Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Hailey.
Sarah, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Like many photographers, I began by documenting my own life with my kids. I bought my first DSLR camera 10 years ago, and I loved snapping away at my daughter’s soccer games, gymnastics meets, and events at school. Once I had my second daughter, I started playing around and getting more creative images. As an educator myself, I knew I had a ton to learn, so I began taking online photography classes in between all my kids’ activities and working full time as a high school physics teacher. I began practicing on friends and family and soon found that I loved documenting other people’s lives as well. So, I took a leap of faith and officially started my business. It was a slow process at first as I was still working full time and photographing families on the weekends. When I had my third child, I choose to not go back to teaching, so that I could focus solely on my business. While I miss teaching, it was the best decision I could have made for my family because this was when my business took off.
Has it been a smooth road?
My biggest struggle was in my head. Growing up, I had an idea of what an artist or a creative looked like. I couldn’t draw or paint. I couldn’t act. I played the violin for years but wasn’t very good. I determined very early on that I could never be an artist because I was a bookworm that excelled in math and science. I didn’t think I could be both good at school and artistic. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life when graduating high school, so I went along with what I was good at. I started as a mechanical engineering major at the University of Texas. I’ll spare you all the details, but after three different schools and four changes in my major, I landed on teaching. I actually have a degree in Biology! Little did I know that I had this creative side of me that I just needed to embrace. I’m so grateful that I stumbled upon this creative outlet that has now become my career.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Sarah Hailey Photography story. Tell us more about it.
I’m a lifestyle photographer that specializes in families, children, and newborns. My goal is to give my family portraits that you can look back on and adore for years to come. I want you to remember your children just as they are right now. I love documenting how my families interact with one another, and I do not tell children to “cheese.” I simply get children to smile by getting them to talk about something they love or laughing about something silly. We have fun during our sessions by running, telling jokes, hugging, and tickling. I love true and honest expressions.
Last year, I expanded my business into preschools. I love interacting with young children! Again, I never ask them to “cheese” for me. I document their genuine personalities and expressions. I absolutely love providing parents with great “school photos” that showcase their child’s personality.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The photography industry is crazy and growing so fast. There are photographers everywhere! There are photographers that strictly use their iPhone guys! As a society, we take so many photos but do not print 99% of them. I can relate to the moms that are the “documentarians” of the family. Always taking the photos but never in them. I want to make sure my families receive good quality images of the entire family that they are proud to print and display in their homes.
I also stay away from tendy “filters” on images. I always give bright, vibrant, and true to life colors as well as classic black and white images.
Pricing:
- Sessions start at $500
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sarahhaileyphotography.com
- Email: info@sarahhaileyphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahhaileyphoto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahhaileyphotography/
Image Credit:
Sarah Marie Photography
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