Taylor Mathis (@Taylor_Mathis) is a food photographer turned entrepreneur based in Charlotte, NC. He built an online following in the food photography industry, and authored several books. Lately, he’s turned to online entrepreneurship and helping fellow photographers earn steady income through his new venture and podcast Business of Creatives.
This conversation covers his origins in photography, the challenges of shooting food, and how he transitioned into different business areas as a creative pro.
Check out Taylor on his sites, Photographing Food , Taylor Takes a Taste, and Business of Creatives, as well as his book, The Southern Tailgating Cookbook
Listen Now
Get The Episode
- Download The Busy Creator Podcast, Episode 44 (MP3, 40:18, 19.5 MB)
- Download The Busy Creator Podcast, Episode 44 (OGG, 40:18, 33.2 MB)
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The Souther Tailgating Cookbook by Taylor Mathis
an example of Sally making a recipe, and Taylor behind the camera
Chorizo Chili Dog, photographed by Taylor Mathis
Frito Fried Chicken Tenders, photographed by Taylor Mathis
Peach Pecan Sundae, photographed by Taylor Mathis
Show Notes & Links
- Taylor describes himself as a “content creator”
- Comes from a family of Entrepreneurs
- His food photography is run through his blog Taylor Takes a Taste
- Does some commissioned work through his blog producing recipes and photos
- Taylor graduated in 2008 with a degree in finance but due to the state of the economy decided to go back to school for photography
- He attempted wedding photography in fall of 2009 but found more of an interest in photographing food
- Created his blog in January 2010 with his mother, who happens to be a professional recipe developer, as a way to improve his food photography
- Over the next couple of years his business became centralized around food
- This lead to the creation of his site Business of Creatives where he teaches people how to use their creative skills to make a profit
- Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk on Amazon and on Audible
- Developed the educational side of his work through the questions that he was getting from the people who visited his blog
- This led to the creation of his Photographing Food series ebooks
- Life lessons helped to refine his business
- Found a way to create recurring income through things such as workshops, leasing stock photos, etc.
- For recipes visit Taylor Takes a Taste
- For tips on improving food photography visit Photographing Food
- For tips and information on being an entrepreneur and creating your business visit
Business of Creatives - He can be found on instagram as @TaylorMathis
Tools
- Adobe Lightroom/Photoshop
- Paypal
- Keep it old-school, pen and paper still have their place in the online world.
- Online scheduling systems Acuity Scheduling and Calendly
- Google Docs/Drive
- Google Analytics
- AWeber
Techniques
- Flash light source with modifier for food photos at restaurants.
- Fluorescent continuous lighting for video recording.
- Use a macro lens, to capture the details of food.
- Building an email list is very important
Habits
- Write three posts a week for the first two years of his blog, consistency is key.
- Create an Editorial Calendar, plan out what you are doing a head of time for organization and to create viewer interest.
- Block out days in your work schedule. (ex. weekends are always for weddings, posts every Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
- Find the work schedule that is most productive for you.
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