Meet Hailey Haggard | Wedding & Elopement Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hailey Haggard and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hailey, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Growing up I’ve always been very inspired my dad who started his own business. I come from a big family of Chiropractors, my dad being third generation, and have loved the idea of making my own schedule and being in control of the work that I produce. My parents have always pushed me to think outside of the box, explore my passions and talents, and to never settle in an environment where I am unhappy. During my senior year at Grand Canyon University studying business management, I was doing photography on the side and thought that I was going to take on a job as a manager of a patio furniture manufacturing company (ridiculous, I know). I had this gut feeling that this wasn’t right direction for me but was continuing on the path because I was scared of the idea of change and letting down those who were rooting me on. After many long conversations in spring of of 2021, I decided to put in my two weeks at my current job and upgrade my camera equipment. I didn’t really have a plan other than to learn as I go (this is still true, part of the job description of being a business owner should be learning something new everyday) and do everything I could to build my business and promote myself as a photographer. I loved the process of fine-tuning my brand, I truly do feel like it is an extension of me.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I would describe my style of portrait photography as lifestyle with a slight bohemian feel, with an editing style somewhere in-between light+airy and dark+moody. Arizona has been home my entire life, and I love working with our landscape, but I also will take any opportunity I can to travel and photograph different environments. The shoots I currently look forward to most are my couples sessions and wedding days. There is something so special about documenting two people who are obsessed with each other. I love to be apart of capturing and celebrating love stories, especially on wedding days, because there is so much thought out detail, intention and love surrounding the day. However, entering the wedding industry wasn’t easy for me. Photographing weddings was something that I was very intimidated by because there is a lot of pressure that come with capturing such an important day. I avoided it entirely until I became curious about what it would be like, and then the idea became more approachable. I found an internship program through a local wedding planning business called Riding Tandem who had a photographer position open, and through this internship I was able to gain experience in the wedding industry, build connections with other photographers as well as how they navigate the day, and learn how all wedding vendors come together to create a beautiful event. After the program I felt much more confident and slowly, and then quickly, started to take on my own work. From there it started to snowball and I am having so much fun with it!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was visiting the area, I would probably spend the first day taking a roadtrip up to Flagstaff and Sedona. One of my favorite restraunts up north is called Javelina Cantina in Sedona, so we should definitely be going there for lunch. The next day I would take her to Scottsdale to do some shopping and visit Pomo’s pizza, which has the best gluten free pizza crust I’ve ever tried (As someone with celiac, this is saying a lot)! Another day we would go to visit the Breakfast Kitchen Bar in Desert ridge for drinks and amazing food! I would probably also want to take her to see Lost Dutchman State Park, where I do a lot of my sessions, and grab some portraits of her with the amazing backdrop.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are SO many people who have poured into me the past two years. My parents who supported and encouraged me, my boyfriend who tags along with me to many sessions and wedding days, Alexandra Loraine Photography for taking me under her wing and being the best mentor and friend I could ask for, Riding tandem for showing me the ropes of the wedding industry and well as building connections, and lastly all of the amazing people (who I also consider to be my friends) who have allowed me to document the special moments in their lives. That is never something I take for granted, and I am so grateful for the opportunity every time I walk into a session.

Website: haileyhaggard.com

Instagram: @haileyhaggardphoto

Facebook: Hailey Haggard Photography