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

Haley, appreciate you joining us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

When it comes to photography, something that is incredibly common is capturing the perfect photo. While I do know how important this is, especially on the day you are getting married, I find that there is no such thing as the “perfect” photo universally. There are photos that I think are perfect, photos that my client thinks are perfect, or even just ones that the internet really loves. So my goal, and what makes me different, is that I focus instead on just capturing.

Recently there has been a big BOOM of cinematic photographer, and while I think their work is stunning, I find that for myself none of those really feel like me. They require special dressing, lighting, locations, and prompting. My work, while it falls into the nontraditional style, also is not meant to be a movie. My goal is to tell your story simply through photos. I do this using color, crop, lighting, and angles. I utilize motion and stills to discuss different moments.

What is most important is not only that the pictures make you feel and look good, but that anybody who looks at them can feel what you feel. That is what is most important to me. This creates variety in my portfolio and also allows for each session to look completely different from the next as no two stories are the same.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

So to start, hello I’m Haley and I’m so happy to be here! I started my photography journey with a little Nikon point and shoot camera that only worked in auto mode when I was about 14. That was now a decade ago. I spent so much time taking photos of my friends, or even self timer photos of myself to look “Tumblr” as the kids would have called it (it’s me, I’m the kids that called it that).

Jump forward, I went to college at UNT for Social Work and graduated on my 21st birthday with a BSW in 2022.. I then proceeded to work a full year in non-profit mental health in Denton County and while I loved my job, I also ended up having my son in may of 2023. While all of this was happening, I managed to miss getting pictures of my proposal, birth, and even any photos with my now husband before we had our son. We did get maternity photos, and that is what made me realize once again how necessary photos are to the memory of a moment.

Jump forward, in April of 2024 I started having friends ask me to take their graduation photos and decided to host “Mother’s Day Minis” where I took 50 photos for $20 with like a 1 day turnaround and they sold out!! I fell in love with the process and with the reactions and feelings that came with getting to capture other people.

Then, by August 2024 I was traveling to second shoot my first wedding with a now good friend of mine and mentor. I went up to Oklahoma, no wedding experience, and a less than 1 month old camera and a rented lens. My job was the “untraditional angles and fly on the wall approach” that my main shooter had seen in my work. She trusted me to get all of the moments in between. I think that was really when I fell in love with the documentary approach I use now.

This brings us to today, I now (while being a full time mom) am also a full time elopement and wedding photographer all over the state of Texas, as well as some minor travel. I use color, lighting, angles, motion, and crops to infuse feelings into each and every single photo. I use minimal if no posing or prompting, and just simply third wheel on your dates or am a literal fly on the wall at your wedding. I am very hands on in the wedding planning before the day so that I know exactly where I need to be and when and so that you are able to trust me to do my job and just enjoy your day to the fullest.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Wow, when I say I really am just figuring it out day by day I mean it. I started out and I remember when I hit 100 followers and cried – now at a little over 800, I still get the same butterflies every time I gain a new follower.

For any photographers reading, just be consistent and be authentic. If you spend all this time curating an image, your clients & followers don’t feel like they know you. I share insights about my day to day, am honest when I am struggling or behind, share other work that inspires me, and also just really engage with my clients and friends. I utilize stories mainly, but do have my fair share of my portfolio (that I do curate very specifically to make sure I know what I am sharing) and then use a reel on instagram every now and again. (@haleyhornerphotography)

For Facebook, I really just have it for easy access. I comment on bridal pages, connect with other moms, offer up my services, and share anything and everything I can. I don’t use it often but I do utilize Facebook communities and groups the most. (@Haley Horner Photography)

As for everyone’s favorite, tiktok, I mainly just post whatever I want. I share my work, day in the life, outfit of the day, get ready with me, fun songs I love, and just about anything else that makes me, me. I have had a couple tiktoks do decently well, but it really is just a game of chance. Be authentic and be you, and your people will come with time. (@hales.bagales)

Have you ever had to pivot?

As I kind of touched on before, I was a social worker before I was a mom and before I was a photographer.

I had started my college & career journey wanting to work with at risk youth & incarceration. I worked mainly in non-profit mental health directly out of school and found out I was pregnant the day before I started orientation. I committed myself fully to my job the entirety of the pregnancy and was not sure if I was going to go back or not after having my son.

I was admitted to the hospital with preeclampsia at 34 weeks, and was told I was not allowed to leave until delivery. My job did not offer unpaid leave, I did not have enough PTO, and did not qualify for maternity leave. I delivered my son 5 days after I was admitted in an emergency, that was a Friday, and I was shortly after fired from my job on that following Monday. I had not even been discharged from the hospital yet, and had no idea what I was going to do.

My husband stepped up and started working any job he could get to keep us above water. We have had the help of family and friends as well to get us by over the last almost 2 years and decided it was the best route to have me stay home with our son until we had a better option.

Now 2 years later, I am still a full time stay at home mom, but when he was about 1 was when I also started doing photography. It gave me a creative outlet and let me also get the chance to be Haley again. I never thought it would become my full time job, but I am so grateful for each and every snag that led me to being in my dream field.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://haleyhornerphotography.com
• Instagram: @haleyhornerphotography
• Facebook: Haley Horner Photography
• Other: tiktok: hales.bagales