Meet Hayli Wells | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hayli Wells and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hayli, what do you attribute your success to?
I’ve been doing photography for almost 3 years now. I have a very long road ahead of me in terms of my career, and even more to learn and experience! That being said, I feel like for a small town pastor’s wife with 4 kids and no prior experience in photography, my venture has been pretty successful! I believe I’m good at what I do and I believe I have an eye for it. That being said, the MOST important factor behind that success is my support system. I have a handful of amazing friends who have gone along with my crazy ideas for creative shoots. My husband is my biggest cheerleader. He supports me in every way possible when it comes to my work. He’s constructive in the best way, he holds down the fort with our boys while I’m away at shoots several nights a week – sometimes multiple a day. More than anything, he’s just always believed in me. I think anyone can be successful on their own, but having people in your life that want the best for you, support your dreams, and motivate you to be better – it just makes the journey so much sweeter. I’m very, very grateful!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Photography is such a saturated industry. It’s really hard to stand out because there are SO many talented people doing it. Abilities and experience and talent can certainly set you apart, but I think an even bigger factor would be who you are as a person! I’ve gotten so many reviews from clients that talk about how I make them comfortable, and that’s just so important to me. Even if I was the worst photographer in the world, I think that alone would be enough to keep me going!

In the grand scheme of life, I’m still so new to this whole photography thing. I have so many things that I’ve gotten to do that I’m super proud of, I’ve done a handful of weddings and figured out that that’s just not for me. Families and motherhood are my favorite things to capture and it took me a long time to get to a point that I’m primarily booking those types of sessions! It’s so easy to look at the wedding industry and see dollar signs, but I was realizing the amount of work and stress it was for me wasn’t worth any amount of money!

I think something I’d want the world to know is that anyone can do anything they want to do. Dreams can seem so overwhelming and impossible, but even the tiniest of steps is a step. “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…” Zechariah 4:10

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My best friend is actually visiting from New Jersey in May! Fun fact: we met on Twitter 10 years ago!

I think in general, places that are specific to Texas are a must! Stuff she couldn’t go do anywhere else. And then of course, the cliche Texas things like going to the Stockyards, riding a horse (we seriously did this the last time she visited. I had never been on one before.), etc. I loooove going to places with character and just exploring. Antiquing is a huge love of mine, so I think it’d be fun to spend a day hitting up all the best spots in DFW. On the flip side, we both really love just staying in and being lazy and watching movies together!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
So many people. Specifically, I’ll dedicate my shoutout to my best friend, Courtney, and my husband, Cole.

Courtney is my muse. She models for me constantly, she encourages me, she dreams with me, she helps me bring things to life, and she’s honest with me! I love her to pieces.

Cole is my biggest support. I truly wouldn’t be where I’m at career-wise if I didn’t have him to push me along. He is my everything!

Website: hayliwellsphotography.com

Instagram: @hayliwellsphotography

Facebook: Hayli Wells Photography