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

Hi Taylor, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
The single most important decision that lead to the success of my business was investing in myself. I started by taking advantage of all of the free education that photographers that have been in the industry for years, joining reputable Facebook groups for photographers, and listening to podcasts. All of this provided a good foundation. Then, I started buying educational videos, becoming part of communities like “Adventure Academy” and “Rise Photo Academy” that really zoomed in on the business aspect, client experience, and how to get better pictures. The more I learned, the better I got at running my business from a business aspect, but more importantly, how to provide better service for my clients.

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 truly believe the connection that I make with each of my clients along with being true to my authentic self is what really sets my photography business apart from others. My husband jokes and says that I’m like a photographer of yesteryear because I’m not just someone’s elopement photographer that they found from a web search, but someone who is known more through word of mouth from providing such a true connection and comfort to clients.

One of my favorite quotes is by Theodore Roosevelt and it states “nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.” Building my photography business did not come easy, and that’s really what makes it worth it… to be constantly evolving to be a better business owner but also learning how to better serve the people I work with. I have overcome challenges by utilizing platforms that keep me organized, keeping a schedule to help me manage my time, but I think the most beneficial is by not being afraid to ask questions or for feedback to my peers in the industry. I still feel like I have a lot to learn as an adventure elopement photographer, but I’ll never stop learning and investing my time in education.

I have owned a digital camera since I was 9 and really started taking it serious in 2019, which then blossomed into this beautiful business I have now. My focus is to capture real authentic moments of my couples (and their favorite people if they tag along) that show the organic connection and relationship in the form of photography. No forcing smiles or awkward poses or saying “cheese”, just fun in the most memorable way. I’m not a photographer to just capture Instagram worthy pictures, you’ll have me as a support system. I’ll help give outfit advice for your couple’s session, pick out epic location for your “I Do’s”, and even give you sample timeline for your big day. Above all, I’m going to make sure you can sense the nostalgia in each of the moments I froze in time documenting the cascade of your unique love.

I’m proud of how far my photography business has come since I launched in February of 2022, and it’s because of all of my clients trusting me as their photographer. Without them I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
—- We would be having a blast in Breckenridge along Main Street doing tons of hiking, sightseeing, kayaking, eating tons of good food with good company.

Favorite sightseeing and hikes to do: Loveland’s pass, Mayflower gulch, Blue Lakes, McCullough Gulch waterfall trail, Fredonia Gulch trail, Baby doe, beaver meadows, and morning glory trail at Cucumber Gulch, Sawmill Reservoir, Sapphire Point, and Campion Trail.

Favorite food and drink spots: Downstairs at Erics, Giamppietro, BreckFast, Blue River Bistro, Downstairs Deli, Higgles Ice Cream, The Motherloaded Tavern, Windy City Pizza & Pub, Columbine Cafe, and Modi’s Breckenridge.

Places to visit and hang out: taking the gondola up and hanging out at the Breckenridge resort to ski in the the winter or sliding down the mountain in the summer, ziplining with AVA rafting and zipline, and a guided fishing tour with Breckenridge Outfitters, and there is ALWAYS a festival going on… my person favorite is the food and wine festival in July.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
ABSOLUTELY! There are 3 main contributors that helped me get my business started, kept me going, and taught me how to stay organized. First is Cassidy Lynne Education- Cassidy puts out TONS of free education for photographers in various parts of their career, but really focuses on new photographers entering the industry. She has a podcast called “Oh Shoot!” that I have listened to since I found it, and I have taken her “Back to the Basics” course which really helped me. Second- Adventure Instead by Maddie Mae and Henry. They put out a lot of free education and have a Facebook group that they are very involved in. I just invested in The Elopement Photographer Course and WOW it has already started to level up my business. Last, but not least is Rise Photo Academy. Dawn Charles has created a course that helps with learning editing, posing, workflow, and the fundamentals of photography.

The most important thing to me about all 3 of these businesses and photographers is they pick community over competition. They want you to learn and be successful! The industry needs more like them!

Website: under construction until 12/30/2022: lovescascade.com

Instagram: @lovescascade

Facebook: Love’s Cascade by Taylor

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