Robert Taylor’s work embodies a strong connection to rural northern California, home to his family for four generations.  Born in 1946, Robert has been engaged in the making of photographs for over forty years.  Entirely self taught, he uses a 4x5 and 8x10 view camera and chooses images that have a special history or personal meaning, often capturing ordinary life within minutes of his home.  His love of the land in Mendocino and its special qualities are translated into his photographs.

Frank Leavitt, a Brooks graduate, introduced photography to Taylor during their mutual tour of duty. That fed the desire to capture images of local scenes when he returned home to California.  He was even more inspired after seeing an exhibition of Ansel Adams and most particularly, to perfect his technical and esthetic excellence.

Robert Taylor is often called “a photographer’s photographer” because others involved in the medium often appreciate his craftsmanship and collect his images.  This seal of peer approval encourages Taylor to continually enhance his craft and always be alert for the next great image.  His personal dedication and commitment is seen in his painstaking approach to creating images produced in a traditional darkroom.

Beginning in 1991, Taylor has been featured in Black and White Magazine and shown his work in over 25 exhibitions.  Taylor’s personal view of photography shows his intimate connection to the medium, “Each of my photographs illuminates something of who I am – and who I have been – as I reflect on them.  But the abiding joy of photography remains in the fact that where it is leading me is still a great mystery.”