Today we’d like to introduce you to Hailey Baird.
Hi Hailey, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
As shallow as it might sound, I began my initial journey with photography through social media during the rise of the “social media influencer” age. As a naive 15-year-old, I sought the acclaim and recognition that photographers and creatives were gaining on Instagram. Wanting to be a part of it, I bought my first DSLR camera with the help of my dad and recruited my sisters and friends to be my models in my pursuit of recreating photographer Brandon Woelfel’s viral photography style of hazy bokeh and cool-toned editing. As soon as I got to shooting more regularly, I began to care less about mimicking certain photographers’ styles and just really fell in love with taking portraits that my sisters and friends raved over. I loved getting to make them feel good about themselves and loved every part of the shooting and the editing. And, of course, deep down, I still craved Instagram fame, sure, but that faded away as my primary goal as I began to develop my own style. I moved to Prosper, Texas, when I was a sophomore in high school and got quickly involved in their photojournalism program. From there, I joined an independent study class where I was tasked with finding a mentor in my pursuit of choice, which was, of course, photography. Luckily my first contact and a photographer I had long admired, Nick Glover, graciously accepted the title of my mentor. I began assisting on shoots, helping set up lights and sets and watching first-hand how he interacted with professional models, stylists, and make-up artists for fashion and commercial projects. I accredit Nick with shaping my personal creative style and really helping me navigate my creative eye and networking skills. He pushed me to work with modeling agencies, create a website, and even gave me the opportunity to assist on a shoot for Vogue and Paper City. Nick graduated from UT Dallas, where I also ended up becoming an undergraduate student studying photography + digital art. Throughout my classes, at UT Dallas and Collin College I gained a wide range of hands-on photographic experience, but truly, my year as an intern for Nick Glover shaped my photographic style and goals the most. Currently, I am working on my pre-capstone photography endeavors in my senior year at UT Dallas and am also actively pursuing photographic opportunities within the Dallas creative community.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Throughout my photography career, there have definitely been patches of the road that were anything but smooth, usually having to do with creative block or lack of inspiration. As an artist, there is a constant internal and external pressure to constantly be creating new work, new photographs. There have been times in my career when I’m constantly making work, I am proud of and feel like I have constant inspiration, which is usually followed by periods of self-doubt and a creative rut. While this is a common experience for artists, it’s by no means an easy thing to overcome. With that said, I’ve always found ways to become re-inspired and rejuvenated creatively, whether that be through exposure to other artists’ work, collaboration, or external experiences. The bumpy patches of the road always make the smoother parts more appreciated.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As a practicing freelance photographer and digital photography student at UT Dallas, I specialize primarily in portrait, fashion, and mixed media photography. My work is distinguished by bright color palettes, collages featuring image + text, film emulation techniques, and scanning. I am most proud of the vast and broad body of work I have been able to create through my six years of practicing photography from age fifteen to now twenty-one. I love collaborating with other local Dallas creatives, whether it be models, creative directors, stylists, and other photographers, and my work is highly reflective of that. I have dabbled in film photography, concert photography, sports photography, marketing, and corporate photography, and of course, portraiture + fashion. I am probably most proud of the versatility I have garnered as a photographer, rather than of a single photograph in particular.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important thing I’ve learned throughout my journey with photography is that following trends or hopping on bandwagons is going to get you absolutely nowhere. If you’re “on trend,” you’re already behind. Being unique and creating work that might be different or “weird” compared to the images in your feed is what is likely going to be to your benefit, not blending in. Starting out, that was all I was doing. I wanted Instagram recognition and thought that basically copying popular photographers’ styles and editing techniques was going to get me that. In reality, that’s been done and shared, and people are already subconsciously searching for the next interesting thing. By creating work that doesn’t follow trends, you are opening many more doors to potential success.
Contact Info:
- Website: haileycbphoto.com
- Instagram: @haileycbphoto
Image Credits
HAILEYCBPHOTO
