Taylor Lashae 🌹
Paris in the fall feels like home to my soul. I fell in love with the city in a new way this trip. A familiar beauty. A hazy dream. Deep, wild, romantic, dark, powerful, elegant. Warm days writing in the garden and cool nights nestled into a restaurant with a glass of wine. Less tourists, more lovers. My heart ached as its hidden beauty revealed itself in the chipped statues overgrown with roses, lovers bundled up sharing a cigarette in a hidden alleyway, little toy sailboats floating in grand fountains. Every corner of the city was poetry - especially on the outskirts of town. Drifting in and out of dark cafes, long deep talks in bed as the September sun streamed through our window, writing down our dreams in La Jardin Du Luxembourg. I felt alive, vibrant, limitless.
It seemed so perfectly fitting to meet Taylor Lashae on Friday night at dusk to photograph her in her Parisian apartment. I walked up to the blood red front door of her building as the sun was setting. The street was quiet apart from restaurants starting to set up for the evening. Her Los Angeles phone number appeared on my screen and when I answered, her voice was instantly warm, familiar and inviting. By phone, she navigated me through the labyrinth entrance - through doorways, courtyards, red velvet carpets and stairways, tiny elevators and golden handles to her apartment door that was propped open. When I walked in, she greeted me with the warmest hug and genuine smile.
Some people you meet and something about their soul changes you. You can’t always put your finger on it, but their ease, authenticity and energy just stay with you afterwards like a little souvenir in your pocket. Taylor was one of those people. Confident without a trace of an ego, stunning without having to try, a soul that can’t help but exude poetry and experiences. We hung out like old friends - chatting about life, having a dance party in her bedroom and bonding over our love for outdated, obsolete video equipment. We shot in my favorite style - just talking and connecting with a photo snapped here and there in between words.
All images shot on film as always. I hope you like them.
Beyond photography, I’m passionate about helping people become their most authentic self and develop a photography aesthetic that unlocks all the doors and opportunities life has to offer. I know you’ll love it. Click here to check it out. I also offer a transformative 6 week 1 on 1 photography mentorship for those ready to take things to the next level (online based so it doesn’t matter where you live) - email me at hello@carlydame.com to chat x