Photographer
Born in Redondo Beach, California, Aaron Taylor was drawn to the arts early in his life. He learned to paint by watching PBS as a small child and after moving to the outskirts of Houston, Texas he also grew fond of the outdoors. He developed a love for the natural beauty that is around us everyday, seeing more of the roses and the sunshine than buildings and human structures. After moving back to California, Aaron rediscovered the ocean through influences from his uncle and father, and his love for nature changed forever through trips to beach cities around the globe.
Aaron’s family took several trips to Hawaii, which cemented his love for the vastness of the ocean. However, his transition from admirer to photographer took place during his last summer before senior year of high school when Aaron’s dad took him on a surfing trip to Bali, Indonesia. Borrowing his father’s Nikon camera, Aaron snapped his first ocean photo. Aaron honed his photography skills on another international surf trip with his dad in Australia, where he took more time framing shots and learning more about the technical side of the lensing systems. A photo from this trip at Bells Beach in Torquay, Australia is featured in this book.
In Aaron’s second year of college he took yet another life changing journey to Hawaii. With a broken leg he was forced to sit behind the lens and study lighting and even better capture the raw beauty of the ocean. He ended up crossing paths with a massive swell from Alaska, creating waves that ranged from double the height of a man to triple over head. From this swell, Aaron had the opportunity to shoot photos of legends such as Kelly Slater, Bruce Irons, Garret McNamara, Mark Healey, Sunny Garcia, and the young gun at the time Jamie O’Brien; a few of these images are also featured in this book.
Currently working as a media and marketing director in the surf industry, Aaron has the opportunity to shoot photographs on a daily basis. He continues to travel to exotic locations as well as explore the beauty of the California coastline.
