Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Hayley Gaertner. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hayley, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I heard someone say on a podcast one time “the most successful people are those who never give up,” and that has really stuck with me. Of course, you have to have a special skill or offer, but we all have that. Every single person is great at something, and most of us are great at different things, but the REAL difference is that some people are willing to put in the hard work and some aren’t. I truly think to be successful, you have to be willing to be patient, tackle obstacles as they come, and to want something so much, that you’ll never give up, not matter what. I know there are times that I’ve wanted to give up – plenty of times – but I remembered that quote, and here I am, doing my dream job!

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

I’m an adventurous elopement photographer in Colorado! I started photography during junior high and had been doing it as a side gig up until last year when I left my full time, well paying, benefit ridden job and decided to finally do photography full time. I specialize in adventure elopements because they combine my favorite things – photography and adventure. There’s nothing quite like exploring a beautiful place in the outdoors with a couple and also getting to photograph them in it. It’s my true happy place. I also shoot couples, families, maternity, and self love sessions. My style is very candid and documentary – I hate forced poses that feel unnatural to people. I aim to capture people as they TRULY are, but with an artistic eye.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Instagram has definitely been the greatest help in building my clientele. A lot of people used to find me through hashtags or geotags on the app. Now, a lot of couples find me either through that, or through my current clients sharing their photos on their page, someone seeing that I’m the photographer, and then reaching out to me for their own session.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding thing about being a photographer is seeing and hearing the way people react to the photos I take of them. There is truly no better feeling and it’s what motivates me the most. It is seriously such an honor to be the one to document people’s lives – their engagement, wedding, pregnancy, and all of these special occasions. I feel so grateful that I can use my talent to give people photos from fleeting moments that they can look back on for the rest of their lives.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.hayleygaertner.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/hayleygaertner
• Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/hayleyngaertner/