Today we’d like to introduce you to Hailey Sherman
Hi Hailey, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Going back a few years…it all started with a skateboard and a dream. I’ve always been mesmerized by snowboarding, surfing, and skateboarding. Although I always wanted to be a doctor, my other childhood dream was to become an Olympic snowboarder. In middle school, through YouTube videos and pure chance, I came across the YouTube channel for a place called Woodward Camp in Pennsylvania. Woodward is the biggest action sports camp in the world and has hosted programs for gymnasts, skateboarders, bmx and scooter riders, snowboarders, and more. They even had filmmaking and photography programs. With world renowned facilities, Olympic athletes even go there to train. It became my biggest aspiration to attend Woodward Camp and after a few years my parents signed me up!
In the summer of 2017, I arrived at camp with my suitcases and skateboard in hand and didn’t know a single person, but it was better than I hoped it would be. The staff and campers were full of excitement and made me feel like a part of the Woodward family, the skateparks and facilities were world class, and the environment was as if you put summer camp on steroids, but in the best way. It was an action sports paradise. Woodward became my summer escape for the next few years.
In my last summer as a camper I enrolled in the photography program after mainly being in the skateboarding program previously. Little did I know, a decision to switch into a different program would end up changing my whole life. That week, campers were joined by two VIP guest filmmakers, JP de Lespinois and Ty Evans, known for their famous action sports and skateboarding films as well as their incredible filmmaking skills. All of the photo campers got to sit in on a meeting held for the video campers where Ty and JP talked. Ty Evans asked, “Who here is making something other than a skateboarding video?” I looked around and realized not a single camper had raised their hand. I took that as a challenge and after the meeting ended I storyboarded a whole film that was something other than “a skateboarding video” as Ty said. His question not only inspired me, but it sparked something within me. I decided to share my storyboard with Ty and JP and they were beyond stoked and incredibly encouraging to me. After hearing them talk at the digital media meeting I felt drawn to filmmaking, so that day I switched from the photography program to filmmaking and the rest is history. I had never made a storyboard let alone edited a narrative film, but I learned how to use Adobe Premiere Pro that week and figured out the rest as I went.
JP and Ty, both took me under their wing that week, encouraged, and taught me about advanced levels of filmmaking. The gear they brought with them cost more than your typical two story house, and there I was at 17 years old getting to film with professional grade equipment. I couldn’t have imagined how life changing that particular week would be for me. It felt like I had lived a lifetime of adventures in a single week. I ended up winning the Woodward Camp film festival at the end of the week; it was a moment that I will never forget. As I was awarded my prize in front of the camp, JP said “she’s a future filmmaker 100%.” After I returned from camp, I realized I had a lot of decisions to rethink, and as time passed and I contemplated different job options the idea of being a professional touring photographer and videographer felt like a career I would love. During my freshman year in college, I photographed my first concert and I’ve never looked back. While I was in school I shot for London Fashion Week, became the lead photographer and videographer at a major social media company, and began working as a concert photographer. Fast forward to today and I have now graduated from film school, worked on feature films, shot for celebrities and some of my favorite artists such as Post Malone, Gracie Abrams, Nikki Glaser, Louis Tomlinson, and John Mayer, and I’ve had the honor to work on numerous other projects. Although part of me still yearns to work in medicine, I know I made the right choice with my career path and my decision to attend film school.
In the fall of my senior year in college I worked on my first feature film, called On Fire, as William H. Macy’s personal assistant. I’d wake up at 4am to do my homework and then leave for set well before 8am and get back late at night. Looking back, it seems insane to think about how I made that work while keeping my grades up and having finals, but it was also one of the best experiences of my life. That led to me interning for a film and theater production company based in Los Angeles in the spring semester of my senior year.
I graduated with a Bachelors in Film, Television, and Video Production and a minor in Photography. Less than a week after I graduated, I ended up being contacted and hired to shoot for Sony. A few months later I ended up working as the Set Photographer, another dream job of mine, on a feature film, and then I went on to book work directly for Atlantic Records shortly after that.
I’m not sure if there is such a thing as a traditional path for anyone who works in the arts or as a freelancer, but I feel so grateful for all of the experiences I have had in my career so far. I have so many dreams and goals that I am working towards achieving, but I am also proud of what I have accomplished so far.
