Today we’d like to introduce you to Abby Hoagland.
Abby, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I began an interest in photography when I was 16 years old. I loved capturing life as it was, capturing the happy memories as well as the hard/emotional ones. I did my first session for a family friend in 2013 and slowly began to grow in my work and style. In 2016, I decided to branch out 100%. My confidence had soared and my ability to take criticism and grow had blossomed. A dear friend of mine helped me design my website a year ago and I started to have a social media presence. Since then, I have built a beautiful, loyal client base and have found my PASSION. I have since quit my job of 8 years and have decided to stay home with my little ones and finally do photography full time. I am honored each time a client books me, from senior portraits to engagements and weddings, to birth and newborns. Lifestyle photography is my calling and I hope to serve my community well.
Great, 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?
The biggest struggle was finding the confidence to book “strangers”. I could easily do a session for people I knew, I felt comfortable with them and there was less pressure there. But my husband encouraged me to believe in my work and to continue to work at it and grow in my craft. CONFIDENCE, man… it gets us all!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Abby Hoagland Photography – what should we know?
I capture Life as it happens. I want people to remember the raw, the real and the beautiful. The hard times, the good times. I specialize in “Lifestyle Photography” AKA: UNPOSED. I recently branched out and started offering birth sessions and have fallen in love. There is nothing more raw and real than laboring for hours and giving birth. I am most proud of the ability to interact with children and making them feel comfortable during sessions, you can’t get a nervous, stiff kid to smile… but when you take the pressure off by letting them be themselves, you get those true smiles. I like to think that I am different from other photographers because of the time and care I put into each session. I want to get to know the family, get to know the bride and groom, find your comfort zone and bring you into it so that you can get the most out of your photos.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Patience and integrity. I will work with you for as long as it takes to get your kids to smile, to capture your best side, wait until your little one is done nursing to repose them. I will promise you something specific for your session, but I will never hold something back from you. If I promised you 10 images, but I have 21, I will give you those 21 images. I wouldn’t want photos kept from me, why would I do it to my clients?
Pricing:
- Lifestyle sessions start at $275
- Birth sessions start at $950
- Weddings start at $1850
- Bump to 1-year package starts at $1800
Contact Info:
- Website: www.abbyhoaglandphotography.com
- Phone: 713-857-6951
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/abbyhoaglandphotography
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/abbyhoaglandphotography
Image Credit:
Head shot: ddpitariphotography – Deanna Petrie
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