Halleigh Hill

When I was pregnant with my first child over a decade ago, I had NO idea what I was doing. Luckily I had a fellow wedding photographer who offered to do my maternity session. Had she not... I very well would have missed the moment.

After a traumatic birth experience, the last thing on my mind was a newborn session. When the fog settled & I finally felt well enough to commission someone, I was shocked. I should have booked my session WHILE I was in my second trimester. My very first mom fail & the guilt was real.

I finally found a photographer who wasn't booked into Tinsley's first birthday and fumbled through a menagerie of emotions. The overwhelm was astounding. I didn't know what to wear, pack, or prepare.

The day was chaotic; trying to put me together between feedings and changing diapers left me feeling defeated before our session began. When we arrived at the studio, I wasn't prepared to sweat off all of my hard work... literally. Three hours into the session, it was finally time for our family photos. My hair had melted into a flat mess, and so had my makeup. I felt as exhausted as I looked. Looking back at the experience sparked the very foundation my experience would become.
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When I opened my studio, I decided my clients would never feel that same feeling of stress & defeat preparing for their portrait session. This singular experience catapulted what would become the HHP experience and molded my entire studio.

Ten years later, am I happy that I documented the moment? Yes! Do I love our first family portrait? Absolutely not. The photos will forever remind me of all the stress and dread I felt as a new mother struggling in those early days.

Iconic Moments
& Tarnished Memories