Meet Gaffney Taylor | Fashion and Beauty Photographer

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

Hi Gaffney, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important factor behind my success as a fashion and beauty photographer is discovering and staying true to my brand ideas and morals. To not wander around aimlessly with your career or business, you must know what you stand for and what defines you as a creative. For a year, I photographed anything. I thought my passion was fine art photography. However, when I took a day to look at what inspires me the most, along with artists out there that I am drawn too, it was clear that glamour, beauty, bold, and stylized imagery was my future niche. Slowly, as I developed, I created a set of “guidelines” to keep me on track and stay true to the work I was producing. In short, I stand for “experimentation, fantastical worlds and concepts, and narrative storytelling. Taking a concept and making it bold, beautiful, and unexpected.”

If you think you have reached the limit of your growth, you think you’ve reached the peak of where you want to be, and you are complacent, be scared and reevaluate. Growth is a never ending journey, and the more you grow and know who you are, the more success you will receive and experience. My best piece of advice to continue your journey of growth and find success is to look around you. Find who you are and what you stand for to guide you. What do you like to do on a daily basis or what inspires you globally? What impacts you the most– Social causes? Cooking? Animals? Geometric forms, typography, or pop culture? Put together images, articles, names, movie stills, and see what is similar. I am looking forward to the success that awaits you and the success that continues for me. Dig deep.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am very excited about the work I produce and the uniqueness of it. It’s a mix of experimentation, edginess, boldness, and beauty. I’m also excited about the growth I am taking right now. Namely, to speak about social issues in my fashion work and bring more darkness and dreaminess into my work as well. My path to success has not always been easy. It’s been trial and error of finding what keeps me inspired and also viewing life like a game. I’ve learned that life gets to be fun, easy, and playing on the “playground” of expressing creativity authentically, is what I have found the most success in. I’ve overcome my most difficult challenges by discovering myself as a person and a creative. I’ve also had growth past stagnation through intention and having meaning behind what I have to say with what I create.

I want others to know that wealth and success is not just monetary. Wealth and happiness comes from following your passion, learning what makes you happy at the core of knowing who you are, and experiencing life for the beauty and fun that life is. In the end, if you do this enough, with enough persistence and faith, money will come inevitably. Life is too short to not find success and happiness in what feeds your creative soul the most. For me, that is creative authenticity and producing photography that inspires myself and in turn others.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
For a week long trip in Atlanta, there will definitely have to be fun and laughter. I love improv shows at Whole World Improv Theater and comedy shows at Dad’s Garage Theater. I would take my friend mini golfing on the top of Ponce City Market and see some beautiful views of Atlanta on that roof. For a going out night, I like activities and would take them to Joystick Game-bar, and have some drinks while playing board games and arcade games. I love fashion and thrifting fashion, so I would spend part of a day going to Buffalo Exchange or Rag-O-Rama for thrifting. Doing a fun v-log for personal use or youtube, I would take them to well know places in Atlanta like the High Museum of Art and other art galleries around Atlanta. I really love a cafe in CabbageTown called Carroll Street Cafe. I’ve met so many other creatives there like other photographers or Art Directors. Last, a fun and affordable antique shopping location is Antique Factory in Chamblee.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Team Summer is a great nonprofit for kids battling cancer helping other kids battle cancer and get through treatment. Here is their website: https://teamsummer.org/ The founder is Lynne Dale.

Website: www.gaffneytaylor.com

Instagram: @gaffneytaylorphoto

Linkedin: Gaffney Taylor

Image Credits
– Red Stripe (ASOS Accessory Photo Shoot): Model: Larry Williams – Yellow Polka Dot (I’ve Gone Bananas Photo Shoot): Model: Rachel-Kate Bowlder. Hair and Makeup: Rut Forbes – Black and white geometric dress (Retro Deep, Futuristic High): Model: Lilly Hammer. Hair and Makeup: Sara Ramirez – Gold and Blue Glitter (Glitter Me LookBook): Models: Jonah Wuerffel, Emily Peters. Hair: Rut Forbes. Makeup: Deanna Zane. – Black Latex Hood (Lost in Space Photo Shoot): Model: Serenity Love Axas. Makeup: Mong Bui. – City Shoot with Money Purse (Futuristic City Photo Shoot): Model: Allison Simps. Hair and Makeup: Erika Moore. – Candy Land Photo Shoot: Model: Chase Thompson. Hair and Makeup: Erika Moore. – Red Playground Photo Shoot: Models: Allison Simpson and Alex Lago. Hair and Makeup: Rut Forbes.