We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Billy Taylor. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Billy below.

Billy, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I was attending a weekly self-help class and the person leading the class told me that she also ran a photography group and asked if I’d be interested in attending their next meetup. I thought it sounded interesting and might help me to become better at taking photos of my kids. I attended and since I didn’t have a camera at the time I had to act as one of the models. This ended up being really helpful because I learned how different the styles of photographers can be and it made me aware of the importance of direction and creative intention while posing.

Billy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Billy Taylor, I’m a photographer that specializes in portraits. My style can be described as colorful, fun, and emphasizing the model and scene equally. I prefer to do fashion, cosplay, and glamour photoshoots. Currently it is more of a creative outlet than a business. It helps me to get better at connecting with others and I love that there are so many areas within it to improve. I’ll spend months trying to sharpen my editing skills, then learn a new way to light a scene and become obsessed with that for a number of weeks, and then decide to change up the angles I shoot from because things are starting to feel a bit too predictable. It’s a constant learning process and keeps my mind occupied so I don’t dwell as much about negative thoughts.
Being a part of the creative community has been such a positive experience. I’ve made so many amazing friends and attended many unbelievable events. Seeing a great photo of yourself can be empowering and totally change the way you see yourself. My goal is to create images of my subjects that skyrockets their confidence and motivates them to live boldly.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I hadn’t been so hesitant to use Photoshop for editing. It seemed very intimidating but although the learning curve is steep compared to other programs, it is absolutely worth the extra time it takes to learn. It’s such a powerful tool and does so much to make images stand out. Also, every few months it feels like an amazing new feature is being added so it is the gift that keeps on giving.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Ultimately, I want photography to be a way for my kids to know me better. Growing up my parents weren’t really expressive about their interests and passions and if you had asked me what kind of interests they had I would probably draw a blank. I’d like to be able to pass on this skill to my children and even if it doesn’t interest them to the same degree as myself then at least they’ll know it is one way I expressed my creativity. Luckily, they’ve both asked for cameras of their own and love to send me photos of things that catch their eye.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Billy.Taylor.Visuals

Image Credits

Models: @talontastrophe, @a.lexrose, @taethearcher, @hiiitsmya, @drea_sherie