Thayne Wheeler
Visual artist & content creator blending art, film, tools & story.
Under constructionI work with visual tools for a living—cameras, light, composition, and the decisions that shape how something is seen and understood. I’ve spent most of my life working visually, formally trained in art, design, and film, and applying that education through years of professional practice and teaching.
Today, that experience lives in public—where ideas are tested in front of real audiences, refined through use, and carried across platforms. This site offers a starting point to explore how that thinking connects, and where it’s being applied now.
About Thayne
Creative + Storyteller + Educator
Perspective Built Across Places, Disciplines, and People.
I didn’t grow up in one place, or inside one discipline. By the time I reached adulthood, I had lived in Germany, the Panama Canal Zone, Mexico, and across multiple regions of the United States—experiences that shaped how I observe people, culture, and communication long before I ever thought of them as “content.” That early exposure to different environments taught me that context matters, perspective matters, and attention is never accidental.My professional life has followed a similarly cross-disciplinary path. I’ve been formally trained in art, design, and film, and I’ve applied that foundation through photography, filmmaking, and creative direction—often in roles where visual judgment mattered more than technical flash. I come from a Gen-X perspective—grounded in analog fundamentals and formal training, while working fluently within contemporary platforms where ideas are tested in public. I’ve worked on commercial projects, led art direction and production design, and built a career centered largely on photographing people, with the understanding that human presence is what ultimately carries meaning.Teaching has been a parallel throughline. I began teaching at the college level in 2001 and have worked with students across disciplines—filmmakers, photographers, designers, illustrators, animators, and interior designers—ranging from beginners to seasoned professionals with decades of experience.
Whether in a classroom, a workshop, or a critique, my focus has always been on fundamentals: how to see clearly, make decisions, and understand why something works instead of simply copying what’s trending.Along the way, I’ve been fortunate to receive recognition for my photography and to see my work published, but those moments are less defining than the environments I’ve worked within—on sets, in studios, across cultures, and inside creative communities. Living in places like Panama during politically charged years, participating in productions across multiple states and countries, and working alongside people from vastly different backgrounds reinforced the same lesson: clarity and trust are earned, not assumed.This page is meant to give you a sense of how those experiences connect. If you’re interested in the broader context—the detours, side projects, and longer arcs—you’ll find more in Explore More. If you’re looking for how this background translates into applied work today, Brand Work is a good next step.
PHOTO | FILM | EXPLORE MORE | CONTACT
View Brand Work
Branded content for brands that value real creators.
Thayne's Photography
Editorial • Lifestyle • Beauty • Portrait
My photography journey began in the early 2000s in Los Angeles, working as an assistant to a commercial photographer and director. That introduction wasn’t academic—it was practical. I learned by being on set, working with ad agencies, photographing talent, and supporting commercial projects for established brands, including automotive work and national campaigns.Later, I became the last owner of a historic photography studio in Idaho—one that had operated continuously since the late 1800s. That experience grounded my work in portraiture, responsibility, and continuity, before eventually leading me to Utah, where I shifted toward freelance, lifestyle, fashion, and beauty photography. Along the way, my images have been used both independently and within film productions, and my work has been published in outlets such as RAAMAT magazine.Much of my photographic education came not from classrooms, but from necessity—learning alongside other photographers, solving real problems, and refining judgment through use. That foundation continues to inform how I approach people, images, and visual decision-making today.
Thayne's Film Experience
Directing • Art & Production Design
Film has always been about storytelling for me—not just in writing or directing, but in how visual decisions support meaning. My training emphasized how to read and break down a script, identify what matters, and translate that into images that serve and support the narrative and characters. That foundation continues to guide how I think about pacing, framing, and intent, regardless of scale or format.Over the years, I’ve worked across a wide range of productions—commercials, PSAs, infomercials, in-house brand videos, and short films—often in roles centered on visual storytelling, including art direction and production design. I’ve also spent time behind the camera as a cinematographer and have written, produced, and directed my own short-form projects. The formats change, but the underlying discipline remains the same: clarity, economy, and respect for the audience.What has stayed with me most, though, are not the formats or titles, but the people. The best sets I’ve been on were shaped by professionals who combined skill with patience, generosity, and respect—directors, actors, and crew who understood that good work and good character are not separate things. That perspective influences how I collaborate today and how I approach creative problem-solving. For those interested in the broader context of that work, Explore More offers a deeper look.IMDB: see credits here
Media Kit
A quick overview for brands, agencies and collaborators. Download or view my media kit below for UGC, content creation and creative brand partnerships.Media kit coming soon. For now, feel free to contact me via the form found on my Contact Me section.My Focus: art, film photo, design, storytelling, tool, etc.
