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

Tayla, appreciate you joining us today. Everyone has crazy stuff happen to them, but often small business owners and creatives, artists and others who are doing something off the beaten path are often hit with things (positive or negative) that are so out there, so unpredictable and unexpected. Can you share a crazy story from your journey?

The craziest thing happened during my first graduate photoshoot of the season. The client was my roommate at the time, so I already knew the shoot would be a blast! Throughout college, she worked as a vet tech but was going to school to get her BSN. I love using props in shoots, especially graduation pictures! We had the nursing props, and it was going beautifully! I made a joke during a transition of locations about how I wish we had animals for her to take pictures with (specifically made the joke about horses). Minutes later, I saw her face light up. I turned around to see two girls riding horses coming down the hill towards us, and it was too hilarious of a moment to pass it up. We asked the girls if she could get a picture with the horses and explained the reasoning, and they more than kindly agreed. The pictures came out blurry, but it didn’t matter the quality of the photos; it’s the memory behind them, and we have that memory and evidence of it to share forever.

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?

Photography is and will always be a passion project for me. I have always been obsessed with taking pictures. My mom says I have a third eye for seeing things differently and capturing them for everyone to see from my point of view. My parents have always supported my hobbies, and I will forever be thankful for that. When I was 15, my parents bought me my first real camera, which then was mainly used for fun “wanna-be Pinterest” photoshoots with my friends. Life became busy. I moved off to college, and there sat my camera bag at the top of my closet, waiting for me to find something to spark that passion again. In the summer of 2022, my therapist challenged me to reopen old hobbies and find joy in them. I begged my best friend to let me take her sorority “to-be” reveal photos, and hesitantly, with love, she agreed.

Like every small business, the more persistent I stayed with it, the more bookings I received asking for all types of sessions. I love the moments when having someone stare off into the distance while I perform yoga to get the perfect angle leaves them questioning if I am good at what I do or if I am just crazy—then seeing their initial reaction to the final shot and seeing oneself in a beautiful new perspective. I am most proud of the comfortable and open environment I can create at every shoot. I can tell when a person feels more comfortable and confident in their skin, which brings out their true inner and outer beauty, sending the photoshoot to a level I couldn’t take it to on my own. I want to pour myself into what I love doing. It takes a village, and I have the most supportive and loving village. Because of my friends, who helped spark my love for photography again, I get to do what I love every day.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

My friends, family, and Facebook! My friends have played a huge role in my clientele success, especially in April of 2023 I had a massive number of bookings for Graduation pictures because my friends would refer me to their classmates and random people anytime anyone would mention they need a photographer for grad pics! Interestingly, Facebook has been helpful because it is easy to reach audiences of all ages and photography needs.

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

My mission is to offer an affordable professional photographer option to people. As a graduate student working full-time while obtaining a master’s degree, I do not have hundreds of dollars to spend on photography. I know I wouldn’t pay an outrageous amount, so why would I charge what I wouldn’t pay myself? Everyone is entitled to have a moment to get dressed up, feel beautiful, and have those special moments captured forever without having to spend a fortune. This mission is the main reason I have had the success I have had so far because I can relate to the financial struggles in life, and people appreciate my understanding and relatability.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @taylafaith.photography
• Facebook: Tayla Faith Photography
• Other: email @ [email protected]

Image Credits
credits to Tayla Faith Photography