Meet Tim Drake

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tim Drake.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I grew up with little to no exposure to the arts. I spent my youth focused almost entirely on football and baseball. However, from a very young age, I wanted to be a musician; a singer, in particular. Elvis Presley was my idol. My parents actually took me to his concert at the Houston Astrodome in 1974, four days before my 7th birthday. I sang in the school choir in junior high. At some point, I came to the realization that I was not a very gifted vocalist. I also had to admit that I wasn’t nearly good enough of a baseball player to make a living at it. So, I went to the University of Texas and studied Philosophy. Thereafter, I went to S.M.U Law School and have practiced law for many years since.

For much of my adult life, I felt like an artist trapped in the wrong body. I knew that I longed to create, but felt that I was not gifted in any way that enabled me to express what was inside. I was in my late 30’s when my wife and I bought a 1929 English Tudor in East Dallas. Sometime later, we found out we were expecting a baby girl who had Down Syndrome. I fell in love with my daughter, Alex, before she was born. I wanted to create something special and beautiful for her. So, I decided to create an English Cottage Garden in our yard. I knew nothing about landscaping, so I read books and started from scratch. It took me nearly the entire summer, and it turned out beautiful! I finished before Alex was born on August 21.

Thereafter, I spent a lot of time in the garden, watering, pruning, planting new plants… I found it very satisfying and rewarding. Several years later when my marriage ended, I moved to a loft in Exposition Park. I quickly began to feel frustrated and realized that I needed an artistic outlet. I no longer had my garden to maintain. Knowing absolutely nothing about photography, and armed with an old iPhone, I began driving around town in my truck, pulling over and photographing everything that I found interesting. At some point, I started posting photos on Instagram. I was overwhelmed by the feedback.

For about four years, I continued to take photos with my phone. There were several people in my life who encouraged me that I had a gift. For a long time, I did not believe it because it seemed so easy to me. After all, I wasn’t actually making anything. I was simply pointing my camera at interesting-looking stuff and pushing the button. But the voices grew louder and more persistent to the point where I could no longer deny it.

Less than a year ago, I borrowed a camera from my brother and starting shooting with it. Then, I did a photo shoot with a friend; my first time to take pictures of a human. With more and more encouragement from friends, I took the plunge, bought a high-end camera, studio lights and paid for a year’s rent on a studio in Exposition Park, just on the edge of Deep Ellum. I have been in my studio for three months now, and have done dozens of photo shoots. I love collaborating with people to create beautiful images.

Please tell us about your art.
I have been focusing primarily on portraiture. I do photo shoots on location and in my studio. When it comes to photographing women, I have a desire to create beautiful images that glorify rather than exploit women. To me, sexy is way more subtle than popular culture would suggest.

I want my photos to be more about the subject than the background. The eyes are very important to me.

Primarily, I want the subject of my photos to have images of themselves that make them feel beautiful and good about themselves. I want others to view these images and be moved by their simple, raw beauty.

I also love landscape photography, primarily man-made structures. Beauty is all around us, and I enjoy capturing and preserving that beauty and displaying to others what is beautiful in my mind’s eye. I plan to start selling these images on my website, which recently went live. My brother sells some of them in his store in Denton, TX, Faded Blue Vintage, and some of my work is displayed at Blue Door Coffee in The Woodlands, TX.

Image Credit:
The models in order:
Dani Sok
Angela Monger
Abby Joy Hammes
Anabella Watson
Kourtney Kellar

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