When I created these images one week in June 2013, it was a very personal and mentally freeing experience.  I planned my days around the sun and deliberately shot these photographs with as much natural light as possible instead of trying to perfect everything with artificial lighting. For me, this was an exercise in letting go. Sometimes in life we focus so much on what we lack that we don’t take the time to accept, appreciate, and make the most of what we already have. These photographs are my attempt to do that visually.

I was at the end of my rope with a relationship I’d been in and was trying to come to terms with the fact that the person I fell in love with was not who I thought she was. She had manipulated my thought process enough to me make me feel like there was nothing good about myself – and – to a point – I believed her. By the end of the relationship, I’d never felt worse about myself.  So I decided to drive down to my folks’ place in North Florida to disconnect for a week.

I was determined not to sit around moping while there, so I decided to shoot an entirely new portfolio of work. This wouldn’t be just any portfolio for me, though. You see, my ex wasn’t the only person who’d made me feel badly about myself. In the past, I’ve been openly discriminated against not because of how I look or act, but because of how I talk and where I’m from. Some people out there are not big fans of the South or its people. Because of this, I had tried to downplay my Southern country roots when it came to business.

I share all of this because it’s the reason why I shot these images.  I was tired of feeling like I needed to change for those that didn’t accept or appreciate me professionally, or otherwise. So I set out to capture The South – southern people, places, and activities – in an effort to celebrate who I am, and where I’m from.

Look very closely at these images. There is a beauty in them that you can’t see with your eyes. You can only see it with your heart.

-Keith Taylor 

John Bullard :: Thank you for getting the word out about the show as you did on Facebook. You are clearly a very well liked man that a lot of people around here look to in order to find out what the latest news is in town. There wouldn’t have been the turnout there was last night without your help.

Lisa Thompson and The Whole Art Gallery Staff :: You all were great host and all so nice to me. I was worried that I hadn’t printed enough when I saw the size of the gallery space, but you all took what I brought, and hung it in such a way that it looks really well balanced. It looks great. I think your creative vision for how it should all flow was better than mine would have been.

I took this shot of the gallery yesterday afternoon prior to heading home to get ready for the reception. It’s a great space to show work in.

Everybody That Shared Post On Facebook About The Reception :: Thank you for the support. You all really contributed to the great turnout. I never would have thought to see such a great turnout for something art related in Madison, FL. You all were not just supporting me by doing so, though. You were supporting the southern way of life.Everybody That Was In The Photographs, Or A Parent Of A Child Shown In The Work :: There is a certain amount of trust that must be present in order to allow somebody like me to photograph you or your kid in a non traditional way. You couldn’t see what I saw in my head when I was shooting it, but you trusted me to represent you (or your kid) well in doing so. Thank you for your trust. 

Blake Checking Out Blake :: This is an iPhone shot I took last night of the kid fishing in the shown photographs, Blake, checking out the results of his effort modeling for me.

Blake and I at the reception standing in front of the photos of him shown in the show.

North Florida Community College, Madison County Community Bank, Madison Dental Associates, and The One Other Public Figure That Donated A Sizeable Amount To The Cause That Asked To Not Be Named :: I believe your financial contributions will cover most, if not all, of the high price of putting together such a show. I so appreciate your help with it and hope that you all look at it knowing that you helped make something happen that matters. Art matters. And the way of life that was celebrated through the work shown in it matters. 

This was the promo that the college designed and sent out to promote the exhibit.

My Family And Friends :: You all have supported and encouraged me in doing something that has been amazingly frustrating for me at points. Thank you for believing in me. Your continued support and encouragement has meant the world to me.

God :: Thank you for putting the right people in my life at the right time to get me where I am today. A couple of those people hurt me in ways that I’d never care to experience again, but, it’s amazing to me looking back and seeing how those relationships resulted in me gaining a greater sense of who I am, who you want me to be, and what I need to do with my life. Thank you for giving me the ability to see and capture the world in a way that others appreciate and can identify with. And thank you for not striking me down with a bolt of lightning – yet.

Thank you all for helping my dreams come true. It has been a surreal experience being asked to show a body of work in my hometown (where most of it was shot) at the college I started at right out of high school. It has lead to me thinking a lot about where I was back then, where I am now, and how far I’ve come since then. There is no other place that I would have rather been asked to do my first art exhibit at. It has been an absolute honor.