Today, we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Cook.
Hi Taylor, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I have always been creative and loved creating. Growing up, I was THAT friend with the camera tied around her wrist. I loved taking photos, but never did I think about photography as a full-time career in a million years.
I started doing photoshoots on the side back in 2019. It was more to practice being creative, and I was willing to photograph anyone. (Families, portraits, whatever!) At the time, I was completing my degree to be a teacher, with a deep desire to do photography full-time.
I remember always scrolling through photographer’s accounts on Pinterest and Instagram, wishing I could do what they were doing. It honestly was really painful to not be doing what they were doing, and I didn’t know how to make it happen.
Fast forward, I graduated with a 4.0 and taught my first year. At the end of my first year of teaching, I was miserable. Teaching wasn’t hard; it’s just exhausting when you are investing so much of yourself into something that you know you are not supposed to be doing.
All along, I knew I should be doing photography, but I was afraid of what people would think and felt so much self-doubt. I questioned how I’d make it work and if anyone would support me.
As I was about to go into my second year of teaching, my Husband and I decided that we should take the risk, and I decided THAT very day to start my business full-time. I registered my business as an LLC, started offering mini holiday sessions, niched down to weddings as time went on, and just learned as I went.
It has by far been the best decision we have ever made. Even though owning and running a business completely on my own is VERY challenging, it’s one of the most enjoyable things ever. I am investing myself in something I truly love and am deeply passionate about.
I get to meet the most amazing couples who hire me as their wedding photographer, and I have met some super genuine wedding vendors who have turned into friends.
If you, the one reading this, want to start a business but are scared of what people will think or you are doubting yourself, DO IT, friend! It will be hard, but it will be the best thing ever. When you do what you are passionate about, it makes all of the difference! Your ideal clients will come to you as you step out and pursue your dream!
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Being a full-time wedding photographer can sometimes get lonely; you have to really walk through imposter syndrome, and there are so many aspects of business that you must learn as you go (marketing, contracts, sales, taxes, etc.).
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
Taylor Cook Photography is all about serving with excellence, loving well, and bringing peace & fun into a bride’s day. What sets my brand and business apart is that it’s my highest priority to make you feel seen and known throughout the entire process of working together. Providing you with awesome photos is just the end result, but a client’s entire experience with me truly matters.
On a wedding day when so much is taking place, I want to be the calm for an overwhelmed bride. There is nothing more heartbreaking than hearing about a bride and groom who did not enjoy their wedding day or were so occupied with questions and worries that their day seems to be a blur. These stories are so rough to hear. A bride and groom’s wedding day is one of the, if not the most important, days of their lives. They deserve to celebrate, live in the moment, soak in the love, and have a day that they remember and cherish forever.
That is why my mission statement for my business, TCP, is SO deeply important to me. Every couple deserves to be taken care of on their wedding day. As a photographer, I have direct and close access to the couple for the entirety of their special day. The bride and groom’s experience with me, from the time they inquire to a consultation call to their engagement session leading up to their big day, is HUGE.
I want my couples to feel safe, comfortable, and taken care of throughout the entire process of working together. Their experience with me, even BEFORE their wedding, gives them the security of knowing that I will go above and beyond for them on their special day.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
To not compare myself or my business to others because it truly steals my joy and to not be fearful of what people think. At the end of the day, what they think or don’t think really does not matter.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.taylorcookphotography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tayl0rcookphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taylorcookphotography
