A Baton Rouge photographer and member of The Social Boot, a local creative collective, has made a name for himself through the unique, personal photos he’s been capturing and sharing since 2020.
Taij Stewart, hailing from St. Gabriel, Louisiana, was a photographer at heart long before he took his first photo. Armed with a passion for documenting the world around him and an appreciation for older artistic mediums, he officially started learning the trade in 2020.
Since then, Stewart has amassed over 3,000 followers on Instagram by sharing his work. On Friday, Oct. 4, his photo book “The 808 Theory” will be available for purchase.
Stewart said the book is the sumation of everything he’s worked at so far. And it’s name, he said, is a reference to the album “The Low End Theory” by A Tribe Called Quest.
“I challenged myself to really take photography seriously this year, and the results have exceeded my expectations,” Stewart said. “The book will be released October 4 and is essentially a time capsule of my life.”
Stewart said his interest in photography long predates his first camera.
“I first fell in love with the style of ‘90s VHS and the whole concept of documenting my life before I even picked up a camera,” Stewart said. “I would download VHS apps on my phone and record on it to achieve that effect.”
Soon after purchasing his first camera, the COVID-19 lockdown halted his creative pursuits but gave him time to strengthen his skills as a photographer.
“It was a lot of trial and error when I first started taking photos because I had a film camera,” Stewart explained. “I had to learn how to take pictures as I waited to get film back and determine if the photos I took were good or not.”
After solidifying his skillset, Stewart began working on projects with people he knew. This is how he became a member of The Social Boot, a Baton Rouge creative collective, in 2021.
“My good friends Ugo and Uzo went to school near me for years,” Stewart said. “They were the first ones to bring me into the Baton Rouge creative scene. I didn’t know I was talented until I got around other talented people, and they told me.”
This experience set the precedent for his relationship with other creatives, which he said allowed him to flourish. Since then, he’s gone on to photograph countless people, groups and events, developing a personal photography style in the progress.
One of the creatives he connected with, Simiya Bush, is a junior studying art at LSU. Bush said she’s come to deeply appreciate Stewart’s artistic style.
“I met Taij through mutual friends, and once we did our first shoot together, we’ve been homies ever since,” Bush said. “I enjoy shooting with him because he knows how to make every shot count and capture something beautiful every time. He has a great eye for photography and people, and it shows in all his work.”
Building chemistry with his subjects is also paramount to Stewart’s creative process.
Stewart frequently photographs his subjects in unique poses, which is only possible because of the open communication he fosters during shoots.
Gabrielle Ward, an LSU senior studying communication disorders, was recently photographed by Stewart and shared similar sentiments.
“Taij is such a kind person who is genuinely passionate about his work,” Ward said. “I’m very thankful that I got to work with him.”
To keep up with Taij, you can follow him on Instagram: @808taij.
