I’m sure you’ve already gathered this, but my name is Haeli. I can thank my dad for the coolest spelling of that name ever. Most people know me by my Instagram handle @photos.by.haeli and sometimes call me that more often than my actual name. I think it’s hilarious! But enough about photography for a minute, I want you to get to know me as the very real person that I am.
wow okay this is our first impression. I think I got this!
That's my guy right there!
I live with my sweet husband, Travis and our two cats Henry & Nami. Quality time for us could mean going out to eat, hearing about each other's day, riding motorcycles or jet skis, dreaming about our goals, snuggling with our kitties at home, & so on. Really all that matters is that we’re together. We both LOVE what we do career wise (I'm a full time photographer & he works in manufacturing). We've been together since we were teenagers & we got married in 2024 here in Sonoma County. We are currently growing our careers & building our life together. He's my voice of reason, my personal mechanic, and my absolute best friend.
I was born and raised in California. I’ve traveled quite a bit, but I’m not anywhere near satisfied yet haha. I should probably add that I have a respectable amount of energy all the time. I can wake up early and go-go-go until night, but I’m definitely the most productive in the morning. I may have to re-heat my coffee 3 to 4 times but I’ll get s**t done!
About Me
Growing up, my mom and dad always had the sweetest relationship. They were great parents and still are to this day. My mom was always SO insistent about taking pictures of everything all the time. It drove us all nuts. We would always tell her to “put the camera away and just enjoy the moment in real life.” Around the time I was 11 years old, my dad passed away from a brain tumor, Glioblastoma specifically. Now looking back, I’m so grateful that my mom ignored us & took so many pictures anyway. Thanks to those photos, I’ll always be able to vividly remember what my dad was like.
I also get to see photos of my parents when they first started dating, and how in love they were. I can see his face on their wedding day and it’s almost like I was there. I get to see my brother & I as kids again, and I can see in my dad's eyes how much he loved us both. Those photos are how I visit and remember him now. THAT is why I’m a photographer. I want to give you the same ability to look back and re-live the moments you shared with the people you love. Thanks to my mom & all of the photos she made us take, I’ll always be able to see my dad smiling back at me whenever I need him. I'm so incredibly grateful for that.
I'm sure you're wondering why I got started in photography anyways? Grab your shovels because it's about to get deep.
When I found photography everything in life just suddenly made sense.
If I were to have a day completely by myself I would spend it cleaning the house, calling my mom just to say hi, getting some kind of self care treatment (facial, massage or pedicure) and thinking of all of the editing I'm looking forward to when I get home. I genuinely love what I do, so it's rare that I fully disconnect from this world even on days off. Before I started as a photographer, I really wanted to become a tattoo artist. As much as I love the world of tattooing, I realized that it just wasn't the right creative medium for me.
