Meet Onah Leigh Hazelwood | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Onah Leigh Hazelwood and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Onah Leigh, what principle do you value most?
The biggest value to me is the relationships created. It truly means the absolute world to me when I am invited back to document major milestones in someone’s life. What might start as someone just looking for a photographer for couples photos could turn into needing a photographer for a maternity session, to newborn, to senior photos and so on. I have absolutely loved being a part of so many families journeys. It’s not just photos to me – I get the most incredible job in documenting the biggest moments in their life!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I specialize in portrait storytelling photography. I don’t do the casual “stand here and smile” shots- I want to tell a story that generations will see lifetimes away in the photos!

I am fortunate in being able to say it has been a fairly smooth ride to get where I am. I have had an incredible support system and the most incredible people that I have had the privilege of working with that have helped me get my name out! Of course there are always challenges- but I have not let them slow me down!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There are SO many great places around us! This is tough! I would have to stop at Farmstead Coffee for the BEST coffee in the entire state of Tennessee, make a trip out to Nash Creamery for some delicious ice cream treats, go visit all the incredible parks nearby (Henry Horton being the most local one to me). I have also loved going Downtown Franklin to the Franklin Theater for their Songwriters Series!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My shoutout is dedicated to my father who is no longer with us. He had pushed me my entire life to do what makes me happy and not waste my life with a job that I hated. He constantly nudged me to pursue photography as a career. It wasn’t until I had my son in 2022 that I left my full time job and made this dream a reality. I actually have a tattoo on my arm that I pulled out of a birthday card he gave me on my 16th birthday where he wrote, “You can be and do anything in life that you want. Just be yourself.” It is a constant reminder to never give up on these dreams and that I am not required to try and be someone I am not to be successful.

My husband, Will. Thankful for all the hard work he puts in day in and day out for our family. And for always cheering me on!

Also, Jay Vivrette. He was the manager at my full time job I was at when I found out that I was pregnant. When I was tempted to continue working in fear of not being financially prepared to lose a full time income for our family to survive- he reminded me constantly to have faith that God will provide for my family and that I wouldn’t want to miss these days with my son while he is only young once. He had a plaque on his desk that said something along the lines of “Let’s save time and assume I am right” and while I hated to admit he was right about a lot of things- he was absolutely right about this!

Website: https://onahleighphotography.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onahleighphotography/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OnahLeighPhotography/