Hailey Rae is a PRCA photographer with a huge passion for the Western industry. She got her start photographing livestock shows while attending Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming on a livestock judging scholarship. During that time, she fell in love with telling the stories of rodeo which is now her full-time occupation. She is on the road most of the year covering nearly 100 rodeo performances over 10+ states. She has now been selected three times to photograph the National Finals Rodeo and has been a top 5 nominee for Photographer of the Year.
Growing up, did you always want to be a photographer? Then expanding on that, what did the beginning of your photography career look like?
I was always interested in photography from a young age, and in high school I started offering portraits and eventually dove into the world of livestock photography. I ended up spending all summer on the road going to various livestock shows, county and state fairs and also worked for a few companies on a national level. When I went to college I ended up following our rodeo team around, fell in love with the sport (I’ve always been intrigued with rodeo), and began to pursue rodeo photography starting with high school, jackpots, things of that nature and applied for my PRCA card in 2020.
Has your style of photography changed at all since you started your business? If so, how would you describe your style then compared to now?
I wouldn’t say it’s changed, just becoming more developed and refined.
Do you have a creative process when it comes to choosing your shots or the setup that goes into getting the perfect shot?
My thought process is different for each rodeo depending on what the end goal is. I always ask myself when arriving to a rodeo what that goal is, sometimes it’s to capture a specific athlete for a company, other times it’s to capture the whole story of the rodeo for the committee or to shoot creative angles for a specific project. From there I decide how to get the best shots for the specific task factoring in light, backgrounds, stock, etc.
What is your favorite thing about shooting the NFR?
First off, the energy is like none other, between the crowd, production of the rodeo, and contestants it gets your blood pumping. But most importantly getting to tell everyone’s stories is such an honor whether it’s a gold buckle, a broken record, and even the small moments are so special to be a part of. I also really love showing the part of the rodeo the fans don’t get to see, all of the small intimate behind-the-scenes moments.
Are there other photographers who have inspired you in your own work? Or who do you look up to in the rodeo industry?
Yes! Click Thompson, Roseanna Sales, Kristen Shurr, and Clay Gaurdipee have always been my biggest inspirations and have grown to be dear friends. They push me to be better every single day.
Do you have an ultimate bucket list rodeo as far as where you would like to shoot someday?
This is very random, but I would really love to shoot any of the Florida rodeos.
What advice would you give to aspiring rodeo photographers?
Just get out and shoot and never be afraid to try something new!
Make sure to follow Hailey on social media @HaileyRaePhoto on Instagram and Hailey Rae Photography on Facebook and learn more about her at HaileyRaePhoto.com.
