It's TIME!

photosbyhaileyblog.com

Just so you all know, I wrote this post this afternoon, and the website has been ready....but the blog is not finished yet! My amazing friend Paige has been helping me, and we have literally been working on it every spare moment up to this point. There are just a few last things to be done and it will be ready! So! For now, enjoy the website and facebook page!

Yipeee!!! It's finally here. To be honest, I wasn't sure this day would ever come. The day I have a brand. The day I have a real website. The day I get to show off my amazing clients the in a more professional way.

This has been in progress for months. I mentioned earlier, it started in February when I learned how important branding your business is. I read a ton, tried to do a lot on my own, and got completely burnt out several times. Back in September I decided I was sick of it! I was ready to get this ball rolling. I was sick of not having a brand, and always telling people I was "working on it" (which I really was...I just needed help).

One of my friends encouraged me to do IPS's "Look Through" course. Click the link to read about it if you want to learn more. I prayed about it, talked to my parents, and decided to do it! In October I started the 8 week course. Jocelyn teaches the course, and she was awesome! Pushing me, making me make decisions (believe, that's a big deal...especially when it comes to my branding), and encouraging me. It was the craziest 8 weeks ever! I was shooting 2-4 sessions a week and doing look through at the same time. I thought I was going to go crazy. Every time I sat down at the computer I was working on something. Either editing or doing "homework" for the class. I think I might have started to hate my computer ;-)
It paid off! I still have a long way to go, and I have some big goals I want to accomplish, but this is a huge start! I'm excited about where it's all going to go!

This definitely wouldn't have happened without the help of several people:
Jocelyn, for teaching, coaching, and putting up with me.
Anna, for encouraging me, giving her opinion on things countless time, and....encouraging me ;-)
Babbs, for taking photos especially for the occasion!
Paige, for spending HOURS helping me get my new blog in order. This girl knows that HTML stuff. It's like a whole new language to me...but not for her! My blog...would probably be one of the template examples if it weren't for her.
And last but definitely not least...to you! All of my blog readers and clients! You've commented, encouraged, and stuck with me this whole time. My self-made website, unfinished blog, and unbranded business. THANK YOU!

For those of you that I've photographed, I loved every bit of it, and ....can we do it again? Please? I mean...wouldn't it be cool to have your photos on this awesome new blog? haha!=)

One of the biggest changes that has been made is the business name. It will no longer be Hailey Huggins Photography, but instead, Photos By Hailey. I'll explain the reason for the name change in the next blog post.

And then....there's the logo. Yay! It's the perfect mix of retro, clean, and funky. I had no idea where to start with a logo....but after lots of coaching from Jocelyn and skype dates, it was almost perfect. Sketch Block font, the perfect yellow, and a rustic film strip. But there was just one thing...the writing needed to be different. I changed it once again (sorry Jocelyn!) to where the title was tilted. I had the image in my head, and so I drew a picture and sent it to Jocelyn. My designer did an awesome job at making it into the logo.

So....check out all the new stuff! Ask questions, explore the blog, like the new facebook page, follow me on twitter, set up a shoot! I'm excited...aren't you?

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Hannah Kate's Birth Story

Day #6.
This picture story is by far one of the biggest highlights of my year. I got to photograph the birth of my baby niece! It was so special...and I'm so glad I got to do this.
After a weekend full of false alarms, the little princess finally decided she wanted to start making her way into the world on Sunday afternoon. Britt and Stephen were at our house for lunch, and left pretty early because Brittany was starting to get uncomfortable.
Late Sunday night Mom and I got the call that things were picking up! We headed over her house...pretty excited.
Up all night waiting for little baby. Things weren't really picking up, and before I knew it, it was time for me to head to work. I was bummed because I really wanted to photograph her being born. But, thanks to my boss for being flexible, and Sherilyn for helping me out, I was able to go back over later that afternoon. Still no baby.
Long story short, we headed to the hospital around 5:30 pm....i think. The days were pretty jumbled together at that point. After a few more cat naps, and some more waiting....then it was time! I got my camera ready, and got to photograph my adorable little niece being born. One of the most awesome memories....ever.
Finally, on Tuesday December 6th about 4:30 am (again, i don't even know the exact time!) Hannah Kate was born.
After watching brittany labor for that long, and seeing everything she went through, I'm pretty sure she's high on my list of heroes ;-) Stephen did a great job himself. I love that little family =)

Travel.

Day #6. I have 30 minutes left in today. It still counts right?
Traveling. Going new places. To say I love it would be an understatement. Taking new trips and flying in airplanes excites me so much. I took a trip to Colorado back in September for a lighting and portraiture course with IPS, and loved it. They taught us how you can use flashes and lights to make amazing images. It was a wonderful week, and I learned so much!
After the class ended, my wonderful friend Kira came and picked me up, and we spent the rest of the day hanging out in Denver. I got to take her senior pictures...then we just hung out. It was SO much fun. And guess what? Kira is with me right now! She is here in Georgia hanging out for a few days.

summer!

Day #5! It's getting close! =) And so far i have blogged everyday for 5 days...whew! It's harder than it sounds ;-)
Oh summer. I can't wait for it to come back. Today's whether was absolutely beautiful! It reminded me of why I love spring so much, and how I can't wait for it to come. Then I got to thinking of how I couldn't want for summer again!
Well, I spent last summer working at the Wilds Christian Camp in North Carolina. It was probably one of the best summers I've ever had. I had the awesome opportunity to meet so many new people, work as a waitress, talk to and meet new people every week, and grow closer to the Lord. I grew up going to camp when I was younger, and it was the highlight of my year! I would save all year just for that one week at camp. So when I found out I was going to be able to be a part of the staff last summer, i was excited…and a bit scared. Last summer changed my life. It was so awesome to be surrounded with God's word for 11 straight weeks.
I do have to be honest though. Before going, I almost wanted to back out. It seemed my business was finally getting off the ground. Inquirers after inquirers came for weddings. I turned them down, one after another. And everytime I hated it more than the last. "Ugh…if i wouldn't have signed up for this, i could do all these weddings!" Then, I was searched IPS's website for the photoex trip for 2011. I was saving to go on that trip last year. They announced it! A trip to Italy. Are you kidding me!?!? I told Babbs!! lets go! Oh wait, when is it? June. Seriously??? So, I not only turned down several weddings, but a "once in a lifetime" trip to Italy.
I lost my focus. Why was I leaving to work for a summer? So that I could serve the Lord. And when I signed my contract, I had absolute peace about it, and knew it was what God wanted me to do. When I turned down the trip to Italy, and all the weddings, I became self focused. This is what I needed to make ME happy. But, thankfully, God knows what will make us happy so much more than we ever can!
Serving the Lord for an entire summer, and missing everything I "could have had", turned out to be the best thing I could have imaged. And guess what? I'm going back this summer. And I couldn't be more excited!
Summer is wedding season. I've already turned down some weddings for this summer, but that's ok. God knows exactly which weddings I need, and He will give them to me!





















(I did get to shoot one wedding during the summer!)