Born in 1955 in Biloxi, MS, Paul Taylor has been making photographs since he was a boy, when his father, noted colored-pencil artist Proctor P. Taylor, Jr., introduced him and his two older brothers to old-school black-and-white techniques in the family darkroom. In high school, Paul was an annual staff photographer, and continued through college as a news photographer for an off-campus newspaper at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism.

He continued as a news photographer as a cub reporter at the Houma Daily Courier in Houma, LA, then branched out into freelance practice while working as a staff member at Westside Camera Center in New Orleans. He earned the fortunate opportunity to work at NASA’s Michoud Space Center as a staff photographer for the Space Shuttle manned space program until the fateful Challenger disaster.

With his expertise honed to a high degree, Paul successfully courted commercial clients in New Orleans during the 1980’s and ‘90’s, working for architects, interior designers, the University of New Orleans and a major hospital. He was published in local and national publications, such as New Orleans Magazine and Time-Life publications. For many years he was the photographer of record for the Hermann-Grima and Beauregard-Keyes Historic Houses, producing fine architectural and interior photographs, some of which were reproduced as postcards or published in The Magazine Antiques.

During this time, Paul’s work was exhibited in an Arts Council of New Orleans show, at the Contemporary Arts Center, at several coffee shops and he was a permanent artist for several years at the Old Quarter Gallery on Royal St. Represented by Southern Stock photo agency, Index Stock Photography and eventually by Getty Images, Paul ran black-and-white as well as color darkrooms in New Orleans for fellow professional and amateur photographers. He also became a member of the American Society of Media Photographers.

In 2010 he relocated to Baton Rouge, continuing his freelance practice for various real estate clients, and other companies including the Port of Baton Rouge, the US Coast Guard, and Capital Pacific. Paul has won Louisiana Photographic Society competitions, had a three-year exhibit at the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport, exhibited at the Mayor’s Office in 2019, regularly sells work at Baton Rouge Hot Arts, Cool Nights and White Light Night events, the Burden Center and BREC’s Blue Bonnet Swamp Art Shows. Past retail venues include his former studio at N the Art Space, Harb’s Oasis, Mid-City Artisans, and BRASS Gift Shop. His current retail display is in Mosaic Gardens at Circa 1857.

See more of his work at: www.paultaylorphotog.com or email him at [email protected]