We had the good fortune of connecting with Roger Taylor III and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Roger, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have always been interested in photography. I love to travel; capturing images of the different places I visit not only created everlasting memories for me- It helped me dive into the artistic side of photography. I strived to capture the details and the beauty of each of my destinations. I enjoy capturing people’s emotions in candid moments. I’ve always loved going to events where others are showing off their creativity and capturing images of artistic skills and passions. Fan conventions of different genres including Comic Con’s & Horror Con’s have been a great opportunity for me to meet others with similar interests and to capture their creativity via photography. These relationships have helped trigger my photography business as many of the creators and cosplayers I meet are interested in photographs of their creations and visual stories they tell.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I enjoy capturing the unique. While I of course can capture beautiful scenery and traditional moments of life & celebration; my preferred subject matter falls into the category of mysterious, unusual, and innovative. I have had to overcome a lot of rejection and self doubt to get where I am now. It took time to gain the confidence to put myself out there with photography. I had to learn to actively ignore negativity that came my way, and to use any failures as a way of learning what to differently in the future. I am always open to, and seek out advice and insight with my work. I feel that you can never stop improving your craft.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Being the movie buff I am – I would love to take a visitor to some of my favorite cult classic movie locations and capture some shots. To name a few- “Nancy Thompson’s” home in Hollywood, John Marshall High School & Evergreen Cemetery (from the original Nightmare on Elm Street franchise), “Michael Myers” home in Pasadena (from Halloween), and the Vista & the Rialto Theater (from Scream 2). I would also like to take them over to Olvera Street near Union Station. This is a great spot to check out some hispanic cultural art, live music, and great food.
Depending on the time of year of the visit, I would definitely have them check out an experience with Delusion @enterdelusion . They are an interactive horror theatre that I have had the pleasure of experiencing every fall for the past 6 years. It features immersive and thrilling dark tails with movie quality sets and actors. A must see for sure.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family and friends have always been supportive of my creative endeavors. They celebrate me when I succeed, and appreciate all the moments I capture during our celebrations and travels together. With my story writings, my close friends help me by allowing me to bounce ideas off them and will even read my work as it is developing to give me much needed feed back. I am never above seeking the advice of others in my creative process. The relationships I have made through comic/horror cons have helped me flourish as of late with my photography. They have helped fuel my creativity, and have even introduced me to new exciting opportunities including independent movie premieres, celebrity charity events, photoshoots, etc…
A big thank you to just some of the many who have collaborated with me and connected me to these opportunities- @real_family_adventures , @janesearfulcreations , @arts_sideshow , @dirty_joe87 , @adventurezwithdavid , @sinister.dollz , @cindyloo84
Instagram: @wolfsbane_mystic