This is a weekly series where we feature our incredibly talented Adolescent members and their work! Sign up here to join the Adolescent Membership and be part of the @ family!

This week, our Member Crush is Jaedyn Taylor. Based in Maryland/D.C., Jaedyn is a Black photographer who mainly focuses on portraits and themes of nostalgia. For our newest feature, we sat down with him to talk about being on the cover of New York Magazine (because of Adolescent!), the diversity of D.C., and the pros of slowing down in 2020.

Adolescent Content: Tell us a little bit about yourself! Where are you from? How old are you? How are you spending your time these days?

Jaedyn Taylor: My name is Jaedyn and I’m a photographer from D.C. I'm 19 and a sophomore at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. As of now, I'm spending time [doing online school], going on adventures with my friends (safely), or just staying at home and watching YouTube.

Adolescent: How has 2020 changed your work and style?

Jaedyn: 2020 has made me slow down with my work, unfortunately. But personally, I feel like it's actually a good thing to slow down sometimes because it's easy to get caught up in the moment. It’s made me want to be more detailed with my work, and I'm also becoming more vocal about my artistic direction.

Adolescent: Can you tell me about your creative process, from coming up with a concept to editing?

Jaedyn: My shooting process for the most part is just being resourceful and not afraid to try different things. I sometimes work with almost nothing! I usually come up with my concepts on the fly, and [recently I’ve started wanting to work more with fashion]. I’ve recently started editing my photos more in Lightroom and Photoshop, but the phone works just as well sometimes. 

Adolescent: How does being in D.C. affect your work?

Jaedyn: It’s one of the most diverse places you could ever be in! A lot of my friends come from all over the world and I find that quite amazing. [I get to be around all kinds of] cultures and influences.

Adolescent: What’s it been like being an Adolescent Member?

Jaedyn: It’s been pretty interesting—I got to be on the cover of New York Magazine! And whenever I tell people that, everyone gets a shocked expression and it makes me feel kind of special. Also, it's great to see fantastic, young artists sharing their talent and work.