Meet Haley Macciomei

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

Haley, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?

Being successful and effective can look so different for each individual. Success to me looks a lot like creating a safe space for my family, living within our means and being able to provide for them. Why I feel I have become successful in this business is because I am very passionate about what I do, I found something I loved doing and never stopped trying to master my creativity and craft. Photography goes way beyond just a pretty picture. For me it’s about the relationships you build with those around you. Building positive relationships helps you to curate the best outcome for your images. I want your photos to be memories that take you back to all the feels you had with your family, or the over the moon feeling on your wedding day. You never know who’s watching you, looking up to you or looking to hire you for their most important milestones. You must focus on being kind, open minded and understanding. Not everyone knows the process, the expenses and experiences that go into your business. Work to create a price that feels worthy of your time and experience. Being upfront about pricing and the process is key to moving forward with your future clients. I have strived to create a next level experience from the moment you meet me to the moment you get your images in hand. It’s important to me that I stay true to myself and my word. So clients always come first. Working under pressure can be a challenge but I am always up for something new and something that pushes me to get out of my comfort zone. Being a photographer has taught me so much, and I only hope that as you read this, you understand the feeling of loving what you do! You matter and what you put out into the world is more impactful than you think, each opportunity is a chance to touch someone’s life!

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Hey everyone! I’m Haley Macciomei, I have been a Photographer for going on 7 years now. I have been a mom ever since I started and becoming a mom is why I started photography. I got my first camera from my husband for Valentine’s Day in 2018, the year I had my first born and the rest was history. 7 years later we have 3 beautiful children 7, 5 and 2 and I’m running a full time photography business. I do about 20 plus weddings a year along with 12-18 sessions a month. I consistently keep around the same amount of work each year and offer different types of sessions like minis 20 minutes sessions throughout each season. I am currently offering half sessions and full sessions! I have raised my prices each year by a little. With each gallery, it’s a 3 to 4 week turnaround time. When I deliver them, you get copyrights to your online gallery, anywhere from 80 plus images for a half session and 150 plus images for a full session. Each gallery varies in amount but that’s the baseline number you’ll receive. I would like people to know that I am a natural light photographer, I focus on families, weddings, and events! I love the variety with doing both family photography and weddings. I love creating movement in my photos to create something that feels like you’re right there in that moment. I incorporate a lot of play in my sessions, more so focusing on each other and loving on one another than looking at the camera. I do this for both weddings and families. For weddings, I like a good mix of fun curated candid moments, editorial, film, and romantic photos. I am upbeat and positive, someone that strives to approach everything with kindness and confidence. I just absolutely adore everyone I have worked with!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The 3 most impactful skills, qualities, and knowledge that I have gained from being the photographer I am today would be learning different lighting scenarios, building lasting relationships with your clients, and lastly would be the willingness to challenge yourself.

1. Learning your camera settings and different lighting situations is so important. Knowing different lighting situations is a key component to gaining all the confidence behind the camera. This takes time and yet Im still learning new things when it comes to lighting, but because I know my camera well and have gained the knowledge to approach each lighting situation uniquely I am confident in most anything thrown my way.

2. This would absolutely be one of the most important things in your business as well. Communication and consistency with your inquires/ clients. You potentially have one email or message to send and that first message can impact weather your client books or not. Making sure to navigate your emails by being inviting, informative and consistent. This is also important to carry over into your initial meeting, phone call and in person during your session. You should always approach others with kindness, being and upbeat personable individual and being understanding. Especially when working with little kids, it’s great to keep calm & fun and redirect the session by making it feel more like an experience. I love incorporating play in my session, loving on one another and being energetic with the kids keeps things exciting and you truly capture the real raw smiles and laughter.

3. The willingness to challenge myself with each session/wedding has made my creative side grow. without a challenge in this business, how are we growing or standing out if we are not challenging ourselves. Each and every session I try to take a different approach for each family, explaining how I pose or prompt. A lot of the times I am just working with whatever the children bring that day, and then incorporating a fun playful hug from mom and tickles from dad and if we need to resume a redirection we will, to keep the little ones happy. Taking on weddings was a big leap of faith for me but I am so thankful I did. Now I am doing 20 plus weddings a year and I am loving it!

with all this said, I have learned so much over the years trial and error just like with anything. These would be my top three that stood out to me most but I know I could got on and on about all the things I have gained over the years.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

My parents don’t know this but they have impacted my life immensely. From birth, to now being a grown adult with a husband, three children, and 2 doggies I couldn’t thank them enough for everything they have done for me and now my family. They have created a life that feels safe, I have never felt unsafe with my parents, they truly have shown me love even in the hard times. I truly haven’t met two people like them. They love unconditionally, and have set up a foundation for our lives of what our expectations should be and I am forever grateful for that. They have pushed me to play sports my whole life, I ended up going to collage to get my education and play collage soccer. I have a bachelors degree in Recreational Therapy, and I met my husband Adam In collage. I am so grateful for my parents continued support as I navigated in a different direction to become a photographer. I know that might have made them uncertain with the outcome of how that would be sustainable for making a living but it did not disappoint. Being a photographer has provided me so much more than I would have ever intended. I couldn’t have done this without the love and support of my family. Thank you mom and dad!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://haleymacciomei.com
• Instagram: haleymacciomeiphotography
• Facebook: Photography by Haley Macciomei

Image Credits

Haley Macciomei