We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Hailey Merlo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hailey, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Growing up, I was always the girl with a camera. I can remember my parents buying me my first “professional” grade camera in middle school. I have always been fascinated with capturing moments in life, no matter how big or small. In 2020, I quit my full time 8-5 with a guaranteed income to follow my passion of being a full time photographer/videographer. Unknown to anyone, the Covid-19 pandemic would hit two weeks later. Timing is never going to be perfect to take the plunge into making your passions full time, but this obviously was far from it. Fortunately through these unforeseen times, there was a need for things to be online; photography and video needs increased in a different way just as fast as they decreased in the traditional way. My favorite part of this was my mini-project of “Front Porch Portraits”. I was able to safely capture some precious life moments during such a dark time.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Photography is an experience, not just a product. As a photographer you are with your client through the whole process, whether it is a wedding, family session, event etc. Building relationships with my clients is something I am very proud of. I have had great mentors through building my business and all of them have shown me how important it is to know you are photographing people’s whole lives, not just what we are physically capturing in that session. I am able to provide a snapshot of a moment in someone’s life story. They will forever be able to look back and be flooded with the memories associated with it. It brings me such pride and joy to see the photos I’ve taken of peoples precious moments, such as large prints in their homes, background screens on their phones, profile pictures on social media, etc.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

My family teases me that my “photo brain” never turns off. This is not the typical Monday-Friday 8-5 job, you don’t just get to “clock in/ clock out”. There are so many factors that go into the whole experience, for example weather, time spent editing, equipment etc. I am my biggest critic and my desire for perfectionism is difficult. As a business owner you create your own style/brand, you have to maintain both while balancing your personal art versus shooting for the client. That is why it is so important to be honest and build relationships with your clients. There is not a clear cut right vs wrong way to do things. Everyone has their own opinions on equipment brands, editing styles etc. What works for me might not work for another photographer.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

My relationship and focus on the people, my clients. At the end of the day, the people and their stories are more important than the work we do. It just so happens that my work is capturing and telling these stories. One of the greatest joys I have as a photographer is being a part of these families’ stories. I have built relationships with clients in which I have taken their engagement photos, wedding photos and now their newborn photos. I love watching their stories develop and grow and being able to be a little part of that. Photography is more than a product, it’s an experience and the ability to capture a moment in time to savor forever.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.haileymerlomedia.com
• Instagram: @haileymerlomedia
• Facebook: facebook.com/haileymerlomedia
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/haileymerlo/
• Other: vimeo.com/haileymerlomedia

Image Credits
Hailey Merlo Media Shelby Pedigo Creative