Feb 9, 2015
Taylor Mathis (@taylor_mathis) is a food photographer turned entrepreneur based in Charlotte, NC. Taylor has 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 of the same name, 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.
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
- Tabasco
- Fresh Express
- Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board
- 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; people were asking “how’d you do that?”
- 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
- Taylor traveled to 25 College Football games over 3 seasons, and wrote a book about it
-
Crush It! by Gary VaynerchukOn 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
- Growth Hacking
- Snapchat
- Facebook, now pay-to-play
- Life lessons helped to refine his business
- Patriots vs. Seahawks, the recent Super Bowl contenders
- Color Gamut & White Balance
- Taylor found a way to create recurring income through things such as workshops, leasing stock photos, etc.
- Bill Gates still does the dishes by hand every night
- 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
- Pinterest, which can drive ridiculous amounts of traffic
- Adobe Lightroom/Photoshop
- Paypal
- Pen and paper
- Online scheduling systems Acuity Scheduling, Calendly, and ScheduleOnce
- Google Docs/Drive
- Google Analytics
- AWeber
Techniques
- Use a simple flash with modifier for straightforward food photos at restaurants
- Use fluorescent continuous lighting for video recording; they stay cool
- Use a macro lens to capture the details of food.
- Building an email list is very important; more important than social media platforms
- Use Split Testing, aka A-B Testing, for email subject lines
- Set reminders in your calendar for your side project
- Get an accountability partner to kick your butt a little
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.
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)
