Meet Catherine Taylor | Wedding + Editorial Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Catherine Taylor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Catherine, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
Investing in my clients as much as they invest in me. While I am a business owner, being in the wedding industry is such special and emotional industry. And for me, my relationships with my clients mean more to me than just another wedding on the books for the year. I truly love pouring as much as I can into my clients, so when it comes to their wedding day and they look back at those images, they feel that a friend photographed their day or that when you see the images of them, you really see the heart and soul of who they are.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Being a wedding photographer definitely has its challenges, but honestly after being in the industry for 10+ years and seeing the waves of trends, I still absolutely love it. I can’t imagine my life without weddings, I love everything to do with weddings, the process, the photography, the emotion, but mostly the love stories. It sounds super corny, but I truly love love. I dive into all my couples lives (if they want me to of course) and truly try to be there every step of the way. I am the only one on their big day, that sees every vulnerable moment, which for me it’s why I find it so important to take a relational approach to all my clients.

I have learned over these last few years, that every couple that inquires or that I might fall in love with (their wedding or their story) might not be the one for me. Sometimes you do get denied after chatting on the phone with a couple for 45 minutes, but then you get the couples who want to book you immediately. They get so excited to have you on their wedding day, they send you the sweetest and longest texts thanking you for being who you are and see you as friend over just a vendor. As an artist, we all know our art isn’t for everyone, but for those that are, its pretty fricken sweet and makes the stress of a wedding day, so so worth it.

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?
If my best friend was in town, I would take her to Go get em tiger, it’s one of my absolute favorite coffee shops or Maru if she’s wanting a cream top. If we were close to the beach, I would take her to Scopa because they are my favorite, plus my good friend is the bartender there. I would also do Gjelina because their appetizers and pizza are amazing, and their rooftop is a moody vibe. Overall I love West Hollywood, I love the joy and fun atmosphere that lives at night there.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have been shooting weddings on and off for about 10 years, since I’ve moved and started my business over in 4 different states. At one point I thought that I might be done with weddings, I was at a low point and it wasn’t until I met my husband (who is also a super talented photographer) that I really fell in love with weddings again. We started shooting weddings together and when you get two artists/ photographers to shoot a wedding together, you see a person or just life so differently. Having him help me and by my side on some weddings really shaped me to slow down and see as a wedding day unfolds. It’s so easy as a wedding photographer to get caught up on all the things you have to photograph or portraits you want to capture, but when I saw him photograph those gorgeous in-between moments, it really shifted me to slow down. Not only has he changed the way I see things, but he’s supports me and pushes me to be the person I have always wanted to be. And having that support from a life partner, makes a world of a difference as an artist.

Website: www.catherinemarietaylor.co

Instagram: @catherinemarietaylor.co