The Soul Society

The Soul Society Where photography has soul. Based in Kansas City, Missouri-traveling anywhere you are

Tatem & Brynn
06/16/2026

Tatem & Brynn

I can’t believe I’m saying this.We did this crazy thing where we left the “safe” job & went ALL IN ON THE SOUL SOCIETY!!...
05/30/2026

I can’t believe I’m saying this.

We did this crazy thing where we left the “safe” job & went ALL IN ON THE SOUL SOCIETY!!!!

I thought I’d have the perfect words for this.
But I don’t.

I thought I’d have some grand plan when the day came.
But I really don’t.

Honestly though?
We are the happiest we’ve ever been,
We’re running after the biggest tug toward what we want our life to look like (right beside our 3 kids) & can’t even believe it’s reality now.

I’m overwhelmed that we’re in a place to pursue this giant dream of storytelling & documenting as husband & wife.
What’s once was all hypothetical suddenly became reality???

The day I landed on “The Soul Society” (with the woman that taught me every thing I know about photography) I knew in my BONES this could be what I do the rest of my days.
I had zero idea what it looked like but I knew I wasn’t letting this thing go.

Now, it’s grown into our familys mission.
This craving to story tell became inevitable for us as husband & wife.

So anyway,
Hi! We’re Zach & Taylor!
A husband & wife storytelling team.
Delivering stories & photos you can’t look away from.

There’s so much to come.
Let’s create!!!

It took 10 years for me to notice. The story that’s woven into Dear Society. Their first ever fashion show was an ode to...
05/01/2026

It took 10 years for me to notice.
The story that’s woven into Dear Society.

Their first ever fashion show was an ode to the past 10 years of fashion, a community well built & a purse full of other successes. That got my attention.

I’ve been inside the shop a handful of times, a newly proclaimed fashion nerd like me, left inspired every. single. time.

You tell me you’ve got vintage, I’m in.

But here’s the thing.
It’s not just a pretty shop, with pretty clothing & pretty jewelry laid neatly near the front. DS is after the connection between fashion & community. CHECK.

I had an idea.
Let me document, let me experience & I’ll share about it afterwards. Something like this feels exclusive, with limited tickets, a high-end look & successful creatives RSVP’d.

Before I knew it I had a ticket with my name on it.

I walk into most experiences “blind”
No shot list.
No preconceived opinions.
No real plans.

Unless you consider “show up & document” a real plan.
I like to be surprised. Especially when photographing.

I made my way to the back of the shop, where statement pieces were being plucked, touch ups were made to under eyes & models were eager to be directed.
I liked this view.

The one where you see the personality being poured into the plans. You see the vision being brought to life. You see the details that can’t go unnoticed. At least, not by someone like me.

Seriously, it felt like the tiniest textures were screaming at me to be noticed!!!

I’ll skip to the part where the show was (obviously) a smashing success, people raaaaaaving about the freshly printed newspapers on their seat & the energy in the shop.

I’ll skip to where I met new people, connected with other cool people & pretty much didn’t think about anything else until the next morning.

I’ll skip to the part where before leaving, I found myself FILLED with questions for Chanel, the owner of this neat spot.
A place that’s 10 years in has to have a story I’m interested in.
(We’ll save more of that for later 👀)

See, that’s the thing about taking your shot.
You end up in a room that asks you to notice, begs you to stay & still leaves room for the story to go on.

I missed the moment. The one I was asked to document, the one that was suppose to be looked back on for the rest of thei...
04/08/2026

I missed the moment.
The one I was asked to document, the one that was suppose to be looked back on for the rest of their lives.

I got the text at 12:03am. I was READY.
I slept in the clothes I knew I’d wear to the hospital, camera bag next to the front door.
Quite literally hit the ground running within 2 minutes, out the door within 4.

Nobody repeat this…
BUT I WAS LITERALLY GOING 100 MPH DOWN THE ROAD.
Driving with one hand in my bag, prepping camera & one hand on the wheel.

I ran into the hospital, luckily the halls were empty.
I walked in room 308, ready for the moment.

But it had already happened.
There she was, taking her first breaths on mamas chest.

My immediate reaction was quilt. So much quilt.
I went as fast as I could & freaking missed it.
How did I let this happen?!

But then. BUT THEN.
I did document the moment.
The first flutters of her tiny eyes, the first time daddy held her, the beaming smile on mamas face.
I still get goosebumps over these itty bitty details.
The seconds that can’t be replicated, replaced or shot again.

