Meet Melissa Hayes

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Hayes.

Hi Melissa, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more  about how you got to where you are today?
I started photography while I was in high school during the days of using film. I  loved it right away and would spend hours in the darkroom. My grandfather gave  me his old 35mm camera and I have been developing my craft ever since. I  worked in professional studios for years while I attended college and shortly  afterwards. I started a career, got married, and when my daughter was just a few  months old, I decided that I was going to do what I love for a living and start my  own business. Many people discouraged me from doing so. I am going on year  12 with my business and still love it!  

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned  along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in  retrospect?
Of course, running a small business is not easy. I am a mom of two children – one  with special needs and work-life balance can be challenging. Six years ago I  decided I wanted to offer exclusive fine art and luxury services to my clients and  expanded to a commercial retail space. Doing so required assuming much more  responsibility, risk, and business skills to operate at this scale. The last two years  with Covid have been the most challenging. But I pushed through, built my staff,  and have had the best year to date. I’ve learned that to be successful in business  requires more than having talent and working hard. You have to be willing to  learn and adapt but not give up or compromise the value of what you do in the  face of adversity. Looking back I definitely wouldn’t say it was easy or smooth,  but it has been worth it.  

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what  you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in professional family and newborn portraits: I absolutely love babies.  I am very patient and just love meeting new little souls. It really is one of the most  important moments to capture. I am very proud that I have created such a lovely  studio so my clients can have a wonderful experience! I have been collecting  such beautiful props for over 12 years, so I get to create some unique newborn  portraits. I guess what sets me apart is that I have my own style and have  perfected my craft over the years to now photograph over 500 babies each year.  

 I also love capturing once in a lifetime portraits of families. There is nothing more  important than family and creating heirloom portraits my clients will enjoy for their  lifetime and generations to come. 

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with  us?
The most important lesson is to never give up. Keep going when it’s tuff and  always stay positive.  

Pricing:  

• Pricing starts at $500

Contact Info:

• Email: info@melissahayesphotos.com
• Website: melissahayesphotos.com
• Instagram: @melissa_hayesphotos