Meet Steven Traylor | Freelance Photographer

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

Hi Steven, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
You know, I’ve always had an appreciation for great images from a young age. I loved to read books because I loved the stories that would be told and I loved the pictures that went with them. I acted on my love for words by writing three books of my own a few years after graduating college. I then wanted to create and photograph images of my own. When my wife began her business in fitness/wellness and began blogging, she needed someone who could take pictures for her, and so by default I was the best option to get her photos captured quickly! I also had friends who would need pictures occasionally and they would ask to me photograph them as well. After a while, it just made sense to make it official and begin my business. I also had a chance to get in front of the camera occasionally, and as a model you understand what the photographer needs to draw out emotions. So I’m able to draw from this now and it helps me behind the camera as a photographer. Most of all I just enjoy shooting and capturing great moments. I have a saying that ‘images are little pieces of your life frozen in time’ and I like to grab those moments so they can be enjoyed for years to come!Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I tell potential clients that I might work with that there are many photographers out there who can capture great pictures for them, but what makes me different is that I will work with you to create the exact images you’re looking for. One thing I’ve learned from being in sales and account management for nearly two decades is that you listen to the customer and let that guide your actions. With that in mind, if there is a certain creative look you are trying to achieve, I try to help craft an image designed around that. I want our experience to be collaborative, and my goal at the end is to look back and say the photo shoot was just as enjoyable and fulfilling as the images you received. I don’t have a lot of predefined package prices either (although I do have a few), because I like to customize a package to get you what you desire.If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My grandfather owned a barbecue business in Houston for over 60 years so I grew up eating a lot, and this has definitely made me a bit of a foodie. So if friends are in town I probably would feed them to death because I love to eat! Houston has so many great places to dine that it’s so hard to choose just a few. But I’d start out by going to brunch at someplace like Brasserie 19, Field & Tides, or Backstreet Cafe, and then move on to lunch at maybe Bosscat Kitchen & Libations, Toulouse, or Savoir. I’d have to work in some exercise (after all that eating!) and I love going to Memorial Park for a run or down the Buffalo Bayou trails. Terry Hershey Park has great trails for biking, and I really enjoy that as well. Some of my favorite places for dinner are Georgia James, Potente, Musaafer, and Eunice. So basically my friends know that if you’re hanging with me, we’re gonna be eating pretty much every few hours!The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
A great individual that has a great deal to do with my success is Madelyn Traylor. She has a tutoring service, T&T Educational Solutions, which provides tutoring services to children across many ages. She is an inspiration to the students she works with and she’s been an inspiration to me my entire life because she’s my big sister and I was probably her first student! She bossed me around all the time. But in all honesty, she’s a fabulous educator with nearly 30 years of classroom and instructional experience who truly loves what she does. I’m inspired by her empathy, her selflessness, and her love for people.

Website: steventraylorimages.com

Instagram: @steventraylorimages

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