Today we’d like to introduce you to LaDonna Takyi Taylor.
Hi LaDonna, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My journey began long before I ever picked up a camera— in the quiet way I’ve always noticed connection. For years, photography was something I did quietly, almost in secret. I loved capturing people I cared about, friends, family members, anyone who trusted me enough to document a moment that mattered; but I never saw it as something I could truly own. I told myself I wasn’t ready, that I didn’t have the confidence or resources to stand beside the photographers I admired. So I stayed small. I said yes to portraits for friends and weddings for family members who couldn’t afford a full-time professional, convincing myself that was enough.
Everything changed after I lost my best friend, Shannon to COVID. Grief has a way of rearranging you — stripping away fear and leaving only what’s honest. In the emotional haze that followed, I realized how deeply photography had always been tied to my need to preserve and to hold onto love, memory and meaning. That realization became the foundation for LT² Photography.
The roots of my business spread from the Raleigh-Durham area, the house that made me. But my work has always traveled, and so have I. What started as a way to honor the people I love has grown into a full wedding and storytelling brand rooted in authenticity, transformation and soulful artistry. I’ve branched into markets in New York, Boston and most recently Hawaii. And I carry the same intention into every story I document: to create imagery that feels like home, even when life changes everything around it.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s funny, I sorta speak to this question a lot amongst friends in the wedding industry. Certainly being an army wife and a traveling wedding photographer has its challenges— from starting over in new markets and having to build community from scratch more than once, learning how to be visible, trusted, and consistent across different states and now across the Pacific.
My husband and I are in the process of buying a house in Hawaii and I recently learned the hard way to triple-check time zone differences. The week of a Kansas City wedding I’d had on my calendar for almost two years, I caught a flight-time discrepancy that would’ve landed me three hours late. Thankfully, it was a quick fix, but it was a reminder that traveling weddings require constant adaptability.
Of course, logistical hurdles pale in comparison to some of the personal ones. I would say though that losing Shannon changed everything for me, not just personally, but creatively. Grief doesn’t leave you; it just changes how you see light. She and I had dreamed together about starting a luxury wedding & event planning company. She was amazing with theming, and colors, and interiors, and textures, and decor! I just wanted to help my best friend be great. I didn’t know how, but I knew that I could figure it out.
There are parts of me that still hurt to my core — knowing that I finally bloomed after she’s gone, though part of me knows that if she were still here I never would have. But I know that every time I walk into a ballroom with my camera, pack my camera bag for another flight, or choose ribbon and mats for flatlays — I’m blessed to go live out our dream. So, I take a photo for her at every celebration, and when the day is done I know I honored our friendship.
Documenting my couples’ wedding stories through photo and video has definitely been an incredible, sometimes chaotic adventure with a steep learning curve. But every challenge has shaped me and forced me to evolve — not just as a photographer, but as a person. I guess that means I’m truly living.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a wedding photographer and filmmaker specializing in refined, story-driven imagery that feels cinematic yet deeply personal. Through LT² Photography, I create heirloom artwork that preserves the emotion and connection behind every celebration— that’s the premise of photos that feel like home.
My work blends editorial elegance with photojournalistic honesty. I’m known for creating reflective imagery that makes people feel deeply. My clients love that I have an eye for the quiet, in-between moments — a groom’s tears of joy, the unspoken exchange between a father giving his daughter away, or the way the light shifts over the ocean during portraits in Hawaii.
Whether I’m photographing a destination wedding, an engagement, or a Grand Gesture proposal, my goal is to make couples feel seen, not just beautifully posed.
What sets my work apart is the depth of care that goes into it and the experience my couples enjoy. I don’t approach weddings as events. I approach them as love stories unfolding in real time. Picture your favorite romance novel, but you get to be the main character.
My couples trust me because I bring calm energy, emotional intelligence, and the ability to see beauty in truth, especially in imperfect, fleeting moments. I very seldom have to fake or set up moments on wedding days. Generally, I’m just present for the real moments that matter. Looking at social media these days, I sometimes feel like one of the last photographers who still believes that love and marriage are real, and deserve to be celebrated and honored without the pressure to make everything Instagram-worthy.
I’m most proud that my art helps people heal and remember. After losing my best friend, Shannon, I realized how much power there is in preserving memory. Every wedding I photograph is a reminder that love is worth documenting with reverence, and that the images we create become part of a family’s legacy long after the day ends.
So instead of chasing trends, I tour venues up to a year in advance. Then I tour them again a couple of days before the wedding to truly understand the light, the emotion, and the space. I always ask myself, ‘What image will this couple want as a custom-framed 30×40 on their living room wall? I want to create that image for them because someday, when life feels hard, that photo will call to them, ‘Hey… remember?’ And love wins. Maybe that’s cheesy, but it’s real.
My mission is simple: to tell love stories with honesty and soulful artistry — creating timeless imagery that, even decades later, takes you back and reminds you exactly how it felt.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I was a mix of deeply introspective and incredibly social — a dreamer with a full calendar. I played soccer for 15 years and cheered for over 20, through college and beyond. I was the kid who carried a disposable camera everywhere, photographing things that seemed random at the time, but that decades later, are actually many of my core memories.
My dad worked for IBM through the ‘80s, ‘90s, and early 2000s, so we moved a lot — back then, we used to joke that IBM stood for “I’ve Been Moved.” I recently shared on Instagram that I’ve lived in so many states it’s hard to answer the simple question, “Where are you from?” But all those moves shaped me. They taught me how to adapt, connect, and find beauty wherever I land.
When people hear I was a cheerleader, they tend to make assumptions, but I was also the kid who wanted to be a model, actress, and singer — triple threat. At nine years old, I actually found an agent in Boston through the Yellow Pages! That decision launched a decade and a half of modeling and commercial work through undergrad. By my teens, I would’ve told you I was “so punk rock,” but in hindsight, I was probably just an emo kid with really big dreams.
If I had to sum up how I thought back then, I’d quote a line from High Hopes by Panic! At the Disco:
“Be something greater, go make a legacy
Manifest destiny back in the days
We wanted everything…”
In true Pisces energy, I’ve always had high hopes for a living and I think that spirit still guides a lot of what I do today.
Pricing:
- Wedding Collections begin at $6,500, with most couples investing between $7,500–$9,700 for full photo and video coverage.
- Destination Weddings and Elopements are quoted custom to travel and location, with tailored options for Hawaii and hub-cities on the mainland U.S.
- Grand Gesture Proposal Experiences and Engagements are curated individually to match the couple and their story.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://LTsquaredphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lt2photography
