Behind the Scenes with The Tutu Project

Carey is the photographer and subject at the heart of The Tutu Project. In the Fall 2015 issue of SOAR, we shared the story of how he turned to photography to help him through his wife’s breast cancer diagnosis, but the man had been using photography as therapy for long before Linda’s disease.

Carey picked up a camera after a skateboarding accident ended his dream of a career in sports. “When my old man picked me up from the hospital he strongly suggested I find a different avenue for my energies and we stopped off at the local camera shop. As they say, the rest is history,” he described. He studied photography at Arizona State University.

As a commercial photographer, Carey’s client list is broad: past projects had him working with Honeywell, Lexus, MasterCard, Men’s Health, ForbesLife, “O” Oprah Magazine, Petsmart and more. He began branching out into fine art photography in the 1990s, after the death of his mother. Much of Carey’s early fine art work was large-scale, photographic self-portraits with his nude, shaved, silver-painted body manipulated in a number of ways. Some were shot with Carey dangling upside-down from a harness, spotters on hand to ensure his safety.

Since then, Carey has explored a variety of other projects, Tutu’d and otherwise. His works have been shown globally, including Tempe’s ASU Art Museum, downtown Phoenix’s Bokeh Gallery, Gilbert’s Art Intersection, and Galerie Callu Merite in Paris, with that exhibition leading to an invitation to participate in an all-expenses-paid seminar at the Santa Fe Art Institute. Carey continues to explore different themes through his work, including his “One Image a Day” series. The photos range from portraiture to landscape, often including the element of the unexpected one recognizes from Carey’s Tutu photos.

Another recognizable element throughout much of Carey’s work is his sense of humor. The shock of pink recognizable in all of The Tutu Project’s photos can bring an instant grin to a viewer’s face, likely helpful in the Project’s early days when the sight of Carey in a tutu caused passersby to stop – or on some occasions, send the authorities. Curiosity catches on when people see the pink tulle, as during a recent #DARE2TUTU photo shoot at Jet Linx Dallas. “In the first picture, there is a white SUV just behind our lovely ballerina. It was a load of businessmen leaving the airport, and they slowed down and asked ‘Is there something we should know about?’ In the third photo, you see our subject turned away from the camera – responding to his fans,” explained Penni Hall, Jet Linx Dallas Client Services Specialist.

Jet Linx invited Carey to visit Omaha for a special photoshoot. The resulting photo, Gulfstream G450, shows Carey in his traditional photo garb, his gaze on the gleaming jet as clouds roll in overhead. The light of the sun and the lights on the jet reflect in the water on the runway, and Carey’s foot is partially raised as if he is in mid-step to approach the aircraft. Limited edition, signed prints of this exclusive image are available via silent auction at each of the 11 Jet Linx Base locations.

WILL YOU #DARE2TUTU

Join the Tutu movement! It’s easy to get involved.

This October, Jet Linx clients & friends can join us in supporting The Tutu Project at our Base locations.
• Participate in your Base’s silent auction for a signed, limited edition print of “Gulfstream G450”
• Snap a #Dare2Tutu photo at your Base and Jet Linx will donate $20 to The Tutu Project for each image submitted!
• Purchase a 2016 Tutu Project Wall Calendar
• Make a donation through our dedicated microsite

For more information on ways to support The Tutu Project, visit: TheTutuProject.com