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

Taylor, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

As a full time wedding photographer and studio owner, I have been able to maintain a full-time living from my career passion. I think it’s most important to create attainable goals, that work as a stepping stone toward the larger vision. I think too often, especially in the creative field which is filled with dreamers, the lofty goals that attract us to the industry may deter us from taking any action at all. Before I was a studio owner, I was a full-time wedding photographer, and before I was a wedding photographer, I was a portrait photographer. I did so so many free shoots, just trying to get a better feel for my camera, and how the process worked from planning a session to delivering a gallery. The beginning days were very frustrating trying to figure it all out, and failing more often than not. Those days generally were not as fulfilling as the days I have today, but I do think they were absolutely necessary and served as the building blocks of my business. When moving from part-time to full-time, I told myself if I could make the difference of a 9-5 job minus the costs of childcare from my business, I would take the leap. It felt like quite the gamble at the time, and looking back, maybe a little naive, but now I’m so thankful for it. .

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Taylor Cox, and I am the owner of both Ohio Comfort Photography Co., a wedding and portrait company, as well the Harper Collective, which is a rentable photography studio and workspace in downtown Delaware, Ohio. Both of my companies are female operated and employed, and serve the Greater Columbus Area. Photography by nature is a very personal and intimate craft. Most people are aren’t naturally comfortable modeling in front of a camera, so my company’s main priority is to ensure that our clients are comfortable and enjoying the experience of working with us. Primarily we focus on weddings, but we also offer family focused photography as well as branding and boudoir. From the moment you inquire with our company we pride ourself on treating you just as you are family. Ohio Comfort prides itself on being an intentional company fueled by compassion. In an age of social and digital media, I think it’s so important to not only professional preserve your most important memories and events, but also do so in a permanent and timeless fashion. We capture the art that hangs in our clients homes for their entire lives, and we don’t take that lightly.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

As a photographer, I wish I realized in the beginning how much FREE education is out there. While there are plenty of necessary investments required in the early stages of any start up business (camera, hardware, software, etc., there is also a ton of 100% free resources with amazing information available on the internet. My favorite resources in the beginning were Facebook peer groups, reddit, YouTube and Pinterest. When beginning a business I think it’s so important to be scrappy with your funding and ensuring you’re spending your money in ways that will guarantee some sort of ROI. There is so much influence of programs and things you think you “need” to have, but the reality is there is understanding the fundamentals first is so important.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A lesson I had to unlearn within the photography industry is that I do NOT have to do what other photographer’s in my area are doing, in fact it’s almost better if I don’t. In any creative career that does not have a specific trajectory/path, it is easy to compare yourself to peers in your area offering the same services that you do. I received 85% of my clients from word of mouth and referrals. The number one reason I hear when gaining new clients is, “We haven’t seen anyone offering the sets/posing/ideas you do.” If I would be spending my time monitoring and emulating what I see with our creators, I would be missing out on the time I need to truly create my own work. In hindsight, if I spent my time offering the same as my competitors in fear of not keeping up with them, I would have lost 85% of my client base.

Contact Info:

• Website: ohiocomfortphotography.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/ohiocomfort
• Facebook: Facebook.com/ohiocomfort

Image Credits
All images taken by Ohio Comfort Photography Co.