We recently connected with Arden Haley and have shared our conversation below.

Arden, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career.

Less book work and more hands on experiences to help guide students into figuring out what he/she is most passionate about. My passion for photography sparked in high school from an after school photography club that only consisted of about 4-5 other students. From there, my photography skills continue to develop.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Hi, I’m Arden

Just a small town girl, living on Maryland’s Eastern Shore… ok ok, I will stop before this turns into a Journey parody. Seriously, though, I was born and raised in the small town of Easton and am still proud to be calling it my home town today. Expressing myself through my art and photography has always come naturally to me. I wanted to be able to make the most out of this, so I studied Visual Communications for 4 years at Stevenson University.

After graduating in May of 2011, a few months later I became a graphic designer and web specialist at What’s Up? Media in Annapolis. I also own my personal business called Arden Haley Photography & Design, LLC. My photography and design work have been featured in local publications such as Shore, Chesapeake Bay Wedding, At Ease, Annapolis Homes, and What’s Up? Magazines. I continue to grow my experience and provide services for local businesses, families, and individuals throughout Maryland’s Eastern Shore and beyond.

It’s not just all about myself, however. Whether it’s capturing memories for my clients to look back on and cherish forever through photographs or bringing a new branding vision to life, being able to help others using my artistic capabilities has become my key purpose.

Traveling and outdoors are also a strong passion of mine. Anything nature! I absolutely crave the challenge of capturing the wildlife in its natural habitat or getting that perfect landscape shot where the light is hitting just right. This type of work often brings the most joy to my followers (and myself). A reminder that there is a gorgeous world outside of our computer screens that we need to get out and enjoy.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Being able to share your work in many different formats for others to enjoy, whether it’s digitally on social media, being featured in local print publications, or hanging on a wall as a gorgeous canvas.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Before Covid hit, my career was primarily working full time as a graphic designer & digital marketing specialist for another employer. The pandemic resulted in cut hours, so I had to come up with a back up plan fast! That’s when Arden Haley Photography & Design was born. Originally, photography was just an artistic hobby of mine focusing on wildlife and nature. I decided to push myself into expanding it to be more of a client-based profession. I started promoting family sessions, product photography, events and weddings in addition to offering the graphic design services that I was already experienced in. It immediately took off through the word of mouth of a small town.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ahaleydesign.com/
• Instagram: @arden_haley
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ahaleydesign

Image Credits
Arden Haley Photography & Design (all photos except for the personal photo, which was taken by Bill Whaley Photography)