Five weeks into my Mandarin studies, my teacher said, “Taya, don’t be afraid. Just speak without thinking.” I already knew the fundamentals by then, but my fear of not pronouncing every word correctly kept getting in the way. Her comment awakened something inside of me, a kind of bravery that I hadn’t felt in a long time. Reading a single word is a simple task, but overthinking and perfectionism blow it out of proportion.  That experience made me think about photography. How

If you want to improve your skills as a photographer, you need to find your happy place. I’m not talking about a state of mind, although having a positive attitude surely helps when taking photos! I’m talking about finding a place that inspires you and that has plenty of diverse photo opportunities. This is your GO-TO place whenever you need to scratch your creative itch. Finding your photography happy place is crucial to your development as an artist. Ideally, your happy pla

Mentorship is the process of learning from someone with more experience than you. Oftentimes, this involves receiving constructive criticism, ideas, and guidance that improve your skills and help you reach new heights. Having a photography mentor isn’t mandatory, but it can make a significant difference in your creative journey. In the video below, I speak with Photo Masters founder Ian Plant about his personal experiences with mentors like George Stocking and the unique te

Photographers often talk about creative or artistic "vision," but what does this really mean? Part of developing your vision is learning...

During my entire career as a professional photographer, I have always shot in color. Part of the reason was commercial — I reasoned that...