Meet Hayden Fancher | Lifestyle & Family Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hayden Fancher and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hayden, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Photography has always been something I have enjoyed on the side. I would take pictures of my friends proposals, or document when they had babies, or friends would have high school & college graduations to announce.
I worked in College Ministry at Texas A&M for 7 years and loved what I did. I got to hang out with college students, travel the world, and talk with people about Jesus. It was a dream job. I mean, I was 25 and had already filled a passport. Truly, it was a dream. But I had always wanted to be married and finally, after a Hinge date success story, it was coming true for me. So, I got married and moved to Katy. My ever supportive husband encouraged me to take time to decide what I wanted to do next in life. I prayed, sought wise counsel and ultimately decided that photography was what I wanted to pursue. It was a space I felt I did well in. I found I was able to capture people’s personality in a way that felt true to them. I honestly really love getting to take pictures of little kiddos and families. There is something really sweet about getting a three year to smile at the camera and mean it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I feel so fresh in the world of creatives. I also feel that photography is such a saturated environment, how does one stand out? How do you price yourself to be competitive yet reasonable? How do you target to a niche group while also appeasing the masses? Social media is such a helpful tool yet the comparison can be so harmful. So, I just trust the Lord. I trust that whatever comes of this will be exactly what it needed to be. I will be confident in who I am, the art I create, and have fun while doing it!!
I am most proud of how I perceive people feel during our session. I want them to feel as true to themselves as possible, because that is what we want captured. I also genuinely love working with little kids. It is a different level of patience to gain the trust of a tiny one. But when you do? Man, it is pure gold. And I feel like that is also what sets me apart. I will take 20 minutes to follow your child around looking for cats if it means they’ll trust me when I ask them to smile or to hug their mommas leg. Because then we capture what their mom, grandma, aunts & uncles see on a daily basis and that is what people want memorialized in a photo.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
How fun!
As a new person to Katy, I feel that I have been living in a lot of new and learning all the ins and outs of Houston.
We’d start with a coffee at Humble Grounds in Katy. Their coffee is delightful, their people are kind, and the place is a total vibe. Then we’re going shopping. We’d hit up the antique stores in Downtown Katy and then make the usual circle — Home Goods, Home Sense & TJ Maxx.
I’d want to see some live music, get some chips & queso and visit Acai Brasil because it is currently my obsession and have to stop myself from going everyday.
Then, I would probably consult google and figure out everyone else’s answer to this because I am so green in the “what’s cool” in Houston. 😉

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First off, all glory, honor and praise belong to God alone. He is my strength and has given me any ounce of talent in this field. This also belongs to my entire support system.. I call them my battle buddies. If you are going to battle, who are you bringing? My husband, Jarred, my family & his family, and my besties. Their consistent support and encouragement gave me the final push of confidence to take the leap. They were steadily building me up without insisting this be the decision I make. I remember when I posted for the first time about really doing photography, my Facebook feed was blown UP with people sharing my post. Growing up in church, the community is unlike anything else.

Website: https://www.haydenfancherphoto.com/

Instagram: HaydenFancherPhoto

Facebook: Hayden Fancher Photo

Image Credits
All mine 🙂