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

Taylor, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

In my work as a photographer, I’ve found time and time again that when clients come to me, they’re most often having their first professional photoshoot session (not including their senior photos for their high school yearbook) or are generally nervous and uncomfortable during photoshoots. While I’ve had a great number of incredibly meaningful sessions, like getting flown out to North Dakota to photograph an engagement and elopement for a friend, what always be the most gratifying experience is hearing clients say at the end of their session that they actually had fun and felt comfortable with me.

Taylor, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have a somewhat unique entrance into the world of photography; my background is as a classical flutist and teacher but soon after graduating with my music education degree, I realized that I couldn’t actually see myself making a living as either a band teacher or performer. I had the opportunity to work as an intern at a flute shop and it was there that I fell in love with marketing. After many major and minor twists and turns along this path, I discovered that alongside website design, I also loved photography, especially for classical musicians and creatives! Having an understanding of the classical music world and instrument positioning has been paramount to elevating my clients’ experience and end product beyond the traditionally stiff classical music world.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Kindness and empathy. Whenever I go into a session with a client who seems quiet or even a bit standoffish, it’s always because they’re nervous. As a business owner, my mind tends to go towards worry that they’re unhappy with their experience or even me, but I’m always reminded just because we’re adults doesn’t mean we are no longer scared, self-conscious, or nervous about feeling so vulnerable in front of a total stranger. By meeting everyone with as much kindness as possible, I am able to better show up and hold space so that they can be their most authentic self.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Google and Referrals from past clients! Especially because I am a location-specific business, utilizing Boston and photography-related keywords on my website have resulted in many new clients; to be honest it surprised me how many have come from Google since portrait photography is a very saturated profession in Boston! But nonetheless, I’ve had the chance to work with Harvard Professors, local breweries, Juilliard musicians, and so many more!

Using a referral program has also been incredibly helpful; I know that my clients are very generous in sharing my name with their community and being able to give them something back in return feels great and makes my job easier!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.taylorrossiphotography.com
• Instagram: @thetaylorrossi

Image Credits
Meredith Hart Photography