With camera in hand, the gentle twist of the lens, and kaleidoscope eyes Hayley Hess-Beaumont sees and captures the best of any person, place, or thing on film. I always knew she was a gifted photographer and artist. Even on family vacations when she was a child we passed the camera to her. As Hayley grew up she fell more in love with photography in high school. She purchased her first SLR camera in her junior year of high school which, she immediately put to use photographing both of her older siblings' weddings. In school she spent long hours in the dark room developing black and white prints and a lifetime love for the emotion and detail that black and white images capture. While Hayley was in college she refined her skills as both a fine artist and a photographer. She also interned with a successful Southern California wedding portrait company, Enchanted Portraiture, during her Junior year of college. In June of 2003 she graduated at the top of her class with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Art- emphasis in Photography from the University of California in Riverside.
After graduation, Hayley and her husband, along with their first child, moved to Texas where she opened Firefly Portraiture. Not long after opening for business, one of our friends volunteered to be a model for Hayley to use in advertising. I was surprised that Hayley agreed to use her because I had never thought of her as being pretty, much less photogenic. When the proofs came back I was astonished and ashamed. Our friend looked so beautiful, her eyes stood out like turqoise jewels. Her less than ideal feature, that I used to think dominated her face, now seemed insignificant. My view of our friend had changed forever. Like a kaleidoscope the subject matter, our friends feature, didn't change. My perspective of her changed because of Hayley's ability to see the best in people and bring that out with her camera.
After being in Texas for a year and a half, another little angel joined the family, bringing with him more love and inspiration. The love Hayley shares with her husband and two children inspires and enables her to capture timeless and meaningful images for clients. Knowing personally how vital relationships and experiences with loved ones are, She both naturally and skillfully creates images that embody the personalities of her clients. Hayley's style has been influenced by both contemporary and vintage design and pop culture. Those close to Hayley say her style is a blend of Sarah McClachlan and Audrey Hepburn (two of her favorite female icons).
As a member of both the PPA (Professional Photography Association) and the TPPA (Texas Professional Photography Association), Hayley continues to further her education in order to provide her clients with the finest art, services and products. When she is not creating images for clients, she is soaking up the time she has with her family. Hayley believes strongly in valuing family time and relationships, for this reason she is available by appointment only for consultations at the Firefly Portraiture Gallery.
