ArtistThatInspire - Taylor Lewis, Photographer
I’m so excited to start a new series that I’ve had on my mind for a while now. I am a photographer who also loves being in front of the camera, and I’m constantly trying to meet new and interesting people. As I have continued to grow as an artist, I have met some pretty interesting people. So with that, I wanted to start this series called Artists That Inspire to showcase these talented individuals. I want to capture them in a style influenced by their creative individualism and share their story.
With that, I am happy to start this project with a dear friend of mine, Taylor Lewis.
“My journey begins in Fort Myers, Florida. I was a dancer for about 10 years, and I fully intended to be a professional dancer in my future. When I was 16 years old, my mom made me join the International Baccalaureate Program (college courses and prep in high school). It forced me to drop half my dance classes, and I thought my life was OVER. Little did I know, that was the beginning of my newfound passion – photography.
They only offered photography courses to I.B. students. From the moment I developed my first roll of film and created my first print, I knew this was exactly what I wanted to pursue [for] the rest of my life. Twelve years later, I have been on an endless quest to create art through my lens and capture dream-like moments with people.
I have a strong obsession for vintage, bold colors and ADVENTURE. If someone were to rip my head open, they would see half my brain is dripping with colorful paint, floral patterns and construction paper eyeballs. The other half of my brain would have tons of butterflies, motorcycles, mountains, plants, dirt, ocean and a fire-breathing dragon popping out of it.
If you want to catch me, you can find me on the back of my man's motorcycle, getting lost in the music with some beautiful crowd, or shooting incredible humans who dare to take a chance with me."
-Taylor Lewis
I first met Taylor at an event benefiting animals called Fashion Tales. She was there capturing photos of guests. We instantly hit it off. On top of us looking like twins with our bleach blond hair, we also quickly bonded over our love of photography. I've had the pleasure of working with Taylor multiple times, with her both in front and behind the camera. And I must say – she is one of the most delightful and positive people to work with.
Specifically, one of the things that inspires me about Taylor is that her work is so bold, colorful and creative. This directly matches her personality, and it’s amazing to see such a true expression of oneself in her work. But on top of that, she has a way of making you feel special in front of the lens. I modeled for her in our first collaboration, and I distinctly remember her telling me to just “get weird and have fun" – which I was all for. I remember jamming out to Fleetwood Mac and hanging around her adorable artsy apartment experimenting with yellow backdrops and fabric. I was ecstatic with the end result, and seeing her incredible artistic light is what first piqued my interest in starting this series.
A Little More About Taylor:
What’s one thing that automatically makes you happy?
“Roses in bloom, pink ones. And/or motorcycle rides with Greg in the middle of nowhere.”
What do you want your legacy to be?
“My heart pickled in a jar.”
When do you feel most powerful?
“I feel most powerful when mind, body and soul are in harmony.”
What is the biggest challenge you’ve overcome?
“My biggest challenge I overcame was making the move to Los Angeles with $200 in my bank account and successfully still working, living and loving Los Angeles three years later.”
Taylor's website: http://www.taylormarielewis.com
CHECK OUT MY FULL SHOOT WITH TAYLOR AT:
https://blakeeiermannphoto.wixsite.com/taylor-lewis