Meet Hadley Willson | Musician and Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hadley Willson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hadley, why did you pursue a creative career?
I have always enjoyed music and the artistic activities. As a child, I would often be found walking around the house singing along to music on my portable CD player (you know, back when those were still a thing) and pretending I was performing in a concert. I listened to music whenever I could, and I loved making little bookmarkers for friends and neighbors. Growing up, my dad introduced me to Big Band Music and Classical Music, and we would often to dance to the music in our living room. Throughout my childhood, my love for music continued to grow. I joined the St. Louis Children’s Choir; took voice, piano, and guitar lessons; and joined my home church’s worship team. While I enjoyed listening to worship music and classical music, I also found love for Punk Rock music in high school. In addition, I developed a passion for photography in high school. I would often take photos of nature on my phone and edit them to look artsy. Dabbling in photography in high school taught me to look for the beauty life, even the spaces that may appear dark or hopeless. Listening to music and sharing my photos on Instagram were helpful outlets for me in high school, especially when I was struggling with my mental health. Music and photography gave me a platform for me to express myself, and I knew that I wanted to use my love for music and photography to help encourage others to find healing, joy, and confidence. After switching my major a couple of times in college, I decided to pursue a degree in Worship Studies. I also taught myself how to use a DSLR on a rental camera from the university’s library, started my own photography business, and bought my first professional camera. Over the years, it has been so fun growing as a photographer and seeing my business grow. I have been the owner and photographer of my business, Meadow Rose Photography, for seven years. Now, I am the Pastoral Counselor and Assistant Worship Pastor at my local church. I have written one song that is very close to my heart and am in the process of producing it, and I am in a band that creates covers of songs in a Punk Rock and Alternative style.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
While I could try to convince people about what makes my art and music unique, the most important thing to me is authenticity. Creating photos that are Pinterest worthy or music that will blow up on the radio is not my focus. I strive to capture photos of adventurous souls who are wildly in love. Instead of focusing on stiff poses or airbrushed skin, I want to tell people’s beloved stories in the most genuine way possible. I am all about capturing genuine laughter, crinkled noses, and real emotions. I want to empower joy in my clients – the kind of joy that sends them running barefoot through a field, hand-in-hand with their love, knowing that they have found the one who understands and loves their heart.

It has not always been easy or dreamy. My photography business has had seasons where I wanted to give up. As President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy,” and man, that is so true. I used to struggle with comparing my work with other photographers and trying to make my photos look like theirs. I used to struggle with comparing their number of followers on social media with mine. However, choosing to be unapologetically myself has freed me to best serve my clients. It did not happen over night. It was a journey, on which I had to learn to be confident in myself, steward my gifts and time well, and trust that God’s blessing over my journey may look different than others.

My musical journey has been similar to my photography journey. I used to struggle with comparing my musical ability and talent with others’, especially in college when I was pursuing a degree in music. On multiple occasions, I wanted to quit music, but there was something in me that couldn’t. Music has always been there for me in my moments of joy and moments of grief. With the help of people who faithfully supported and encouraged me, I kept learning. I kept growing. And I believe I will always keep learning and growing. There will always be people who are considered better than me, but I am now okay with that. I would rather be unashamedly myself than live in the shadow of others.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Although I currently live in Indiana, St. Louis will always be my home. I absolutely love showing my friends around my home city. I am very much a homebody, but I would definitely take my friends to the St. Louis Zoo. I would also show my friends Mama’s On the Hill, which is where toasted ravioli originated. Forest Park is a wonderful area to go on a walk or a run, have a picnic, or get photos taken. And we can’t forget about Ted Drewes, known for their famous local frozen custard. If my friends have children, we would go to the City Museum, which is like a giant indoor playground. The Delmar loop was one of my favorite placed to hang out at with friends in high school. It is like an inner-city, retro main street with shops and restaurants of all kinds. There is a huge vinyl store on The Loop, as well as Fitz’s Root Beer, where St. Louis’ famous root beer originated. Finally, I would take my friends to the infamous Arch, also known as the Gateway to the Midwest. Even though going up in the Arch is a bucket list favorite for some people, the museum under the arch contains of wealth of stories about St, Louis’ history. Oh, and the museum is also free!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Without the support and encouragement of a few special people, I would not be where I am in life today. Too many times, I have been tempted to give up and throw in the towel. However, my voice teacher for nine years, Annemarie Bethel-Pelton, and my piano instructor for four years, Jacqueline Fortier, were two of my biggest supporters in high school. They saw my potential and pushed me to be the very best musician I could be. They were always there to encourage me before music competitions and helped keep me humble. A few times, when I was struggling with family issues, Annemarie would take the whole hour of our lesson and just listen to me. She would let me cry and feel the emotions I needed to feel, while also not letting me stay stuck in a place of anger or depression. In addition, the Artistic Director of the St. Louis Children’s Choirs, Barbara Berner, is someone for whom I will always be grateful. She taught me what it means work as a team, and she believed in my abilities to be a leader and a friend. She gave me and my fellow peers one of my favorite quotes: “Music made together will one day heal mankind.” Last, but absolutely not least, my worship mentor in college, Nowell Hardin, made a huge impact on my life. He taught me that leading worship is so much more than a performance – that it is about serving others, not ourselves. He also showed me what it means to be a healthy leader in the church, and he invested in me more than anyone else in my college career.

Website: https://www.meadowrosephoto.com

Instagram: meadowrosephoto_

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

Image Credits
Son Photography & Film Co.
Kulaga Photography