Today we’d like to introduce you to Haley Davis
Hi Haley, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always been interested in visuals, and particularly photography, but thought that was going to be a side hobby to my “true passion” – acting. So I went to university for acting and by the time I was graduating I had fallen out of love with it. To fill the hole in my life that acting once filled I started a food blog.
Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t incredible photography (or food) at the time, but I deeply loved it and poured my heart and soul into it. And it just so happened that I started a blog at a time when the space wasn’t yet over saturated, so I was able to get an agent and begin my career as a blogger/influencer which lasted about 8 years. In that time, I was able to try and fail and grow on my own terms. I learned so much about the internet, branding, social media, and photography – all of which serve me now when I work with brands.
Eventually I fell out of love with how the internet evolved and I didn’t want to be a true “influencer” in the modern terms, but my passion for visuals and food were still well and alive. So I turned my attention to “ghost content work” – shooting for brands under their label, and eventually grew my skillset up enough to work in the commercial advertising realm, which is where I work today.
It may not be the “traditional” route for an advertising photographer, as I did not study photography, but I am so thankful that it was my path. It allowed me to learn by experience. It allowed me to grow at my own pace. And it allowed me to take the time to define my own style and vision over time.
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?
I would honestly say that the last two years have been the most challenging of my entire career. Starting with the industry strikes in Los Angeles that shut down film production for a while in 2023. It might be surprising that those strikes affected the commercial photography industry, but when the major economic force of a city essentially haults, companies get scared of spending and therefore ad budgets tighten and the effects trickle down.
So 2023 began a slow period that spanned into 2024, where my husband and I dealt with personal family hardships. Now into this year, beginning the year with the fires in Los Angeles that did not burn down our home but have left it currently uninhabitable until remediated, I have had many days where I question if I have it in me to continue.
The freelance world is not for the faint of heart. My husband and I also run a photography studio called Salt Worth Studio, that is our proudest achievement on good days and a huge financial risk on bad days. The stress of running both businesses in the midst of the past two years has been challenging to say the least, but everyday I come back to the fact that I am so thankful to have a job I am passionate about. It makes fighting through the hard times worth it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a commercial photographer, videographer, and creative director specializing in food, beverage, product and people. I like to say that my style is the intersection of quirky, colorful and moody. In my time as an advertising photographer I’ve gotten to work for brands such as Coca-Cola, Blaze Pizza, Barilla, Jollibee, Eater, Alexia Foods, and more.
I pride myself on my creative vision and execution. I love being allowed to help build a brand’s visual identity from the ground up in the role of creative director. It gives me so much pride to see that come to life and strengthen brands – big and small.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I generally try to maintain a feeling and understanding that there is space for everyone in a creative industry, and therefore you can learn from everyone and should also be kind to everyone. It can be difficult to not get competitive when you’re being bid against other photographers and they’re “winning” jobs over you, but I try to remember that every no is one step closer to a yes. So my advice for networking is just to be kind and curious. Be authentic to you, you never know who you are talking to.
Pricing:
- Always charge for usage of your photography as well as your services. Too often photographers give away their usage rights and it cheapens the whole industry, when that’s all we own as photographers – our rights to images. So remember to charge for them!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://haleyhuntdavis.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haleyhuntdavis/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haley-hunt-davis/
- Other: https://saltworthstudio.com/
Image Credits
Haley Hunt Davis
