Episode 39: Photography, Recovery, & Resilience with Taylor Picard
Photography, Recovery, & Resilience with Taylor Picard
Season 2 starts here — and it’s all about grounded creativity
I’m back! I’m so excited to kick off a brand-new season ofWild Women in Photography, and I couldn’t think of a better first guest than Taylor Picard. I’ll be catching up with previously recorded conversations like Taylor’s so stay tuned for that.
Taylor is a hiking guide, naturalist, and photographer who lives and works in Southwestern Utah. She’s also someone who knows what it’s like when everything suddenly changes.
What happens when you have to slow down?
Taylor had just started working as a guide in Zion National Park when her injury happened. It was painful, frustrating, and honestly pretty inconvenient. But while she was off her feet, she finally had time to sit with her photos — and to learn how to actually process them.
She taught herself Lightroom. She started sharing her work. And more than that, she found that her creative voice was starting to take shape — not in the way she expected, but in a way that felt real.
We talk a lot in this episode about what it means to pivot without a plan — and how slowing down can actually push your creative work forward in the long run.
Finding magic in small scenes (and 46 canyons)
Taylor had just started working as a guide in Zion National Park when her injury happened. It was painful, frustrating, and honestly pretty inconvenient. But while she was off her feet, she finally had time to sit with her photos — and to learn how to actually process them.
She taught herself Lightroom. She started sharing her work. And more than that, she found that her creative voice was starting to take shape — not in the way she expected, but in a way that felt real.
We talk a lot in this episode about what it means to pivot without a plan — and how slowing down can actually push your creative work forward in the long run.
Letting go of “perfect” — and learning to reframe
One of the things I love about this conversation is how real Taylor gets about the pressure to “get it right.” Like a lot of us, she wrestled with perfectionism — especially early on, surrounded by experienced photographers who seemed to have it all figured out.
But over time, she let go of the comparison and started creating in a way that felt right forher. That shift didn’t just change her photography — it changed how she saw her experience.
At one point, she shares a quote that’s really stuck with me:
“Instead of asking, ‘Why did this happen to me?’ I started asking, ‘Why did this happen for me?’”
That mindset reframe helped her make peace with the detour — and actually see it as part of the process. It’s something I think all of us could use, especially when things don’t go according to plan.
Here are some of my favorite moments from the episode
The story behind Taylor’s injury — and how it reshaped her creativity
How she uses photography to ground herself in the present
Why she’s drawn to small scenes, abstracts, and plant life
Her canyon-crushing adventures in Death Valley
Naturalist wisdom and the practice of seeing
Letting go of perfectionism and embracing your own pace
What’s next for Taylor, including ideas for women’s photo experiences in the wild
Thank you Taylor!
Here’s how to stay connected:
About Taylor:
Taylor is a hiking guide, naturalist, and photographer in Southwestern Utah. As a professional guide, she’s passionate about facilitating moments of awe and curiosity for her guests.
She enjoys helping people find deeper connection and understanding of the spaces they’re interacting with–spaces such as Zion, Bryce, and Death Valley National Parks. Taylor uses photography as a form of creative meditation. By focusing mostly on small scenes, abstracts, and plants, her photography grounds her in the present moment and helps her find peace.
Taylor is a recovering perfectionist who is happiest when she’s outside, and is often found rambling, climbing, and rappelling in canyons. Forever a dreamer, she hopes to one day add a creative element to her guided hiking tours.
