|
|
|
Archive: September 2009 | blog home page |
9.21.09 (News) |
| At the wedding I shot this past Saturday, I turned to my assistant and said "I have the best job and the best clients in the entire world"!!! That was because as I was leaving the wedding I was bombarded (in a good way) by the bride, her mom, and a bridesmaid... all of which gave me a giant hug, said the nicest things to me, and expressed how excited they are to see the photos. And recently I've had a lot wedding guests come up to me and say "You're doing a great job!", which always makes me kind of laugh because they haven't even seen one freaking photo yet (but I'll take the compliment, really, thank you)!
And on top of all of that, my clients keep giving me gifts! I can't even believe it! It's so completely unnecessary, but of course wonderfully sweet, thoughtful, and gratifying to know they like me so much. I seriously debated doing this post because it sounds so overly self-promoting. But I've blogged about other gifts from my clients and I don't want these clients to feel left out or like I'm not as appreciative of their gifts. So, although it seems silly to say "thank you" for their "thank you" gifts, I can't just not say "thank you" at all... and so here I go! Thank you to Kristin & Drew, Abby & Nick, Pagie & Michael, Kim & Rich, and Brooke & CJ. You're all so thoughtful and so creative!!! |
| Hide Comments (2) | Add a Comment Link to This Post Send This Post to a Friend |
9.21.09 (Personal) |
| So I was looking online at Neiman Marcus for some dinnerware and I stumbled upon some of the most beautiful chandeliers I've ever seen. They literally took my breath away for a second. I just love how they're classic but with a modern twist. What does this have to do with photography? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. But when I find things I just love, I'll share them with all of you! |
| Hide Comments (2) | Add a Comment Link to This Post Send This Post to a Friend |
9.16.09 (Personal) |
| My incredibly awesome studio assistant Hilary recently left my studio to go back to college (major sigh). I knew that September was coming and that she would be leaving, but I didn't want to believe it because she was seriously the best studio assistant ever (ok, she was my first studio assistant ever, but she can't be topped, of that I'm sure!).
We still keep in touch via email, and just recently she sent me the cutest postcard! |
| Anyway, because I am a rockstar of a boss (I know that sounds arrogant, but I really do make a point to be SO good to those who work for me), on her last day of work I took her out to lunch, we went shopping, and then we just sat and gabbed and I let her ask me anything and everything she'd like to know about photography, the business, etc.
And I thought I'd share with ya'll a bit of what we talked about... Q: What types of things inspire you and your work the most? A: Definitely fashion, interior design, and architecture. I get ridiculously excited when I find clothing with ornate detail, amazing fabric, and unique tailoring, or a dainty but stunning necklace of gold and genuine stones (hence my LOVE LOVE LOVE for Anthropologie... I went wild and spent $1200 there earlier this week, which is definitely a splurge for me, but their fall line is to die for... oops, I digress, sorry). And I LOVE the ornate quality of French architecture (the archways, stonework, etc) as well as French-inspired interior design (tufted sofas, crushed velvet, chandeliers, etc). All of these things are just so stunningly beautiful and artistic, and they inspire me to work towards adding even more beauty to the world. |
| Q: Why did you choose wedding photography as your focus?
A: Well, I'm super feminine and in many ways weddings are extremely girlie. Weddings are also extremely creative and I love seeing how each couple chooses to decorate their day. And I think that life would not be worth living without the little special moments of interaction between people, and weddings are filled with such moments... the bride's mom tearing up when she first sees her daughter in her wedding dress, the bride taking her dad's arm just before going down the aisle, the bridal party hugging the bride and groom just after they all come back up the aisle, the bride's dad calling the groom "son" for the first time and the groom seeing that he has been truly accepted into the bride's family, the laughter from the toasts, the bride's dance with her father, etc. |
| Q: What made you decide to pursue a career in photography?
