January 13, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

10 things you don’t know about me… Taylor Baldner

This week we asked Taylor Baldner of Taylor-Made Photography to tell us 10 things about herself. Baldner has recently joined the Army Reserves and left for basic training last week.

What is your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memory is definitely when I would get to go visit my grandma and grandpa in Florida. We’d always take walks on the beach and then get ice cream afterward.

What is a book you have read that has stayed with you?
I am super busy so I don’t have much time to read books, however, one of my favorite books was called “Trance” by Linda Gerber. I love the mysterious books.

What is something people don’t know about you?
Something a lot of people don’t know about me is I love art. I love drawing or doing many types of art project in my free time.

What was the name of your first pet?
My first pets name was Chase, he was a European Shorthair Cat.

Where is your favorite place you have ever traveled to?
Definitely Costa Rica. It was a beautiful tropical vacation. We spent a lot of time touring volcanic area, the mountain side and the cities.

What is something you always carry with you?
I always carry my phone with me and my debit/ID card.

Why did you decide to join the Army?
I decided to join the army, because I love new things, the benefits are great, and I would love to serve my country. There are honestly so many reasons as to why, I just chose a few.

What is something you are looking forward to?
When I get back I want to travel more. It’s one of the things I just love to do and of course bring my camera with me to take some cool pictures.

What do you like about photography?
I love photography because you can capture such beautiful natural pictures from a different angle than you would normal see. You also meet some amazing people on the way.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
The best advice I have ever been given is to always be yourself. It’s better the stand alone for the right reason, than to stand with a thousand other people for the wrong reasons.

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