Shane Taylor

Shane Taylor: “Say yes, when every instinct is to say no”



Shane Taylor street photographer

If you enjoyed the interview with Shane Taylor last week, here’s a bonus post. I touched on this subject when Shane and I met, but we later realised there was more to say. Shane has been open about experiencing anxiety, so I asked him to email me his thoughts on how street photography had helped him to manage his social anxiety.

As an introvert who frequently experiences social awkwardness, I found this very honest account somewhat relatable. Maybe you will too…

DRG: Tell me about how you used street photography to help with your social anxiety?

Shane Taylor: Everyone should try street photography for anxiety. It’s exercise. It gets you out in the sunlight. Like any craft, it’ll focus your mind in an effort to get better at it. It’s also a simple way of engaging with society and developing a sense of empathy.

Personally, I’ve struggled with social anxiety for most of my life. For me, it manifests as an overwhelming, irrational worry about what people are thinking about me. It’s taken me years to realise that the best way to cope with it is to force myself to be as social as possible. To say yes when every instinct is to say no. (more…)



Shane Taylor: people-watching with a camera



Shane Taylor - Ritz Piccadilly

A few years ago, I started following Shane Taylor (aka @heroesforsale) on Instagram. His street photography focusing mostly on a pocket of Mayfair caught my attention; his captured gestures and poetic moments a nod to mid-century greats like Saul Leiter and Garry Winogrand. Originally from Tipperary, he arrived in London in 2019, immersing himself in the people-watching potential of its diverse inhabitants. Building an Instagram following, he branched out into Framelines, a YouTube channel, printed magazine and Patreon community with his co-pilot Josh Edgoose. And now he has co-curated the Street Life exhibition at David Hill Gallery in West London (more…)



Things to see and do: spring 2020



Harold Feinstein 125th Street From Elevated Train, 1950. David Hill Gallery

HAROLD FEINSTEIN. I’ve loved street photography and street photographers ever since seeing an unforgettable Garry Winogrand exhibition at The Hayward as a student. (Some other faves: Tony Ray Jones, Weegee, Jamel Shabazz, Saul Leiter.) I always want to know what happens immediately after the moment of capture. (more…)