Today we are featuring one of our all-time favorite photographers, Taylor Handte! We have adored getting to know & work with Taylor throughout the years, and get this, she even got married here at The Walters Barn! We admire her work as well as her generous & kindhearted soul, and we know that you will too! Continue reading to learn more about Taylor & her passion for photography!
Hi I'm Taylor!
I'm a North Georgia photographer and I absolutely adore what I do. I've been married to my cute firefighter husband since 2015, we actually got married at The Walter's Barn and it was incredible!! It's still one of the best days of my life!! I have two girls, hence the other two best days of my life. Chloe is almost two, eek!!!! Ivy is six months old. Being a full time photographer and mom takes up most of my time, but if I have a free minute you can catch me watching The Bachelor or loving on any dog within a 50 yard radius.
Taylor Handte Photography began with an 18 year old girl, fresh out of high school and not sure what she wanted to do with her life. I had taken photos of my friends and relatives throughout my high school years and it was just a hobby. I never in a million years thought that photography would one day be my career!!!!! I attended Cosmetology school after I graduated thinking I would be a full time hair stylist. I continued doing my photography while I was in school, doing shoots when I could. Photography wasn't something I wanted to give up on. While I loved Cosmetology and still do, my photography grew so much that I had to figure out how to merge the two together. So I decided to offer BOTH. It's crazy, I know. I offer hair AND makeup for my clients! I do a lot of senior photos as well as weddings which is amazing and so so much fun. My senior packages include hair and makeup, so I get the honor to get each girl ready before her senior photos. It's an added bonus for me because it combines both of my passions and I can put my Cosmetology license to good use. I also offer wedding formal styles and makeup for my brides. It really allows me to be with them from start to finish of their big day. I love it and I wouldn't change a thing about my journey so far. My husband has actually joined me on my journey as well. He's always been so creative and loves to make videos whether it was something funny from the fire station, or a cute video of our girls. I encouraged him to go buy a camera and try to make something out of his hobby... Fast forward a couple of years and he is a wedding videographer. If this doesn't tell you how much I love the wedding industry, then I'm not sure what will. We combine our packages to give couple's photos as well as a video of their special day. The really cool thing is we get to work together. He's the best and I'm excited that he decided to FINALLY take the leap and join this amazing industry with me.
Photography to me is really just beauty captured. It's love captured. It's special and it's magic. I love to show people their true beauty. I don't do anything special, I am just a vessel to show people HOW beautiful they actually are. I don't make them beautiful, I just capture it. I want my clients to walk away seeing, knowing and accepting the beauty that is not only on the outside, but on the inside as well. I love showing people love through my photographs as well. I love showing a bride the look her groom has when he sees her for the first time. I love showing the groom his mother's tears when she watches her baby boy say "I do" to the woman she has been praying for. I love to show the glowing looks of grandparents that are watching from afar. I love showing the bride her Kindergarten best friend's reaction when she sees her grown up best friend becoming a bride. Photography isn't just a job for me. It isn't something I grumble about having to go do. It's a gift and It's a blessing. I couldn't be more thankful that this is life I get to live.
To sum this up, this wouldn't be possible without my amazing family and friends who always supported me and pushed me to be all that I could be. It also wouldn't be my reality if I didn't have the MOST amazing clients in the WORLD! They truly inspire me and drive me to be the best I can be for them. My hope is that anyone who works with me walks away not only with photos, but an amazing memory AND a friend for life!!!!!! I'm so honored to be featured by one of my favorite companies today. You guys sure know how to make a girl feel so special!
God bless and much love.
XOXO,
Taylor Handte