Today we’d like to introduce you to Haley McKay.
Hi Haley, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I first picked up a camera in 2008 when my dad walked into my room with a bag full of old 35mm’s and film. I had recently shared with him that I wanted to start photography as an elective in school. I enjoyed being behind the camera- it helped my anxiety and helped me live in the moment instead of constantly looking towards the future. I learned to stay in the present and it humbled my appreciation for life and how beautiful simple things could be. I started photography in HS and applied for my BFA at a school in NYC after I scored a 5/5 on my AP exam for my portfolio in Photography AP. I ultimately decided to pursue Marketing in Huntsville, TX at SHSU. I graduated in 2016 and felt very out of place, I didn’t think I could do photography as a career and quickly applied for “Marketing Jobs” all around Houston. I was so unhappy in the corporate world until my Husband, and I found out we were expecting with our first baby girl. She was our rainbow baby! We were so excited. I had been photographing through high school and college. I knew this was my chance to fully focus on my passion for my career in photography. So, I quit my 9-5 and started photographing full time in 2019. I never looked back, and I have been so fortunate to have this successful career and been able to be a present mom to my two girls. I love my job so much! The people I have met who have stuck with HLP for years. It means the absolute world to me. I started photographing weddings in 2014. I have really enjoyed weddings- I enjoy the planning process with my couples and staying their friends through the years to photograph their maternity sessions, newborn sessions and family sessions. I opened up my first studio in Cypress, TX in 2022. I have been having a blast photographing couples, maternity, family and newborns. I still photograph weddings but have transitioned to only taking 12-15 weddings a year instead of 30-50 weddings. This has helped me focus on my couples and my family. I have enjoyed taking on more babies for their newborn photos and capturing more families. I cannot wait to see what my business has in store for me in the next 10 years!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not always been a smooth road. I struggle still with identity crisis- comparing my work with others. My editing, posing, etc. It is very challenging sometimes to feel like you’re worth it in the creative industry- since there are SO many talented artist. What has helped me get through comparing my work is by supporting other locals or even non-locals. I choose to embrace friendships! Community over competition is huge in my book. I do not gate keep anything! I am an open book when it comes to sharing advice with others. I think educating others with my photography knowledge is what has helped me not compare so much. There are times where I get in my head and feel like I want to put down my camera, but I enjoy my career so much more than what others may even realize. I have so much passion for what I do. Walking into clients’ homes, seeing their images printed up that they treasure so much- that is what keeps me going. Clients that continue to choose me to capture their memories even though my pricing may have increased- it means the world. I view my clients as a part of my family, they’re my friends. I stay in touch with almost all of my clients. My moments with them are not just an hour or a 1/2-hour shoot. There is so much that goes into planning their sessions, to photographing them, editing and then delivering. It is constant relationship building. I truly think that is why people return. They enjoy my attention to detail and how I truly care about not only the pictures in the gallery but them as a person. Another moment in time that was rough for HLP was 2020- it was a rough year for all of us… Let’s be honest. All those events, weddings, and more- I struggled that year to book, to replan and to reschedule. It was a TOUGH year. It was just a few months after I had my daughter and decided to go full time. I am very glad I made it out of that year! We all did!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I photograph Newborns, Weddings, Families, Maternity and Couples. I am known in the wedding industry since 2014 and have been photographing 20-45 weddings a year since. This past year in 2022, I opened up a studio in Cypress, TX to focus more on my newborns and families. I have enjoyed photographing babies for about 5-6 years, so I was excited to open up a studio outside of my home with my business partner- to really target that market and capture some growing families. I think becoming a mom has made me appreciate the themed sessions more, as I know how important they are to capture. My kids’ looks change every day- and let’s be honest they don’t have the longest attention span for photos. So, every season, I plan out some fun, creative ideas for themed limited sessions (or minis). I have enjoyed hosting minis now for the past 6 years and each year they’re becoming more and more popular. I host minis for spring, fall, and winter. These sessions are always so fun to take and always a blast to come up with! I have hired more photographers than I can count. I have enjoyed having photos done of my family and my husband and I for more than 11 years. Personally, I think what sets me apart from other photographers is my client relationship and overall client experience. I do not rush; I talk and communicate with my clients- I want to know about what they do for a living, how they met, what are the things they love to have captured and not, do they have pets, do they love to travel, how their kids are and what they like, etc. I love building a relationship. I truly care about my clients, and I want them to feel that during the pre-booking to the session and even after delivery of their gallery. I think that matters! I also have a huge immense amount of attention for detail- I cannot even tell you how many times I have received a gallery back- and wondered why the creative did not fix my hair, my bra strap or how they posed me in an awkward position. I know not all photographers have the time to do so, and that is totally understandable. I do my best to really pay attention to detail- it makes a difference in the photo in my opinion. I do not want to look back and wish I could have just fixed it when I saw it in person. I hope that when you book a session with me- you feel loved and that you feel taken care of during the process- and once you receive your photos you cherish them!
How do you define success?
I define success as how you grow as a business/ and or as a person- and by how it makes you feel as a person. What I mean is- when I book a session, I have felt a small joy of success. A stranger found my images on Instagram, Facebook, a Friend or Google- and decided out of all the photographers in Houston, TX to hire me. That is success to me. Why? Well- it took me a long time to get my first client that I didn’t know personally. It took a lot of sessions, education, and personal money (that was not profit) to make it to where I am today. There is so much that comes with owning your own business. I have had success because I have learned to grow as a person- there is so much growth within my work as well- you have to know how to change to keep up with the demands, and you have to want to be a better photographer every day- to learn and to push more to strive for more to be a better creative. Some people view success as money or tangible things. I view my success in client relationships, return clients, and friendships I have made with past clients and other photographers. I view success as strangers continuing to trust me to photograph their weddings, families, and babies- because they value my pricing, my quality of work, and my relationship to them and their photos. Success comes in all shapes and sizes but to me- success is being able to be home with my kids, pursue this passion of capturing memories for others, and being able to be a lifelong friend. Having photos taken by a professional photographer is a luxury- it is not a need (although to me, it feels like a need sometimes because I have tiny humans that grow so quick). So when you choose me and hire me to capture the moments in-between and the memories of your life- THAT my friend is success. I appreciate you guys so much and I am incredibly thankful for those that do choose me! I have felt that pride and success for many years now, and although it may be hard to define- I honestly owe it all to my clients!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.haleyleannephotography.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/haleyleannephotography
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/haleyleannephotography
