wishlist?
Eventually, I’ll be traveling and taking photos of skateboarding in different parts of the world. I would like to capture what the culture of skating is like in other places.


Last question. If you could interview one person, who would it be and why?
I think maybe Michael Burnett, just because it would be interesting to hear what it’s like working on Thrasher and what goes into making King of the Road (laughing).