Today we’d like to introduce you to Audrey Hoover.
Hi Audrey, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
When I was in 2nd grade I remember telling my parents that I wanted to be an artist. I always loved painting and coloring, but when my parents gave me my first camera (a point + shoot Canon Elph) when I was 11 I fell in love. I would spend my days photographing everything I could around our house and then would eagerly drop off the film at CVS and wait with excitement to see what I had created.
Then in high school, I was lucky enough to go to a school with a great photography program. I started with film photography and loved developing my photos in the class darkroom and experimenting with different exposures and styles. Next, I started computer graphics and digital photography and was so excited by all the possibilities of what I could create. My passion for photography only grew as I studied photography in college as well, with one of my all-time favorite experiences is taking a photography class as I studied abroad in London.
Despite my love for photography, I never thought that it was something I could pursue as a career. So after graduating college, I moved from job to job and city to city (NYC, Boston, and Chicago) searching for something that made me feel passionate and fulfilled like photography did. While living in Boston, I pursued my Master’s in Early Childhood Education and started working as a preschool teacher at an art-based preschool in the city I loved everything about working with children and being able to fill my days with art, even if it was finger painting!
Next, my husband (Chris) and I moved to Chicago where we welcomed our daughter, Claire. While I was on maternity leave I would spend my days staring at our sweet little girl and taking as many photos of her as I could, wanting to soak up every moment possible as she seemed to be changing before my eyes. Only then did it click for me that I could combine my love for photography with my love of teaching and young children into a business. But, starting a new business, in a new city, as a new mom was deeply intimidating. What if I failed? But being a mom, especially to a little girl, has this way of changing how you feel about yourself. I would look at my daughter and know that I wanted her to be brave, passionate, and to have confidence in herself to try anything she wants to. So how could I not tell myself the same thing?
So with the support from Chris (who is my number one cheerleader) and the courage I gained from my daughter, I started my lifestyle maternity, newborn, and family photography business – Audrey Hoover Photography – in Chicago and I never looked back! I started slowly taking on clients and within my first year, I had grown beyond my wildest expectations! I love few things as much as photographing a newborn baby just hours old for a fresh 48 hospital or in-home newborn session, or the joy of soon-to-be parents at their maternity session, or the perfect chaos that’s created during a family session. It’s such an honor and a joy of my life to be able to help families preserve moments in time that they don’t want to forget!
After 4 years in Chicago, we decided to move back to Florida to be closer to our families so that our children (Claire & Henry) could grow up close to their grandparents. Nowadays, I still fly to Chicago a few times a year to continue serving the families that I have in the city, but the majority of my time is spent serving families in Central Florida! I love being able to offer a luxury photography experience to Florida families by providing access to a growing motherhood wardrobe that is perfect for moms of every size to help make the process of planning photos a bit less stressful!
Additionally, I provide hands-on styling help for the whole family, location guidance so that we can find the perfect location to fit your vision, as well as extra perks like arranging in-home hair + makeup ahead of a session if the client would like! I truly care about my clients and their families and take the responsibility of photographing both the biggest and the most everyday moments in their lives to heart!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Restarting my business in Florida has been the most challenging hurdle so far, even harder than when Covid closed down Chicago for months and my business wasn’t allowed to operate! But, it has been such an absolute honor to partner with Florida families and document their lives in cities and areas that have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember! Not to mention, it has been a huge privilege and unexpected perk to be able to photograph old friends from my early school days who have now grown up and started families of their own.
The other struggle that I face constantly with running my business is juggling it with life as a mom of two. My full-time job is taking care of Claire and Henry, and it’s the biggest honor and responsibility of my life, but it can also be an all-consuming task! I try really hard not to work while I’m with my kids so that I can truly be in the moment with them, but it is certainly a struggle when my business and creating an effortless experience for my clients is something that I am so passionate about.
Thankfully, I have an incredibly supportive husband who also has a flexible job as a realtor. Chris is always eager to take the kids for the day so that I can get caught up on things or he’s the first to urge me to continue taking trips to Chicago while he cares for the kids.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Audrey Hoover Photography is a lifestyle maternity, newborn, and family photography business specializing in documenting the true and love-filled moments between my clients with the goal of celebrating the beauty of motherhood. Most people probably dread having their photos done, but at my lifestyle photography sessions, I won’t force you to smile at me or stand in an awkward position or create an unnatural setting. Instead, at a family session I’ll encourage parents to play games with their little ones. At a newborn session, I prompt new moms to snuggle their sweet baby and soak in that newborn smell. And at a maternity session, I ask expectant parents to pretend that they are out on a date and to just spend time with one another.
In addition to creating a relaxed experience for the families I work with, I differ from other photographers because I am a full-service photographer who makes the entire experience simple and effortless from start to finish! I provide a client wardrobe for moms that allows them to choose a dress to wear for their session so that they don’t have to spend time searching for something to wear or spend money to buy something new. I’ll even bring dresses to my client’s homes ahead of their session so that they can try them on beforehand and if nothing is a good fit I’ll shop for a new dress to add to my client’s wardrobe just for them! Plus, I can make arrangements for hair + makeup in your home before our photos. Lastly, when you book a session with me you will receive detailed information about styling help and what to expect at your session, ensuring that you’ll feel confident that you will not only look great in front of the camera but you’ll feel at ease too!
Ultimately, my goal is to create a relaxed portrait experience with beautiful photos that perfectly document this moment in my clients’ lives and I’m incredibly proud of the art that I’ve been able to create for the families that I work with. But what I think I am most proud of is the connections that I’ve made with my clients. So many of my clients tell me that I immediately put them at ease, that their kids love coming to play with me during photos every year, and that I feel like a part of the family to them. I truly put my heart into my business and it makes me so proud to know that my clients can feel that love while working together!
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Looking back, I think I can say that in high school and college, I took myself a bit too seriously! I think it’s fair to say that I’ve always been known as the “nice” girl and my high school superlative was “most ideal senior”. In high school, I was class president and cheerleading captain. I put a lot of pressure on myself and strived to always have straight A’s and was a bit of a perfectionist, but as an adult, I now know that was my anxiety I didn’t know that I had! However, I suffered from chronic migraines and would often miss school or have to pass on meeting up with friends because my migraines were so debilitating.
College was similar and I was involved in a number of student organizations with a focus on volunteering and social injustice. I majored in International Affairs with a minor in History and earned a Certificate of Entrepreneurship, graduating Summa Cum Laude with honors. I loved learning about different cultures and religions and have always been especially fascinated by Russian and European history. I spent many weekends volunteering with organizations like Habitat for Humanity. I’ve always been incredibly interested in traveling and was lucky enough to study abroad in London where I also went to Scotland, Wales, Belgium, Prague, and Paris.
Despite being so outgoing on paper, I was (and still am) an introvert! Spending time alone has always helped me feel recharged and grounded. And although I have always loved making connections with others everywhere I go, growing up I really preferred to spend my downtime reading or doing puzzles, or hanging out with my parents.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://audreyhooverphotography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/audreyhooverphotography/
