*This story is brought to you by Most Incredible Studio founder Syreeta Gates as a part of our Because Of You: Legacy in Focus campaign honoring contemporary Black photographers*
Joshua Taylor is a product of his city. Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, his environment shaped his eyes, creativity, and determination. Moving between working-class spaces and artistic ambitions, he navigated a world that often tried to define his possibilities for him. Instead, he chose to carve his path.
His work embraces the city in all its dimensions—capturing the resilience of its people and the small yet powerful moments that make up everyday life. He photographs alleyway basketball games, neighborhood entrepreneurs, and elders who built legacies before they knew they were doing it. To him, these are not just simple snapshots but visual proof of a history still in motion.
Taylor moves with intention. His work is about presence. Rooted in personal and community storytelling, his images document the lives of Black professionals, creatives, and everyday people who often go unseen. Each frame challenges perception, amplifies legacy, and reclaims the right to be remembered in full.
“I want to take power back into the narrative of telling our own stories,” Taylor says. “We are brilliant, we are successful, and we create every day. My work exists to showcase that.”
To Taylor, photography is more than a profession—it is a tool for remembrance, self-discovery, and transformation. His portraits don’t just reflect an individual in a moment; they show a person becoming, stepping into their own, and claiming space.
“Much of my work is about helping people see themselves in a way they’ve never been seen before,” he says. “This isn’t just a photo—it’s legacy. When the session is over, this image will outlive both of us.”
Taylor extends this philosophy beyond his camera. His work with Chicago’s youth ensures that future generations understand their power as storytellers. Whether through a cell phone lens or a film camera, he encourages young people to document their world, to capture the beauty in the mundane, and to leave behind something tangible.
Taylor believes in creation through action. He sees photography the same way he sees life— as a building process, taking small moments and piecing them together until they form something more significant. This is why the Because of You: Legacy in Focus LEGO set resonates so deeply with him.
“You can have a whole pile of bricks, but it’s not going to be anything until you decide to take one and put it in front of the other,” he reflects. “My grandfather used to say, ‘You can pray all you want, but nothing’s going to happen until you move your feet.’”
Taylor’s work is movement. It is memory. It is an ongoing conversation between past, present, and future—showcasing Black life in all its brilliance, built one image at a time.
Cover photo: Meet Joshua Taylor, the Photographer Spotlighting Chicago, Creativity, and the Power of Everyday Stories/Photo credit: Bold Journey/Joshua Taylor/Instagram