Rising Stars: Meet Tyr Armendariz of Springfield

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyr Armendariz.

Alright, thank you for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us how you got started?
Well, the short version is I’m a college dropout who sold their car for a new camera, running around town with it taking pictures of my friends, the moon, drag queens, brutalists, brilliant architecture, and everything I feel passionate about. I’ve become quite the enigma I hear. I love it. I’m from Branson and moved to Springfield right after graduating high school. Growing up as a queer person in the Ozarks sounds just as bad as you’d think. However, I’ve been fortunate to have mostly supportive family and friends with me throughout my entire life. I have always had support. My friends have always been at the forefront of why I do any of my art. For my photography, I’ve been taking photos since I was a teenager. I started my “professional” career on the A600 and learned it inside out to understand how to push its limits. I ran around Springfield with it for about three years before upgrading; eventually, it stifled my creativity and capability due to its limiting features. I shoot a lot of nightlife and portraiture, so a large image sensor and low aperture are crucial to me. Now I shoot on an A7ii with a 50mm prime and a 16mm crop lens. The jump from A7ii unlocked immense potential for me. I’m even more excited for my next camera when I move to KC this summer; I’m eyeing the A7R IV.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I have succeeded and failed at a pretty equal rate. Not every photo I take meets my standards anymore. I learn a lot from most of my failures, of course. I constantly analyze my photos and look for ways to better the next attempt. But the best part is I’m doing it successfully. I do a lot of incredible work, and honestly, I couldn’t be happier with where I’m at. I pour my heart, soul, and essence into my photography. I have a deeply emotional connection to my photos because I like to use my camera as an extension of my mind.

I’ve said in a post about this very thing. I want my success to being the entire body of work I will produce throughout my life. To look at the very beginning of my career and judge its worth would be the highest injustice. At one point, someone made me feel completely inadequate because of the work I was doing and felt very proud of. I stopped taking photos and lost all confidence for a long while. Well, not THAT long, but it was too much time, in my opinion. I stopped doing new sets and fell into a deep depression that killed my creativity and heart.

It was my friend Andy who pulled me out of that. We got to be very close over the years, and they are one of the first people I started taking photos of at a local nightclub. Immensely talented and always looking to push the boundaries of true aesthetic bliss, my friends have pushed me to better myself and let me capture their lives and talents. I would quite literally be nothing without them. I’ve even met someone that you can see my emotions of mine in work. I think that’s what fuels this fire.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Ah yes. I’m a photographer. I don’t like JUST labeling myself as a photographer, even though that’s what I do; I’m also very much into other types of media productions, all art forms. I love sound design and always have music playing in my room. My decorations are just different pieces of technology I use. My Facebook page says “Tyr A, Photography,” which is separated on purpose. I love to create, and it’s almost become my side gig helping people produce content. Whatever they might need except video. That’s hard, maybe one day.

I specialize in people. Portraiture is one of my best forms; there’s just something about it that I get. I follow aesthetic rules. But I break the ones I know can get away with surgical precision; It’s fun. I make the best quality content possible with all that I have, and it’s honestly not much. It’s just me and my camera. I don’t own any fancy lights, and I have a backdrop I hang up sometimes. I wouldn’t consider myself a technical photographer at all, but if given the opportunities, I can do some incredible work with the bare minimum.

“I do what others will not. That alone is innovation.” Yes, that is a quote from a League of Legends character, but you can’t deny its resonance. I think I’m bringing a niche aesthetic to the photography community, and for those who appreciate it, I feel honored to impress or show my work. That’s what I’m proud of and what I think sets me apart. Also, I’m good at video games.

What characteristic of yours would you give the most credit if you had to?
Now I’ve taken plenty of photos by now to know that not absolutely every photo will be a memorable masterpiece. Quality over quantity is something I have always believed in, and my friends and family know that. I will spend all the time necessary making sure something is perfect over many mediocre pieces that are easily forgotten. Still, I will always focus on making sure the few photos I take have already captured something perfect: the moment. Cheesy, I apologize, but it’s true. So many of my photos are a testament to how lucky I am. Some of my best work has been taken by complete chance, some by complete intention. So is the life of an artist, I suppose. There’s good and bad, and until we accept that, something only becomes perfect once you accept it for what it is, and I believe in that more than anything.

Pricing:

• We can talk

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tyrarmendariz.myportfolio.com/tyr
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tyrphos/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Relyt626/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tyrphos

Image Credits
In order of appearance: Eileen Understaalz, Christian Reifschneider, Daegen Michelle, Tyr