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Greg Taylor is a digital marketing professional and a music photographer from Tempe, AZ -originally from Warren, NJ. Feel free to email me with any questions regarding my company GRT2 Studios, marketing, photography or music at grtaylor@mac.com
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Personal Photography Tipping Points : FOUR Photos

Thinking about myself as an artist is a daunting thought. I don't know why but I am extremely uncomfortable with the label. However, I can distinctly remember photographs I have made that made me stop and say I'm on to something. Here they are:



The Vampire - This was taken during a winter trip home. We were walking through the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the opportunity just presented itself. I was actually unaware what was going on until Amy pointed it out. Her presence of mind and awareness made this happen - I just had all the right settings dialed it. This shot was altered in Photoshop to make the imagery more powerful.




Jackson Hole, WY - This photograph was the first time I pre-visualized the shot and went back to the spot and made a picture happen. I was driving to the skatepark in Jackson and saw this sight. Not having a camera with at the time made this experience what it was. I saw exactly what I wanted to capture and went back a couple of hours later and created it.




God and Basketball - (Gila River Indian Reservation) While driving around in Arizona I just sort of let the road take me. I ended up on the Gila River Indian Reservation about 25 miles south of Phoenix. After stopping to take a couple of photos I found this site. This was one of the most powerful places I have ever been. The spot was perfect. I had a basketball in the car which completed the picture.



Kristina Snake River Overlook - (Grand Teton National Park) I set out to recreate Ansel Adams' famous photograph. I took about 25 or 30 pictures of this famous spot with my camera in Black and White mode. As I was putting my equipment away I called Kristina's name and she turned to look and this is the resulting picture. This was a one shot moment that I couldn't duplicate again (much like The Vampire) photo.

These are the four photos that make me consider myself a photographer and someone who make pictures. I don't know what else to really say about it. When I look at these photos I am taken back to the exact time and place they were taken - I can't describe it any better then that...

Monday, November 23, 2009

Evolution as a Photographer : Part FOUR

There for a while in NJ after all the travel etc. I became focused on a career. I focused on career and sports and a bunch of things that had nothing to do with the arts. I put the camera down unintentionally and didn't take a photo for a number of years. Why? Not sure...but I do know that the time I went dark from photography makes me enjoy it all the more now.

Fast forward to the winter 1997. A long term relationship I had ended in April of 1997, my grandmother (who I was super close to) passed away winter of '96 and I was at a job I couldn't deal with anymore. (Yes the one I worked hard to get and put the camera down for.) I was done with NJ. I needed a life change since - so I packed everything that could fit in my Honda Civic - anything else that was left I sold to a guy for $500 - and headed West to the Sonoran Desert.

Arizona's beauty captivated me and the logical thing was to start taking photos again. I shot everything once again. Skateboarding, landscapes, desert images, friends, strangers you name it...

I took a job after a couple of years here as the marketing guy for a company in Tempe that built skateparks. The rough part of the job was I had to take photos of skateparks and skateboarders - rough huh? SKATE PHOTOS

I was back with camera in hand and although my interest or passion has never been as strong as it today - I haven't put it down again...

NExt: Evolution as a Photographer : Part FIVE 'til today