We were lucky to catch up with James Taylor recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi James, thanks for joining us today. One of our favorite things to brainstorm about with friends who’ve built something entrepreneurial is what they would do differently if they were to start over today. Surely, there are things you’ve learned that would allow you to do it over faster, more efficiently. We’d love to hear how you would go about setting things up if you were starting over today, knowing everything that you already know.
Imposter syndrome and being afraid of the judgement of others. I am extremely self conscious about my work, and it took me a long time to learn that I am never NOT going to feel that. The challenge is to get to a point where, even if you feel that doubt and imposter feeling, you STILL go for it and focus on the work. Your clients satisfaction with your end result should be what you listen to, NOT the voice in your head telling you that you slightly missed focus here, or the color correction was off here, or the noise in the shadows is the most recognizable thing in the image…I can’t stop that inner voice, but I can learn to ignore it.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I got into this business in a little different path that most. I’m a geek at heart, grew up building gaming PC’s and a passion for almost anything tech related. When digital photography came onto the scene, my geek side was intrigued by what you could do to an image with your computer. Since I had no material to play and experiment with, I got a cheap digital camera just for the geek factor. I can remember taking a photo of a bee out in front of the apartments I was living in at the time, opening the image on the computer, and going, “wow, that looks….actually good!” And even though my geek side brought me to the passion, the actual photography passion took over from there. It was the prefect melding of digital and art for me. Once I got deep into the rabbit hole of photography, videography naturally followed. The same intersection of geek and art is even more prevalent in video, at least in my opinion.
My greatest passion in my work lies in capturing the fleeting moments that resonate most deeply with people. It may sound cliché, but it truly encapsulates my artistic drive. Those brief seconds—often overlooked—can leave lasting impressions, and the thrill of preserving them is incredibly rewarding. Whether it’s the electric atmosphere of a concert, the profound joy of a wedding, or the poignant moments of loss, I aim to encapsulate experiences that evoke genuine emotion.
While I may struggle with expressing my own feelings in social settings, I find that when I create something that stirs my heart, it often amplifies the emotions in others. This artful expression serves as a bridge, connecting my inner world to those around me. If I can skillfully capture those feelings and memories, they can endure far beyond the moment, and that connection is what drives me, both personally and professionally.
Was that all too corny? Maybe, haha. I’m not the best with words.
If I’m not making my clients feel something with the delivered product, then I don’t feel I’ve done my job correctly.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I’m honest and open. There’s no random up-charging or fees, I don’t pull anything last minute, and if something isn’t up to par or expectation, I make it right. This can be a cutthroat industry, and increasing revenue streams can sometimes be everyone’s focus. I don’t ever want to lose focus on why I do it, and why I love doing it – to make clients happy and capture what makes them feel. The money is a pleasant side effect of doing it the right way.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
I think a lot of the skill involved with making high quality photos and videos is lost on the generic consumer. With digital photo and video so easily accessible, especially with cell phones these days, I think a lot of people think it’s mostly turning on a camera and hitting record. The complexity of capturing high quality is one of the things I enjoy, its a constant shifting baseline of certain parameters that you don’t get a second chance to get right if you’re shooting on the fly. Missed your exposure on that bridal entrance? Good luck getting it to look good in post. Slightly out of focus slide into home plate on a close call in baseball? Your slow motion climax of the entire video was just gone. It’s a lot to manage on the fly. Obviously studio setups, staged and planned shoots are different, but you get what I’m saying. Can you flip out a cell phone and do it all on auto? Sure. But it wont’ look as good and won’t make you feel as much. There’s a significant skill set involved, and man am I still learning a ton as I go…so much learning still happening.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_dream_experiment/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedreamexperiment
- Other: https://linktr.ee/thedreamexperiment?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=9bbf337c-dbe3-41ad-ac03-25eabb640ed0
