TEARSHEET’S INTERVIEW WITH TARA GARDINER

Tearsheet’s interview with Tara Gardiner

What inspired you to enter the London photo comp?

I entered the contest because I have never entered one and thought it would be a great experience. I NEVER in a million years imagined that I would win!!!!!!! A good friend once told me ‘you cant win the lottery if you don’t play’ and boy was she right.

How long have you been a Tearsheet artist? What workshops did you attend?

-I have been a Tearsheet artist for 1 year. My journey began in December of 2012 at a workshop in NYC and I loved that one so much that I attended another workshop in Miami in March 2013.

Where do you live and has that stopped you from being creative? Where do you draw inspiration from?

-I currently live in Raleigh NC and living here has in NO WAY stopped me from being creative. I work behind the chair full time in an amazing Redken/Pureology salon(Salon Blu), and not only do we get great education such as Giovanni, but the girls I work with are pretty inspiring on a day to day basis. Also, I look at all of the trends happening in our city and that is actually what inspired my formulations for the contest. If I start to feel like I need something fresh, I save my money, pack my bags, an follow education somewhere else. For example, I frequent the Redken Exchange in NYC and now Tearsheet programs all over the country. I believe that if you are hungry enough, you will find a way to feed your creative/business soul!

Did you feel prepared when entering the London comp?

-YES!!! I have done photo shoots in the past but none of them felt this comfortable and surprisingly calm. Due to my schedule, I had to throw it together rather quickly and it still managed to feel good. It was probably a good thing that I didn’t get to have too much time to think about it.

What lessons did you take away from your tearsheet experience which helped you prepare and win the competition?

-SO MANY!!! Haha. A year ago I would’ve told my models to just bring a black outfit, the makeup would’ve been done by me, and my photographer choice would have been based off of something cool I saw on their site.

This year, thanks to my experiences with Tearsheet, I found a local designer/stylist that I knew would represent MY BRAND to the fullest, I found a fantastic makeup artist that I knew would complement the hair, and I hired a photographer 100% based on her ability to nail lighting. I knew that this shoot had to be all about the hair color. I also felt very organized the day of and less stressed out because my main focus could be on the hair.

If you did not attend the tearsheet workshop would you have entered the London comp?

-Honestly, I probably would have entered but I now that I would not have had as great of an outcome in my images. I am extremely grateful for all that I  have received. 

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