By putting the time in and working so many filmmaking and photography jobs during college I set myself up to achieve some of my dream jobs shortly after graduating. My portfolio covers a variety of different subjects and themes as well as types of work and content. I have so much to learn, but I feel confident in my skills and am so excited for what’s to come.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s never been easy, but even the most difficult things are possible. My goals have often seemed far-fetched to those around me. My family and closest friends never doubted me, but others have most definitely heard my dreams and blown them off. I’ve learned that people think “crazy” big goals are impossible to achieve, but I have always believed that if someone in the world gets to do these jobs then why can’t I? Over the last few years, I dedicated my time towards getting better at my craft and it became clear that these goals of mine didn’t seem so unachievable to others anymore. I never needed others to understand my dreams or to believe in me because I believed in myself and had an incredible support system helping and rooting for me. It has never been an easy road to get to where I am, but it has been worth it. The hours spent studying and learning outside of school, the extra push to work a little longer each night on homework or editing for clients, and navigating being a student while working almost full-time as a freelancer was an enormous challenge. However, working while being a student allowed me to graduate with a portfolio that has enabled me to work for some of my dream clients as a professional photographer and filmmaker. I am constantly learning how to have balance in my life as a young adult that loves to work. There have been a number of things I’ve had to overcome in my life, but my dreams fuel my passion to continue and move forward.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
When asked about what I do my response varies, but it’s always along the lines of “I’m a concert photographer” or “I work in film” because, truth be told, I do a variety of things. I work as a professional photographer that specializes in concert and behind-the-scenes photography. I also work in the film industry mainly in the camera department, as the Set Photographer, or as the Director. I’m a part of projects ranging from music videos to feature films and everything in between.
As a professional photographer and videographer I hold my own shoots where I bring my personal ideas to life, but I also work with clients to make their concepts a reality.
For the last few years, my heart has belonged to concert photography. When I capture images at concerts, and the crowd erupts around me, the chaos is calming. My heart syncs with the beat of the music and my mind becomes clear. I feel on top of the world, infinite, as I bring my visions to life. It’s an experience that feels like magic.
I capture light, shadows, emotions, people, and more. I am deeply passionate about photographing a variety of topics and I am excited to see what the future has in store. I am an artist, but I am also just a human sharing how I see the world.
Feeling joy, inspiration, sadness, curiosity, total chaos – it’s part of the human experience. I want viewers to become so immersed in my work that they forget where they are. Pulling back the curtain, I strive to give others a chance to see things they otherwise may not. I hope people feel the energy of a crowd through my concert photos, a sense of curiosity from my portraits, and a whim of inspiration because of my experimental work. I hope my work makes people feel something – anything. When I take pictures, I enter my own world. One full of endless possibilities. There is no “right way” to create, so I do what feels right to ME. My camera is an extension of who I am and when words fail me, my images do not.
Throughout the last few years I have been very fortunate to accomplish some of my biggest goals. A proud achievement was winning 1st place at my university’s Juried Undergraduate Photography Gallery after receiving 2nd place at the same show the previous year. It still feels surreal to think back on some of the brands and artists I have gotten to work with, but I also try to remember that this “success” didn’t happen overnight. I am immensely grateful for the opportunities I’ve had and those who have taken chances on me. I also recognize that from the outside it may seem like it’s pure luck, but I can guarantee that many hours were put in behind the scenes. In this line of work, you get used to hearing “no” quickly, but I am determined to accomplish my goals regardless of any preventative factors.
My instagram @hasfilms showcases my concert and editorial photography, but I photograph a wide range of subjects. Concert photography is one of my biggest passions, but I love to experiment with my work as I’m always being influenced by art and things that I see and experience in my everyday life.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
After living through a worldwide pandemic, I’d say I learned a lot. The most annoying, yet real, thing I learned is that expectations can kill. What I mean by that is nothing in life is guaranteed, but having experienced the pandemic as a senior in high school and then a freshman in college, you have to make the best of life as it is at the moment. I could go on about not having a graduation ceremony, prom, regular senior year or college experience, and much more, but at the end of the day my sadness towards missing out on those experiences won’t bring them back. It’s okay to feel grief towards experiences but I also know that my life today could look quite different if anything from the past had gone differently. So many people lost so much during the pandemic and I think the effects and lessons from that experience are still being learned even to this day. Looking back, I have a lot of painful memories from that time in my life, yet it wasn’t the hardest thing I’ve been through.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://haileyshermancreative.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hasfilms
Image Credits
All photos captured by Hailey Sherman.
Models/artists pictured include Aaron Shadrow & Gavin Valladares, Kadin McDaniel, Louis Tomlinson’s band, Declan McKenna, and Dahlia Rose.
