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Meet Marie Hayes of Envision Photography by Marie in Gilbert

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

Marie, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
In 1988 I graduated from Milwaukee Area Technical College with an associate degree in photography. Just before I graduated, I answered an ad in the paper to be a wedding photographer for a studio. I did weddings for them in the next 27 years. I learned more doing that than I did getting my degree! Throughout the years I photographed for friends & friends-of-friends: families, children, seniors, parties, bands & gigs. I retired from doing 10-12 hour wedding days for the studio in 2009, but still do short wedding jobs here & there. Currently, the bulk of my freelance business is photo sessions for individuals & families, events & parties.

I moved here 2 1/2 yrs ago from Wisconsin to be near to my two adult sons and four grandsons, so had to start building my client base over. What a challenge! I never had to advertise before, & advertising in this day & age is so complicated, especially in a city with so much competition. It’s been quite the learning curve getting the word out!

Has it been a smooth road?
I’ve always had an hourly-paying job in addition to my photography. I have been a single mom since 2002 so I couldn’t take the risk of not having a steady income. Going from film to digital was quite freeing, but it took me a while to trust the quality of the medium. You have to remember, I learned photography in the 80’s so I was developing film & printing in the darkroom! But I have never looked back since I went digital. I LOVE the limitless shooting. No running out of film! I am VERY snap-happy & always love to take photo after photo after photo…

Moving here & trying to build a new client base has been the biggest challenge in my photography career. I didn’t know where to start at first & wasted some money on some unfruitful mediums. Now I maintain an Instagram account, website, Facebook business page, Next Door app, Twitter, & advertise on my apartment community’s app. I’m always up for looking into other avenues of advertising & getting the word out. It’s a bit time-consuming but worth it. I have several faithful clients now & have photographed for some really wonderful, loyal families!

Tell us more about the business.
I am a professional photographer with 33 yrs of experience. I really enjoy photographing families, children, teenagers for senior portraits, parties & events, couples, maternity, bands & gigs, etc. I am known for making the client feel comfortable. I know how uncomfortable & insecure a subject can feel because I also don’t necessarily like getting my picture taken! Just as important as the technical aspect of photography is the expression of the subject. While I don’t usually know my subjects very well & most often have just met them, a person’s expression is natural when they are having fun, or at least not dreading the experience! Enjoying the session is contagious, & if I’m enjoying it, the subject can’t help but also come away feeling like it was an easy, enjoyable time. More often than not, the subject is laughing AT me or my sense of humor, so whatever it takes is good with me! I am most proud of that fact, that I can walk away from every session knowing I have made my subject happy. Even before they see the finished product – the photos, they are happy & relieved. (Relieved because the session was easier for them than they could have expected.)

I have heard many “horror stories” about someone’s bad experiences with another photographer, & I have learned that if a subject doesn’t like you, they are not going to like the photos, plain & simple. That being said, though, I am a perfectionist. I spend a lot of time researching locations & lighting & poses, etc., & I spend a lot of time editing my photos until I feel they are perfect.

In the cost of my sessions, I don’t limit the number of photos my clients get. The only limit truly is the time with me that they pay for. They get a flash drive of all the edited photos & online proofing as well.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
When I was going to school for photography in the 80’s I could have NEVER imagined where photography would go. Neither myself nor my fellow students could have even IMAGINED the digital age. We also never would have guessed that the things we avoided like the plague: light leaks, lens flares, etc., would become added special effects that people actually WANT in their photos! Lol. So I can genuinely say that I have NO idea where photography will be in the next 5-10 years. I can say where I would like to be in five to ten years, though. I hope to have a good client base where, once again, I don’t have to do much if any advertising & I just get jobs word-of-mouth & from my loyal client base.

Pricing:

  • Photo sessions: 30 minute session = $75, 60 minute session = $125, 90 minute session = $175
  • Weddings: 4 hours = $750, 6 hours = $1000
  • For Strictly candid sessions, such as Parties & Events, Band/Gig: $75 per hour

Contact Info:

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