He was the first Black photographer at the Muskogee Phoenix and also worked at the Springfield News-Leader in Missouri (1980-1983), before joining The Philadelphia Inquirer.

[1] Tarver has documented issues ranging from heroin addiction[2] to Black cowboys to African American veterans.

[3] Tarver's photoseries The Badlands: In the Grip of Drugs earned Third Prize in the Daily Life category of the World Press Photo Awards in 1993.

The seeds of his lifelong fascination with photography were planted by his father, an avid photographer who documented much of the Black community in Fort Gibson.

During his 32-year stint at The Philadelphia Inquirer, Tarver's work spanned from extended photo essays on aftermath of the war in Beirut[8] to conflicts within the Catholic church in Ireland.

His work is represented by Robin Rice Gallery in New York, Soho-Myriad in Atlanta, Georgia, and Grand Image in Seattle, Washington.