{"id":61622,"date":"2019-11-19T11:45:23","date_gmt":"2019-11-19T16:45:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/?p=61622"},"modified":"2025-03-21T06:59:26","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T10:59:26","slug":"meet-a-pro-documentary-director-photojournalist-taylor-rees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/meet-a-pro-documentary-director-photojournalist-taylor-rees\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet a Pro: Documentary Director & Photojournalist Taylor Rees"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

“Media is power,” says Taylor Rees (@taylorfreesolo<\/a>), in her 2018 TedxJacksonHole talk<\/a>. “Being able to create and share a story about another place in the world that\u2019s often not represented is power.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her goal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Rees’ goal is not to soak up this power, however; she aims the influence and attention gained from her photography and documentary work back towards the communities in focus, co-creating with the people in front of her camera with the aim of improving their economic or political well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her journey<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It was following graduate school at Yale and a masters in environmental studies and film when she realized this would be her passion in life. Combining her education with her talents for adventuring, Taylor Rees joined on her first expedition, trekking 150 miles in the Burmese jungle to Hkakabo Razi, Southeast Asia\u2019s highest peak, for the 2015 film Down to Nothing<\/em>. She then went on to co-direct Life Coach<\/em> and direct Mentors: Hilaree Nelson<\/em> and Ashes to Ashes<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together with her husband Renan Ozturk<\/a>, a fellow celebrated photographer and videographer, Taylor pushes herself to highlight underrepresented perspectives as well as controversial and challenging topics, including climate change and race tensions in communities literally and figuratively on the edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The interview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In between expeditions, Taylor Rees shared with us how she prepares for shooting in the harshest conditions, as well as when she knew her work was truly making a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her first fall<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Adorama:<\/strong> Was there a moment you remember first falling in love with photography? Describe it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taylor Rees:<\/strong> I fell in love with photography 20 years ago (when I was 14) and took my first darkroom class. I was experimenting with film and developing, taking photos of my little brother splashing in puddles, photos of my friends. It was truly the origin of my love for photography.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A post shared by Taylor Rees (@taylorfreesolo)<\/a> on