Fit to Live | Lifted Thought
Tell us about yourself, the life you live and what sort of direction you’re headed in.
I’m Ty Graham, originally from Saskatoon but have been living in Calgary for the last four years. I’ve been taking photos since I moved west. I surround myself with good people and enjoy every day as best I can. I’ve got a love for bourbon, sneakers, fashion, hip hop, and photography – what else is there?
What encouraged you to pick up a camera and what do you enjoy taking photos of these days?
I grew up around photography, both my mom and sister are talented photographers. When I moved out west I was inspired by the landscape and I wanted a way to capture it, photography was that. Since then it’s turned into so much more, now I enjoy the exploration element of photography more than anything. I want to see and capture the world.
When we sat down back in November and discussed the idea of being “Fit to Live”, we talked about the importance that these words weighed in on our own lives. What does Fit to Live mean to you and how did you portray it through this lookbook?
For me, fit to live is about lifestyle. About fitting to your lifestyle. Which is exactly what I wanted this lookbook to be, I wanted it to emulate my style. I wore what I would usually wear, spent the day exploring the mountains in my jeep like I usually would. Just taking photos.
These locations specifically, how did you find them and what drew you to the environments?
Our main goal was to capture the Canadian Rockies. Lake Peyto is so vast and great to shoot in a blizzard, and I loved the contrast of the boathouse on Minnewanka. We’ve driven the Smith Dorrien Trail dozens of times and it just seemed so fitting. We definitely wanted a winter look, so we watched the weather and shot over the course of a few days to make sure everything was consistent.
You’ve been wearing your 13 oz 306’s for a few months so far, do you have any memorable stories in them?
I was in Vancouver back in November for a concert, my girl and I rented a car and took a road trip to Whistler. We made a stop in Squamish and ended up taking a private flight around the mountains in a Sea Plane. The plane itself looked like it was on it’s final flight, and our pilot looked like he was 20. When we asked him how long he had been flying he responded with “Today will be four weeks”. We went silent. He had a good laugh then told us he’d actually been flying for a few years and we were all good. It ended up being one of the coolest experiences of my life.
In my opinion, a pair of jeans is a staple in everyone’s wardrobe. When are you wearing yours and what do you like to pair denim with?
I prefer jeans in the winter or in the fall, and I’m definitely going to be pairing them with some high top sneakers or Timbs.
