We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Adam Taylor a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Adam, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

After two years of working on it, I just released my first coffee table book featuring my architecture photography from all around the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

“Honolulu Highrises and Other Oahu Architecture” was a personal project that actually started long before I even had the idea to put a book together.

When I first moved to Oahu from the Los Angeles area I was staying in an Airbnb while my family and I searched for a place to rent. I hadn’t even started trying to build my business here at that point, but from the outdoor walkway at the Airbnb I saw a building a few blocks away that I decided to shoot a photo of.

That image—the very first building I ever photographed after moving to the island—is the one I ended up using on the cover of my book. But at the time I just thought it looked cool. I had no idea I’d end up publishing a book.

Fast forward, and as I was building up my clientele I went around the island to find other buildings that I found interesting and inspiring and started capturing them to help build a portfolio of local projects. Of course I eventually started to get hired to photograph buildings as well, so after a while I had a decent sized collection of images.

That’s when I came up with the idea to compile my architectural photos of high-rises and other commercial buildings on Oahu into a coffee table book.

It was a really long process of planning new shoots to add to the project, designing and laying out the book, and fact-checking all the information that went into it.

But in the end I published something that I’m really proud of. I think it shows off my work well, but also celebrates the beautiful architectural diversity here in Hawaii. And I’m happy to say the book has already hit #1 on Amazon’s Bestseller List in multiple categories!

One of the pivotal points in my life was when I was on the yearbook staff during my senior year of high school. I loved taking pictures, using them to lay out pages, and being able to hold a physical book after it was all put together. That concept is what lead me to pursue graphic design and photography, and I feel like the release of this book truly brought things full circle for me.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve been a full-time photographer since the beginning of 2006, which is right after I graduated college. After a successful stint in both action sports and the fitness industry, I shifted my focus to photographing the built environment.

So in 2014 I began shooting houses, and in 2017 I really niched down into more of the interior design and architecture spaces.

Currently I work with architects, interior designers, contractors, and construction product companies to create high-end photography that is used to market and advertise their services and products.

I like to say I help turn my clients 3D masterpieces into a beautiful 2D rendition of their work. Each project has a story, and I help my clients tell that story so viewers can get inspired by the images.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

I mentioned earlier that I went around town and photographed buildings to build a portfolio while I was establishing myself in my new market…

Well, after shooting one particular building I went home and did a little research and found out who the architect was. It just so happened to be a firm that I really wanted to work with, but unfortunately they had declined my invitation to an intro meeting because they already had a photographer they liked working with.

When I posted the photos on Instagram and LinkedIn and tagged the company, they reached out and said they loved the images. They ended up commissioning a full shoot of the same building, and have since become a great repeat client who has hired me several times.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

One thing I think is really important to remember is that a business like this has a lot of ups and downs—busy times and slow times.

If you’re financially and mentally prepared for the slow times you can really enjoy life and get a chance to do a lot of the things you find valuable. For me that’s spending time with my wife and daughter, traveling, hiking, and freediving.

To put it another way…don’t stress when business slows down. Embrace that time and go do something fun. Because things will pick back up again and you’ll wish you had taken advantage of the free time when you had it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.adamtaylorphotos.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adamtaylorphotos/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamtaylorphotos/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@adamtaylorphotos
• Other: My book on Amazon: https://geni.us/hawaiibook