In The Wild With Tyler Orton
Tyler in the Oregon Sand Dunes, Photo by Kevin Coffey @thecoffey
We want to welcome you to our second "In The Wild" feature with a great friend of ours and creative filmmaker, Tyler Orton. Tyler is an Oregon native with roots in snowboard filmmaking from Mt. Hood to traveling around the globe, he is true artist behind the lens. Tyler captures his subjects in such a beautiful way, his work leaves you feeling awestruck and inspired. We were lucky enough to work with Tyler on a few creative film projects where he has captivated the vibe and energy behind Wild Cactus on screen. Watch the Tyler Orton x Wild Cactus video collaboration below and check out our interview to learn more about Tyler and his journey into filmmaking.
Shot/Edited: Tyler Orton @tylerorton_
Model: Abigail Vansteenberghe @arosevan
Stylist: Leann DiPaola @a_leann
Give us a little bit of background on how your journey in filming started.
Well I started out shooting photos just after high school, saved some money bussing tables and bought a Canon digi cam from one of my teachers. That went on for about 5 years and I really got into shooting 35mm and medium format, then slowly over time I began dabbling with video and ended up really liking it. A year later I started filming for High Cascade snowboard camp up at Mt. Hood and
that's what basically started my snowboard filming career.
What cameras do you like to shoot with? Tell us about shooting 16 mm film!
I like shooting with a lot of different cameras, I usually will always pack my digi cine camera, my Bolex 16mm, a 35mm point and shoot and a Canon 5d mkiii. From time to time I'll bring a medium format camera with me.
Shooting 16mm is really a unique process compared to shooting digi. To me, it romanticizes the world and feels really intimate. The process is slower, you're triple checking everything to make sure it's right before you start burning film because it's expensive and you only have 100 feet(3 min) per reel. I enjoy that though, it puts you in a position to connect to what you're shooting a lot more.
What inspired you to take a step in a new direction from snowboard filming and want to shoot more fashion and lifestyle?
I've been shooting snowboarding for the past 11 or 12 years and I've always wanted to get into fashion and lifestyle but never had the courage or connections to make it happen until you and I started kickin it. I also think it's because I knew I wasn't ready for it. I wanted to study more and figure out what I liked and what inspired me first before I made the move to shoot something. But I think what really draws me to it is how diverse it is and what you can create is endless. I also love what an outfit and makeup can do, the vibe it can create and how it communicates with a location and lighting.
Tell us about the Wild Cactus x Tyler Orton Collab video you made.
That video was super fun. Kind of crazy what we accomplished in only 2 afternoons. Working with Abby was cool, she is the shit and so talented. It was the first time I actually got to shoot with someone who models professionally and was blown away. It felt like I didn't really have to do much except hit record.
Even though Wild Cactus is mostly a shop filled with female forward items, what do you like to shop for here? What do you look for when you come in for your wonderful lady, Casey?
I'll look in the vintage section for some jeans(still waiting for the day you have my size in levi's), tote bags and the PF candle collection you always have. The teakwood and tobacco is a personal favorite. For Casey I'll look for sweaters, overshirts, dresses, wide leg pants and Baggu.
Where do you see your future in filmmaking going?
I hope to taper down on snowboard filming and balance out my work. I never want to fully give it up because it's a huge part of my life but I hope to shoot more and more fashion/lifestyle and even commercial work so that I have somewhat of a rotation going on.
Anything else you want to share with us?
Hoping to do a few personal projects this year starting in the spring. We'll see if they come to fruition. As well as working with Wild Cactus a bit more.
In search of a desert landscape in the PNW, our crew journeyed to the Oregon Coast in September 2020 for the Wild Cactus Video shoot. See some pictures below of our time shooting amongst these magical landscapes.
Photos by
Kevin Coffey @thecoffey