UGC (tools, art supplies, creative gear)
Product photography & editorial visuals
Voiceovers, storytelling & cinematic short form
TikTok Shop & Affiliate integrations
Where to Find Thayne
I create content across platforms. here's where to connect, follow or view my work:
ArtGearGuru is on TikTok and focused on tools, materials, and practical decisions in the visual arts. The content centers on how and why tools are used—drawing from real-world experience across art, design, photography, and film—rather than trends or hype. It’s a space for thoughtful evaluation, clarity, and long-term usefulness, aimed at serious learners and working creatives. ArtGearGuru on TikTok
Artforma™ is an educational outlet focused on foundational visual principles—how artists see, think, and make decisions across mediums. Drawing from decades of professional practice and teaching, the content emphasizes clarity over trends, process over shortcuts, and transferable understanding rather than style imitation. It reflects the same underlying approach that informs my creative work: slow thinking, sound judgment, and respect for craft. Artforma™ on YouTube
The Panama Canal Zone community is made up of former residents and families connected to a place that no longer exists; a place that existed for almost a century. What remains is a shared cultural memory—stories, photographs, language, traditions, and a strong sense of identity shaped by life between worlds. Over time, that nostalgia has grown into active community spaces where history is preserved, discussed, and reinterpreted by thousands of people across generations. Maintaining these communities requires consistency, sensitivity, historical awareness, and an understanding of how content resonates emotionally over long periods—not just momentary attention.Panama Canal Zonian* | Canal Zone Documentary**Found on both Facebook and Instagram
I’ve used Pinterest for close to a decade as a visual archive and working reference—long before short-form content became dominant. It holds a broad range of material: my own photography, shared video, visual studies, and curated boards spanning art, design, film, and tools. More than a social platform, it functions as a long-term thinking space—one that reflects how ideas are gathered, organized, revisited, and refined over time.
Thayne Wheeler on Pinterest
Explore More
Projects, stories, and paths beyond the portfolio.
My education followed both structured and practical routes. I studied at what was then Ricks College (now BYU–Idaho), earning an Associates in Graphic Design and Illustration, before earning both a BFA in Illustration and MFA in Film Directing from Art Center College of Design. Being in Pasadena meant learning not just in classrooms, but through proximity—directors visiting class to speak about current productions, long conversations about craft, and an environment that demanded clarity of thought as much as technical skill. That mix of rigor and exposure continues to inform how I evaluate work.Teaching added another layer entirely. When I first began teaching at the college level, I assumed my students would be young and early in their careers. Instead, many were seasoned professionals—animators from major studios, art directors, photographers—people with decades of experience. It forced me to deepen my understanding quickly. I couldn’t rely on current knowledge at the time; I had to bring real value to every room, regardless of who was sitting in it. That expectation sharpened both my thinking and my humility.One early class still makes me smile. I sat among the students as they filtered in, chatting casually about the instructor—how demanding he was, how intense the course sounded—before eventually standing up to introduce myself as the teacher. The disbelief, then laughter, set the tone immediately. It reminded me that authority doesn’t need to announce itself, and that approachability and seriousness can coexist.Professionally, my work has crossed photography, film, graphic design, art and creative direction, including being the last owner of a photography studio that had operated continuously since 1898—a responsibility that came with history attached. I’ve worked on productions in multiple regions, collaborated with a wide range of talent, and received recognition for my photography along the way. Those details matter less on their own than what they point to: continuity, adaptability, and care for the work and the people involved.If you’re interested in how this background translates into applied projects, Brand Work is a good next step. If you’d rather see where ideas are tested and shared in public, the Platforms page offers that view.
Contact Thayne
Let's connect—for collaborations, content creation, or project inquiries.
If you’ve spent time here, you likely have a sense of how I work and what I value. What usually comes next isn’t a pitch, but a conversation—one that helps clarify whether there’s a good fit, a shared direction, or simply an exchange worth having.If you’re exploring a project, considering a collaboration, or have a question that feels worth asking, you’re welcome to reach out. I read messages personally and approach new work with attention, respect, and care. Use the form below, or contact me directly.
No automated replies. Messages are read and answered directly.