Student turns hobby into small business

If you’re looking to get professional portraits taken at an affordable price, junior Huyen Le is the person you’re looking for. Le is the founder of “Huyen Le Photography,” a small business she started to promote her passion for photography. 

“I have always enjoyed capturing beautiful moments for family and friends, so I decided to take it to the next level and purchase a professional camera,” said Le. 

Senior portraits, dance and birthday photoshoots, group/family photos — Le plans to do it all. 

“Knowing how expensive portraits can be, I wanted to create an option that is affordable but quality for students and members of the community,” said Le. 

Currently, Le has open bookings for pre-dance photos with prices starting as low as $25. For individual portraits, her prices range from $75-$125 per photoshoot. 

“I’m still learning and I’m always open to trying new things,” said Le. “I hope people will be able to express themselves through my photos and bring their creativity to real life.” 

To build up her portfolio, Le took pictures of her friends and family for no cost. Senior Angelina Saad was excited to book her senior photoshoot with Le. 

“I was a bit nervous at first because I’m not very photogenic, but she made me feel comfortable and hyped me up a lot, especially when I wasn’t feeling very confident,” said Saad. “She knew what she was doing because she directed me on how to pose, what looked good, and what settings would look best with my outfits!” 

Le’s passion is shown through the time spent taking pictures and editing her photos. She tends to go for warmer, vintage tones for her portraits, which take around eight hours to edit. 

“I don’t use presets or filters because I feel like the editing is what defines the photographer’s unique style, and I feel using presets other than my own could be seen as unoriginal,” said Le. 

Le’s Instagram is @h.lephotography and she is currently focused on attracting high school senior clients for their senior portraits. 

Check out her photography and shoot her a direct message if you’re interested!