Taevy Gillispie

Since I was 9 years old I have had a passion for Photography.Before TSAS, I was homeschooled. I would have a lot of time photographing my siblings, animals, my neighborhood, and the nature that surrounded us.

A series of photographs of my siblings I took whenever I was 9 years old.

Taken when I was 13, nature in the backyard. This was an experiment I remember trying! Turning the camera lens around to make a more distinct circular shape and macro effect.

Taken when I was 14, a photograph of my sister, Kendi, and a puppy.

The Middle

When I was 14 years old, my wonderful Grandparents gave me their Nikon DSLR at a very discounted rate.To this very day I still use that camera. I have taken very good care of it and it holds a very special place in my heart.My late Grandfather engraved his initials into the bottom of the camera, it is a great reminder to keep doing what I love while he there with me.

My favorite photograph of them. Taken in Kansas whenever I was 14, shortly after I received the camera.

One of my favorite portraits to this very day. Taken in Kansas when I was 14 years old.

Kravis Summer Art Camp 2015

In the summer of 2015, I went to Kravis Summer Art Camp for the very first time.I took my very first photography course with Dan Farnum, the Photography professor at The University of Tulsa.There we learned Photo Basics, Photoshop, Photo Grams, and Shooting Techniques.

a collage of some of the Photography projects we did.

At Kravis, I also had the pleasure of meeting Foshee, TSAS’ very own! Without Foshee, I probably wouldn’t of known of TSAS otherwise.Unfortunately, I never had the chance of taking any of her classes at TSAS, but at Kravis, I have benefited from her the most.There she taught me Mixed Media techniques. I had never been introduced to this medium before and was very excited.I have attended Kravis for (3) years and each year I have taken this class offered by Foshee. She has taught me many valuable techniques and has helped mold the artist I am today.I have created many mixed media paintings since. From Cell Models to Abstract. Just whatever keeps me busy!

In 2018, I created this piece, “Bloody Sunday” under Foshee’s instruction.
I remastered and submitted this version into TSAS’ Ex Cineribus in 2019.
It became the cover for their 10th year anniversary edition.

Published in
Ex Cineribus:

The Current

Over the years I have experimented with many different photo styles and recently, I have found my own style. Portraiture.There is something about taking someone’s portrait. I still don’t know what it is, but it is my absolute favorite to take photographs of people.

Studio shot in Ms. Butcher’s classroom in early 2019.

This is Tj.
Tj and I became friends through photography. We attended TSAS together but we didn’t know about each other until my Junior year and his Senior year. He is one of my inspirations and fun to work with. I’ve had a lot of fun with the projects we have done together.We were in Photography II together and spent a lot of time taking photos together and seeing how many different photos we could take in Ms. Butcher’s classroom without you necessarily knowing it was taken in there.

This is my favorite shot from her classroom series.

It had been almost 4 years since I had taken a Photography course until I took a course with Ms. Butcher in 2018.I am so glad to have had all this time with her and the instruction she has given. She has brought in guest Photographers and enlightened me in ways I had never been before.

Perception

During my Senior year, I took Philosophy with Okapal for the first time.Taking philosophy not only enlightened me, but changed my perception.The course we took went over a few famous Philosophers and the one that struck me the most was Plato.Plato has a very famous allegory called,
“The Cave.” When we learned about this allegory, it changed my perception. It made me realize things about my life and most importantly it made me see things under a different light.Now, as a Photographer, this helped me. It helped me not only tie perception into my art, but made me see the world differently.Perception is very important to Photography and I have fallen in love with both Philosophy and Photography. I realized that perspective can really help people, and I wanted to intertwine the two.I don’t only want to be a Photographer, I want to be a Philosopher too.

a Photograph I took of the moon when I was 13.

Business Information

Whenever I first started my project to start my business it was a completely different vision than what I’ve done now.First of all, my business is not about money. The most important piece is building community and creating friendships in Tulsa, OK.I have met a lot of people in my lifetime. Different backgrounds, beliefs, and lifestyles.And let’s be real here, nobody wants to pay somebody money and never hear from them again. With friendship intertwined into my business, I have the opportunity to celebrate a birthday with them, every year!I am also happy to say that ALL sessions are sliding scale. I am doing something that I love, and I want anyone who needs photographs taken to be able to contact me for whatever needs they have.

• Click here to view my Instagram page!

Living Life in
C O L O R

I offer 3 color packages that you can choose.TRUECOLOR, FILMCOLOR, and NATURALCOLOR.Soon, I will be coming out with more for you to choose from. I have many different art styles that I enjoy, I am very happy to offer these.

examples:
1- TRUECOLOR
2- FILMCOLOR
3- NATURALCOLOR

I Specialize in...

Senior Portraits
Couples Portraiture
Business Portraits
Individual Portraiture
Product/Food Photography
House/Property Photographs
Up-Close House Keepsakes

Senior Portraits

This school year I had an amazing opportunity to take Senior portraits of some of my friends.I offered these to ALL Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences Senior Class students who needed photos. It was available to all of them at a sliding scale. I was very happy to offer these, again, it’s just something about taking someone’s portrait.For years to come I hope to offer these sessions to future Seniors at TSAS at a sliding scale rate.For TSAS Seniors graduating in 2021:
this is available for you right away.
(Well, as soon as COVID-19 is over.)
Contact me for this special TSAS pricing!

• Email
• Instagram

5x7 Prints

While I was quarantining during COVID-19, I decided to implement prints into my business.ALL prints are available for $5, with FREE U.S Shipping.

I also take commissions for prints!
Commissions are $10 each with FREE US Shipping!
- Animals
- Nature
- Moon
- Sunsets/Skies
- Biology
- and More!

What can I use prints for?
Bedroom wall art, bathroom art, house art, or whatever you want!

Literary Art Piece

Apart of my capstone includes a literary art piece I created called, “Formidable.”These are available for preorder for $20, free shipping. You can order through Facebook, Instagram, or Email.It is a variation of articles, music, art, and more.

What’s Next?

This is only the beginning of my journey. I hope to do many things throughout my life. I hope that you stay connected with me.
With that being said, feel free to friend me on Facebook
to get further updates on projects or art!In the Fall I will be attending Tulsa Community College and will major in English. I hope to travel the world teaching English and doing Photography!I will also be taking additional courses to enrich my art and business.

For now, I live with my wonderful partner Greg, and work at Kind Love in Downtown Tulsa. I am so grateful for the experience TSAS has given me. I hope students who attend take full advantage of the opportunity there.I hope to extend my business into t-shirt making and more tangible house items like coasters. Be on the lookout in the future!Feel free to contact me below to chat, or if you have any questions, or just tell me what you think!
I hope you liked my project!

Special Thanks:

Madame Doss: Thank you for everything. I enjoyed learning French with you and being in Community Engagement. You have helped shape me throughout high-school,
thank you for being there.Okapal: Thank you for helping me see. You have changed my perception from Physics to Philosophy!Ms.Butcher: Thank you for always answering my questions. I’ve had a lot of fun in your classes. I always enjoy your feedback.Mrs. Murphy: I will never forget eating popcorn in your class. I am also very grateful that you teach Women’s Studies. Thanks for everything.Mr. Donaldson: I am so sad I only had you for 2 trimesters out of all of the ones I’ve had! You are an amazing teacher. Thank you for being inspiring and helping us find a voice through English.Cathy: Thank you for always smiling. Your smile has made my days brighter when they weren’t so bright. And big thank you for helping with my Senior Capstone this year!Dr. Liesa, Sharples, Dr. McCoy,
Taylor, and Stallings:
Thank you for all you do and all of the questions you have answered over the years. I will miss you all.