10/29/2026
Long read so sorry in advance: I am celebrating 4 years of Shutter by Haley Brown! 🖤 I figured today would be the perfect opportunity to share a little about myself, where I started, what I’ve accomplished and where I hope to go from here.
My love for photography actually started with motorcycles. Before Shutter by Haley Brown LLC ever existed, I worked for Harley-Davidson and that’s where I first started taking pictures of bikes. What started as photographing motorcycles slowly turned into a genuine love for photography. I started seeing things differently and paying attention to the little details. The lighting, the angles and how a single photograph could tell an entire story. I had absolutely no idea that taking pictures of motorcycles would eventually lead me here. A special thank you to my mother in law Shannon who helped pave this way through my job!
On October 23rd, 2022 I officially started Shutter by Haley Brown LLC. I didn’t have everything figured out. I didn’t know the first thing about everything that went into running a photography business. I just knew I loved what I was doing and wanted to see how far I could take it. And boy you guys were rallying behind me from day one.
1 year later I took another huge leap and quit my job to become a full time photographer. I’ve now been doing this full time for three years now!
I’m a mom of three, a wife of almost 7 years, a friend to photographers in the community, and I’m also six years sober and a very proud advocate for sobriety. That’s a huge part of who I am and something I’ll never shy away from talking about. My life today looks completely different than it did six years ago and I’m incredibly grateful for that. Sobriety gave me the opportunity to build a life I’m proud of and pursue things I never would’ve imagined for myself. I believe in second chances, personal growth and being proof that your past doesn’t have to determine your future.
When you message my business you’re talking to me…. After the automatic message we all love 😂 When you book a session I’m the one planning it, photographing it, editing it and delivering it. I’m also the person handling the website, marketing, contracts, scheduling, finances and all the little things that happen behind the scenes. I’m building a business while raising a family and finding a balance between the two is something I’m constantly working on. Some days I feel like I have it all figured out and other days I’m just trying to make it to bedtime with my sanity intact. 🫨 but I wouldn’t trade this life for anything!
I’ve poured so much of myself into this business because I want to succeed as badly as I want to breathe. I’ve invested countless hours, money, tears (many 🫠) and energy into becoming better at what I do. I’ve made mistakes, learned some hard lessons, dealt with setbacks, celebrated victories and had moments where I genuinely questioned whether I was doing enough. And then I look back at the last four years and realize just how far I’ve come.
So what have I accomplished in four years?
🏆 I’ve earned both Platinum and Gold awards for my photography for three consecutive years. Something I never would’ve imagined when I first started.
💍 Photographed 156 weddings as of today. On Thursdays, Monday nights, Tuesday afternoons, and every weekend for nearly 4 years.
🎸 Started photographing concert and live events… opportunities that once seemed completely out of reach. Thank you to insomnia music: a magazine for the restless and Lance Yearby for giving me those opportunities and believing in me.
🤱🏻 Became certified to teach newborn safety to other photographers. This is something I take an incredible amount of pride in because it took me months to obtain. Newborn photography is about so much more than getting a beautiful image. It’s about understanding how to safely handle, pose and photograph the tiniest and most vulnerable clients. I’m proud to be able to share that knowledge with other photographers and help make newborn photography safer for everyone.
💐 Created the I Do REDO Indiana/Illinois/Kentucky: my trademarked wedding redo event that gives couples the opportunity to experience the wedding day they deserve. What started as one of my crazy ideas turned into something that brought an entire community of vendors together. It’s something I am incredibly proud of and something that has grown beyond anything I originally imagined. Also shoutout to Rose & Bliss for donating 70+ wedding gowns for this event!
💍 Created the I Do Preview: a bridal expo for both wedding vendors and engaged couples. I wanted to create an opportunity where small businesses could showcase their work without having to spend hundreds of dollars just to participate.
📚 Created The Portrait Project: an initiative focused on giving children access to professional school portraits and haircuts at no cost to their families. Every child deserves to feel confident, included and special.
🍔 Created Flavor in Focus Evansville: a photography collective dedicated to highlighting our local restaurants, food trucks, bakeries and the incredible food culture throughout the Tri-State.
🏢 Co-Own The Creative House and The Frame Room photography studios. Expanded into studio photography and continued investing in equipment, education and resources to provide a better experience for my clients and fellow photographers of the studio.
👗 Built a maternity client closet with over 100 dresses in a wide range of sizes giving my clients the opportunity to feel beautiful without having to purchase something they’ll only wear once.
🤝 Organized and participated in giveaways, community projects, business collaborations and opportunities that allow me to use photography for something bigger than myself.
📸 Built friendships and relationships with photographers throughout our community that mean just as much to me as the business itself.
And that’s only part of it.
There’s something I’ve learned over the last four years. The awards are incredible. The recognition means more than I can explain. Watching my work improve and getting opportunities I once dreamed about is something I’ll never take for granted. But the thing I’m most proud of isn’t an award or how many sessions I’ve photographed.
It’s the relationships I’ve built and the impact I’ve been able to make right here in our community. I’ve cried with clients. Mourned with them. Celebrated with them. Screamed with joy for them. And built real friendships from one simple session. I genuinely love the Tri-State community. I love our small businesses, our local vendors, our families and the people who work so hard to build something of their own.
I’ve met people through this business who have become friends. I’ve watched couples get married and then come back to me for maternity and newborn photos. I’ve watched babies grow into toddlers. I’ve celebrated accomplishments with other business owners, worked alongside some incredibly talented people and seen firsthand what can happen when a community comes together. But no matter how much my business grows or what opportunities come my way, I never want to lose sight of why I started or the people who helped me get here.
I want to be remembered as more than just someone who took beautiful photographs. I want people to remember that I showed up, that I cared, that I supported others and that I tried to leave things a little better than I found them. Four years ago I was a girl who found a love for photography while taking pictures of motorcycles at her day job (I miss all of you Harley people so much.) And the crazy part? I still feel like I’m just getting started still. Every year I find something new to love and learn.
To every single person who has booked a session, trusted me with their wedding day, voted for me, recommended me, shared my work, volunteered for one of my events, collaborated with me or supported me in any way, thank you. To the photographers who have become my friends, supported my ideas, worked alongside me and reminded me why I love this community so much, thank you too. You are a huge part of this journey. And to my parents, thank you for never giving up on my dreams. Even if they changed gears…. a few times. 🙌🏻
Whether you’ve been here since the very beginning or just recently found my page, you’re part of this story. I wouldn’t be celebrating four years without the people who believed in me and gave me a chance.
So here’s to four years 🎉 I’m proud of what I’ve built. I’m thankful for the support and I’m grateful for where I am and I’m even more excited about where I’m going. Here’s to continuing to grow, continuing to give back, supporting one another and never forgetting where it all started. 🥹🫶🏻🤍 if you have a memory that I was a part of, PLEASE POST IT! I want to see all of the memories from the last 4 years!