I’ve shifted from guilt to grateful.
Grateful I missed the moment but STILL.
Grateful they had that privacy but STILL.
Grateful to have been in the room for those precious minutes, the ones following a miracle.

AND STILL,
Even when I missed the moment we were all waiting for,
I gave something back that won’t ever happen again.

I was invited to rehearsal, Not giving much thought past the word “orchestra” Without an understanding of music, let alo...
03/11/2026

I was invited to rehearsal,
Not giving much thought past the word “orchestra”

Without an understanding of music, let alone an orchestra, I knew I was interested. I love a good story to capture & this symphony is nearing 60 years. Count me in.

The day of rehearsal, I was rushing to get there on time.
Squeezing every ounce of life before & after my time in the theater.

I tried to imagine what it would be like once I got there, knowing my only experiences would fall short.
But still - my soul was curious.

When I made to the theater I was quickly given ultimate creative freedom. BIG WIN.
Tell me you trust me & I’ll thrive behind the camera.
It’s when there’s boundaries, road blocks, stop signs & one ways that things get tricky for an artist at work.

So,
I did what any artist does.
I watched.
I wondered.
I soaked it all up, at first.

Then, they started playing.
I was immediately engulfed by this music.
Somehow, I had downplayed this in my head.

I felt like I noticed things I’ve never seen before.
The instruments, the tools, the music sheets.
Have I seen this before???
I felt like I was really hearing an orchestra for the first time.
Taking note of each instrument as I quietly squeezed me & my canon through the seats.

Holy crap.
The talent that it’s on this stage.
The way they effortlessly understand the music sheets & play those instruments as easy as they would shake my hand.
Impressive, to say the least.

Obviously, they stay used to this kind of thing so I tried to keep my impressed thoughts in, instead of shaking every single one of them screaming “YOU’RE SO COOL!!!”

Here’s the thing.
It’s easy to forget about the talents we have.
It’s easy to get used to the things we do well.
We all know about this.

The way this orchestra moved me that day, it was refreshing.
I could have sat in that theater the rest of the day, just listening, just noticing.

I could have said no to the invite.
I could have missed the beauty on this stage.

It makes you wonder,
Just how many times have I passed by a quiet opportunity, the ones that beg you to stop & listen?

a rainy day with Huxlee
03/03/2026

a rainy day with Huxlee

Behind the curtain with Luzicka Ballet
02/21/2026

Behind the curtain with Luzicka Ballet

It’s been 8 months & 24 days since I last posted my work. What started as a quiet pull to comparison ended with a big fa...
02/17/2026

It’s been 8 months & 24 days since I last posted my work.

What started as a quiet pull to comparison ended with a big fat break from posting my work.
It wasn’t planned. I just found myself creeping toward less & less. A slow burn towards intentionality, purpose & a slight brand identity crisis.

After I closed my studio, I felt like my brand lost its direction.
I felt like the things I was working towards were suddenly taken off the table. Like my purpose with The Soul Society had somehow diminished.

Maybe this wasn’t my purpose?
Enter heavy doubt with a side of burnout.

After my business found its new normal, I’ve been in this state of limbo. Feeling this insane pull to the brand but also feeling so lost on where to step next.

Let’s rewind to day 1.
When I landed on the name for my business, I had a crisp sense of direction. Literally nothing could have convinced me this wasn’t my purpose in life.
(This feeling is still deep rooted)

But somewhere between life, motherhood, comparison & all the other crap - my photography slipped into

“What they want to see” instead of “what I want to see”

I found myself content with blending in with all the other photo accounts. This is where I sat for a while. Yikes.

So while ditching Instagram for the past 8 months & 24 days was completely unplanned & unintentional,
Here’s where we are now.

2025 was filled with weddings, baptisms, families, babies, anniversaries, creative portraits, branding, first birthdays, & parties. A little bit of everything, just the way I like it.

But what you didn’t see was the quiet in-betweens.
The part where I met people that shifted the way I live.
The stories I heard that shaped the way I do business now.
The people that set my compass north again.

I told myself January 1 was the reason to post.
A new year, a perfect reason to jump back in. Except, I didn’t have the words.

Until, today I did.
I spit out these words faster than I drink my morning coffee.
I’ve given space to curiosity just long enough to remember why I started in the first place.

& what comes next? I cant wait to find out ✨✨

At home, with you
05/28/2025

At home, with you

waters edge
04/17/2025

waters edge

Address

Kansas City, MO

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 3pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Soul Society posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category