A: In a word, inspiration... specifically my desire to do something every day that I loved and which felt fulfilling. I graduated from the University of California at San Diego with a degree in Communication. My parents, being the super practical people that they are, felt strongly that I should have a career in business because according to them "that's where the money is", and since I have very expensive taste and they were paying for my education, it seemed like a good idea to take that advice. But I also knew that I had a wildly creative side, I get bored to death by monotony, and I tend to want to break the rules... clearly fields such as accounting were not the place for me. So I found what I thought was a happy medium: advertising. It's corporate yet creative, "perfect" I thought. But after three years of working at one of the top agencies (Saatchi & Saatchi) on a huge account (Toyota), and despite always getting great reviews and promotions, I felt like such a small part of a huge team and I didn't feel like my contribution was substantial enough to feel fulfilling. During this time I was in the process of planning my own wedding and I fell in love with weddings and was incredibly inspired by my wedding photographer. I knew then that wedding photography was what I wanted to do; I went back to school for photography, I quit advertising, and I consider it one of the best decisions I've ever made. I don’t regret the time I spent in the corporate world – in fact I realize now that I learned a invaluable lessons about marketing, branding, professionalism, etc (some of which can be found here) – but I am so so so happy to do something that I love so much. |
| Q: What advice would you give to someone who wants to get into the business of photography?
A: My answer to this is the same answer I’d give to anybody wanting to do anything: DO IT! It’s not enough to want to do it, to dream of it every day, to say you’re going to do it, or even make a plan to do it. None of that really matters or equates to anything. The only thing that counts is if you actually do it. Nobody has ever won an award or achieved success by simply wanting something… you have to actually do it! Dream your dream, make your plan for how you’re going to do it, and then make the phone calls, or go back to school, or pound the pavement… whatever it takes, DO IT!!! But to answer the question specifically in regards to photography, I think that in addition to the obvious need for creative and technical talent, this field requires a great deal of common sense, an immense amount of style consciousness, and the ability to interact well with people. There’s no clear cut path to follow for success in photography, but if you have the attributes I just mentioned as well as the guts to get out there and do it, you’ll be able to figure out YOUR successful path in photography. |
| Q: When shooting a wedding or anything else, what are the most important things to keep in your bag?
A: Yay, this one is easy because I've already answered it here. |
| Q: What is something you know now that you wish you had known when starting your business?
A: Ha - I was just making fun of myself the other day for this! When I first started my business, I used to wear a suit when I met with my clients because I thought that was required in order to be “professional”. I hate suits and I always have. They couldn’t be less “me” and they literally make me feel like I can’t breathe. I don’t know if there’s such a condition as clothing claustrophobia, but I’m pretty sure I used to have it. When I wore clothes that felt too stuffy and formal, it would literally impact my personality (i.e. I wouldn’t have one!!). So one day I came to my senses and realized that, when meeting with prospective and current clients, it’s far more important that I show them my real style and thus my real personality. After all, that’s a great deal of why they’re hiring me, right?!?! So now there’s not really a difference between how I dress for work and how I dress to go out with friends… and more importantly my personality is also authentic in both situations! |
| View Comments (0) | Add a Comment Link to This Post Send This Post to a Friend |
9.12.09 (News) |
| Who: You don't have to be a professional model. You just have to have the right look (natural and sophisticated) and be willing to act like a normal person (not hard, right?!?!).
For: An Anthropologie-inspired photo shoot. It's a personal project I'm working on, complete with awesome locations, makeup, and wardrobe (sorry, unfortunately you don't get to keep the clothes). See below for examples of the style I'm going for... Why: Because I love to work on personal projects and continue challenging myself (ugh, that sounds kind of cheesy, but it's true!). When: TBD. It depends on when I pull all of the elements together, but most likely Oct or Nov. Where: Most likely within the Birmingham/Royal Oak Michigan area. What you'll receive: A collection of prints of you as a MODEL! How to apply: Email me at info@kristentaylorphotography.com. Include your contact info, tell me a little bit about yourself, and attach at least one photo of you. These pages from the Anthropologie catalog show the style I'm going for. I'd love to give photo credit to whoever shot these, but Anthropologie protects the names of its photographers with more security than the Louvre! |
| Hide Comments (6) | Add a Comment Link to This Post Send This Post to a Friend |
9.12.09 (News) |
| In line with my "classic meets modern" style, I have fallen in LOVE LOVE LOVE with vintage-toned images. They're so soft, romantic, warm... and oh so delicious!
But I still also love my bright and bold style as well, and I have no desire to abandon something which people so often tell me they love. So, in order to evolve my style without abandoning my classic style, "The Vintage Collection" is now available as an add on. Of course my clients still receive the contrasty and colorful images they expect from my style... I'm just offering "The Vintage Collection" as an available option for those who love the vintage look as much as I do! Here are some before and after photos... |
| Hide Comments (1) | Add a Comment Link to This Post Send This Post to a Friend |
| back | |
page
2
of 3 |
|
next |