Meet Haley Thompson | Professional Photographer

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

Hi Haley, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The success of my brand is centered around my love for people. Giving my clients a wonderful, memorable, & fun experience during their session is something I strive to perfect. The style & portfolio is usually the focus of booking with any photographer but often, people don’t think about if the photographer they’re looking to hire also comes with enthusiasm & the ability to create those candid photos everyone dreams of having. I started my career in photography as a hobby to search for creativity in myself that I had never explored before. Little did I know, I would be meeting some of the kindest clients who always go above & beyond to support my business.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Photography is such a hard field to grow in if you aren’t setting yourself apart in someway. I struggled constantly in the beginning with trying to choose a consistent style, trying to choose what type of clients I wanted to book with, & how to gather inspiration for sessions. In the beginning of 2023 I started doing creative self portraits after always admiring Marina Williams self portraits on social media. Photographing myself has continued to spark creativity in my life & with it being surprisingly difficult compared to capturing pictures of other people, I also feel it’s making me a better photographer as well. When it comes to the development of my style/art, it was not easy in the slightest. There are endless ways to edit a photo & I really wanted to try to not fall into the standard preset categories. Over the first few years, I tried several editing styles to find what I loved most. I ended up creating my own preset. I would describe my editing style as full of life & color. Something experimenting with creativity has taught me is, take the time to discover your art. It does take time. It took me over two years. I was never truly satisfied with trying to copy someone else’s editing style & I am thankful I took the time to fall in love with my style & what represents who I am as an artist best.

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?
I love a full day on the town! I love to start my day with coffee. If Im in a rush, I always stop at 7 brew coffee but if I have the time, I love basecamp in Fayetteville, AR. There are several options in my area for entertainment, of course it’s fun for me to set up styled sessions with my friends but if we aren’t doing that, I like to explore the mall or Crystal bridges, which is a local art museum in Bentonville, AR. My favorite lunch & dinner spot is Tokyo House in Fayetteville, AR. They have the best sushi & the best service. I love to end my evenings staying in watching a tv show or a movie.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have to give the credit of my success to my family, specifically my husband. When I started this business in 2020, I always had the idea of doing this job full time but it was just that, an idea, a dream. My husband, on the other hand, always knew I could grow in this field & with his continued love, it has been a dream come true. If it wasn’t for his constant reassurance & encouragement, I don’t know that I would’ve ever had the courage to take on this job full time.

Website: https://haleythompsonphotography.mypixieset.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haleythompsonphotography/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/haleythompsonphotography/

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@haleythompsonphotography

Image Credits
Ava + Ethan