Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Lafe.
Hi Taylor, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
You know when you’re a little kid, and you give your mom a drawing and she says, “Oh wow that’s so good, you’re an artist!” That’s how I took it the first time my mom told me I had an eye for photography. I knew it was a hobby I had always found fun, but I never thought it could become what I want to spend the rest of my life doing. Months after my mom first pointed out my talent, I began to receive a few other compliments from friends. See, at this point, I decided they can’t all be just trying to make me feel good. I really did have something. Soon after, one of my friends asked me to take her senior photos. My first thought was, “Me? Are you serious?!” but I agreed, and thank god I did. After that first session, I got “bit by the photography bug” as my friend/mentor Rachel Lumbreras says happens to us all at some point. I then started the bytaylorlafe Instagram account to display my work, and things only sped up from there. From that moment forward, I have gotten the opportunity to take pictures for friends, family members, and many kind citizens of the DFW area. It has truly been an absolute dream. Not only do I now know what I want to do for the rest of my life, but I have the confidence to know that I get to make a living off of my life’s passion. And honestly, what more could I ask for?
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
As a young woman in the photography community, starting out was challenging. I had no idea what I was doing. I was shooting in automatic, (which as all my photographers know, is not the way to go) I barely knew how to use Lightroom, and I had no concept of my worth as a photographer. I taught myself how to use Lightroom using trial and error, along with a few google searches. Okay, a lot of google searches. I began working with a mentor, Rachel Lumbreras, who told me straight up that I was worth much more than what I was charging, and set me straight in many different areas of the photography world. Figuring out what I was worth/willing to charge was/is still absolutely the hardest part. Reason being, I would genuinely do all of it for free. I love the entire process: meeting clients, photographing them, editing, planning, location scouting. I love all of it. But at the end of the day, realizing that it is a business, it’s how I make money, and people are willing to pay for my time, effort, and talent led me to begin to accept the inevitable.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
One of the things I love most about the world of photography is how broad and diverse it is. There’re no creative boundaries. I think that’s why I thrive as much as I do. People know me best for my senior pictures, which I’ll always love doing, but recently I’ve gotten into doing very creative, unique projects. In the past couple months, I’ve done a neon project, a black&white project, a pride month project, a glamour project, a Y2K project, and many others. Stepping outside my creative bubble has become one of my favorite pastimes. That’s also what sets me apart from other photographers out there. I’m down to try Anything. I had a client message me saying she loved butterflies and wanted to incorporate them into her session; so, we did. We did an entire butterfly-themed session, and we both loved it. I mean it when I say I’m genuinely down to try anything.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love the diversity in architecture Dallas contains within walking distance. There are many little sections of Dallas and its surrounding areas that are very walkable and contain everything from modern to rustic, to murals, to plain white walls, and tall glass buildings. The options are truly endless, and most are within walking distance from any other aesthetic you’re trying to achieve. It’s a shame that there aren’t beaches, or at least not super pretty ones, nearby so those desired shots are usually replaced with some sort of water feature or lake in a surrounding area.
Contact Info:
- Email: bytaylorlafe@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bytaylorlafe/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bytaylorlafe
