Meet Hailey Aitkins | Destination Elopement & Intimate Wedding Photographer

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

Hi Hailey, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk-taking is everything. Yes, you can be calculated and make plans and goals, but you must be committed to taking risks if you’re going to survive and succeed at being an entrepreneur. You can only plan and control so much of your life and your business.

I remember thinking to myself when I finally went online to register my business, “This is it. I know I will fail. I know I will make mistakes. But I don’t care. I trust that it will all be worth it and I will figure it out when I need to.”

I believe that’s the mindset entrepreneur needs to have.

Risks are all about accepting possible failure. All failure means is that you’re learning. All learning means is that you’re growing. If you’re growing, you’re succeeding. Period. The faster you fail, the faster you succeed.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I believe there is an art to how you treat others, how you communicate, and how you make others feel. That’s the most critical part of my art. The relationship.

If my subjects don’t have a relationship with me first, how are they supposed to relate to the camera?

Since day one, it’s been my mission to elevate my ability to make people feel seen and important. Not just good customer service, but creating space for people to be themselves. To feel their bodies. To breathe deeply and mentally record how the moment they’re in feels.

Expressing art through photography means to me that it is my job to capture emotion. Raw. True. Real. Emotion.

And it’s not easy, no. I work on it every day with every interaction I choose to make. How I make others feel matters. How I communicate matters. The better the communication and connection, the more raw the photos turn out to be.

One big lesson I’ll share with you is to not take anything personally.

Even if someone says something to you that’s “meant” to be personal. It’s not your job to absorb that. It’s not your job to define yourself as a failure. It’s not your job to make other people like you. Not everyone will like you, even if you’re doing your best to make them feel seen and heard. That’s not your problem.

Nearly 100% of the time, how people treat you is a reflection of how they feel about themselves.

One more lesson I’ll share is this: learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of others with KINDNESS and GRACE!

I capitalize on kindness and grace because it’s critical that you are compassionate with yourself and others when you/they make mistakes. Don’t beat yourself up. Don’t say terrible things. Don’t lash out.

Say/think: “What could I/they have done differently for that to have gone better? What could I/they do next time?”

Journal about it. Have a candid conversation about it. Remember it. Implement it.

I’d like the world to know that I am here to be everyone’s greatest cheerleader. I want my brand to evolve into an ultimate empowering movement. I want people to come to me for sessions when they get divorced, beat cancer, move across the nation, get out of a toxic relationship, are saying their last goodbyes to a grandparent, buy a new house they never thought they’d have, celebrate one year sober, or anything in-between.

I want to be the photographer that people think of for all of life’s celebrations. There are so many beautiful, bittersweet, tender moments in life that aren’t documented like weddings and graduations are. What about those moments? Let’s celebrate those too.

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?
I want to thank my Nanna, who has always been there to support me. She has sent me money when I was broke, calls to say I love you, mails me gifts, and care packages, and is always dependable and present. She has been my rock and safe place my whole life and I wouldn’t be where I am without her.

I also want to thank my sweet Alex boy. He is a beautiful example of commitment, integrity, creative perseverance, and strength. He has shown me unconditional support and is unrelenting in his ways of showing up for me.

Website: haileyaitkinsphotography.com

Instagram: @haileyaitkinsphoto

Facebook: Hailey Aitkins Photography / @haileyaitkinsphoto

Other: Pinterest – @haileyaitkinsphotography