We were lucky to catch up with Taylor Jean recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Taylor, thanks for 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’ve been a self-taught photographer for over 6 years now. I learned everything I know mostly via YouTube videos and photography forums but knowing what I know now I would have taken in person photography and photoshop courses instead of teaching myself everything the hard way. The best skill I try to maintain though is confidence and if you’re not passionate about and proud to show your work then it won’t take you anywhere. It took many years but I’m finally at a point where I know my style of photography and know how to execute it. My biggest obstacle right now is actually having to work full time while also trying to grow my photo business. I’m optimistic, however, that I will continue to grow this business and be able to take this full time in the next 1-2 years.

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?

Hi, I am Taylor Jean. I was born and raised a desert girl in Las Vegas, NV and my passion is photography and creative directing.

When I first started dabbling in photography, I mostly shot abstract and nature but really just anything that caught my eye. That then led to me taking photos of my friends and family and now I’ve gotten to work with hundreds of amazing clients over the years many of whom are very loyal and refer me to their friends and family. I’m so grateful to have had so many beautiful people in front of my lens. One of my favorite things about photography is being able to capture a moment in time in an image that lasts forever.

I’d say my specialty is portraiture as well as couples’ photography but I do a little bit of everything. Some of my services include portraits, couples, family, weddings/elopements, editorials, etc. The fun part is being able to combine props, outfits, and distinct locations to really set a scene. I think what sets me apart from others is that my style of photos is very colorful and unique to the person(s) in them.

I’m extremely proud of my progress as a business owner and setting boundaries for myself in my work. It took me a while but I’ve finally found a way of running things that works for me so that I don’t overwhelm myself and can deliver the highest quality photographs to my clients.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I’m actually at a pivotal moment in my life right now. I’ve done a lot of self-reflection lately on what I want to achieve out of this business and ultimately have come to the conclusion that I want to work with brands and other artists rather than just local clients. Believe me though, I love my local clients and will always be there when they need photos but I’m finding that I have more success when I work with other brands and artists. I’m a creative at heart so leaning towards more creative projects and content creation is the new goal. I do currently have a studio space in my home but I’m pivoting towards possibly renting a building space to work in instead that can be shared with other artists. The biggest obstacles are time and money for me. As someone who also has to work full time to put food on the table it makes it more difficult to follow this dream. But I’m not giving up. As competitive as this field is, I still believe that I stand out enough to be the kind of the successful that I want to be. My advice to other small business owners is to find what works for you through trial and error, learn when to say no and how to set boundaries, and persevere through it all.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding part of what I do is making people feel beautiful and seen. I love showing my clients sneak peeks of their photos during the session and just seeing their faces light up before I’ve even done any editing or touch ups. It really warms my heart that I’m able to be an advocate for people in this way. Some people struggle to love themselves (myself included) and one of the best ways to learn to love yourself is through having your photo taken. It’s different from taking a selfie. When you’re taking a selfie, you try to make yourself look as great as possible and hide your flaws but when you have a photo take from a 3rd person perspective it forces you to see yourself as others see you and its never as bad as you think. I think everyone has their quirks and that’s the best part. No two people are alike, and we should embrace our flaws and uniqueness.

Having the freedom to create is something I feel very privileged and grateful for. A picture really is worth a thousand words, and I believe my photographs speak for themselves.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://taylorjeanphoto.mypixieset.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorjeanlv/