Montreal photographer reopens studio after devastating fire
Three months after a Montreal photographer's studio burned down, she is reopening her doors to her community.
Taylor Halperin lost much of her work in a studio fire on Jan. 25 that took memories of her grandfather, who inspired her passion for photography. A photo of her grandfather and the camera he gave her were lost in the fire.
In her new studio in the Pierrefonds neighbourhood, she is eager to reconnect with her community.
"It feels great to be back and taking steps in the right direction and moving forward," said the 23-year-old. "He would just be proud that I'm continuing and trying so hard to do what I love no matter what comes my way."
It was her community that helped BEEhind the Lens Photography studio rise from the ashes.
"I couldn't have done it without them: friends, family, clients, even total strangers who've donated parts of cameras, everything like that," she said.
Residents in the area swung by her launch party to support the photographer, much like they did after the fire.
"When people in the community heard about her story, she got offers of commercial spaces to get her back up and running," said her father Andrew Halperin.
Some residents have hired Taylor Halperin over multiple years.
"She's captured major milestones for all three of my daughters," said Jennifer Patterson, who has been a client for six years.
Photographer Taylor Halperin, 23, lost her studio in a fire in January, but has rebuild and relaunched it with the help from her community. (Sasha Teman/CTV News)
Halperin left a lasting imprint on some families when she undertook the "Front Steps Project" during the COVID-19 pandemic. The series featured families posing in front of their homes during the lockdowns.
"For us, when she came during that time, it was very uncertain," said Navneet Kaur. "It was a very lonely time, and she came to our house, and we actually felt really special getting all dressed up for the photos. And those are actually the only professional photos I have of our family."
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