Hi! I'm Haley Miller.
I am a photographer.
I love creating.
I love treasure hunting in thrift stores.
I play around in Photoshop just for fun.
I have 5 kids.
I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Adventures make my heart happy.
I wish chocolate was sugar free.
And I am passionate about Jesus Christ.
My Story
I've been a family photographer for 20 years and have taken thousands of photos, truly loving it. I have always wanted to create art of Jesus Christ, but I just didn't have the ability to capture the form and light the way I could see it in my mind.
A few years ago, my daughter was turning 8 and as we were talking she expressed how she wished she could have her photo taken with Christ. I had just months before learned about composite/fine art photography and had been creating daydream photos for fun. We decided to find a model and try it.
It was a sweet experience. This piece was beautiful and symbolized to my daughter, her choice to walk with Christ. I thought that other clients would want similar photos of their children with Christ–and many did–and I didn't think further.
Later, I decided to get a few more images of Christ I could place children into. At that shoot, I saw a bit further. I felt I could start to create those images I had always wanted to make. They started spilling out of me–sometimes a couple a day. It was amazing!
I staged a shoot with specific poses and ideas for pieces I wanted to create–pieces that represented what His names meant to me. It became a visual way to bear my testimony of Christ.
The first specific piece I wanted to create was "Rescuer".
A few years prior, I had come out of a very dark place. A cage of sorts. I had been deeply betrayed, and had built a thick wall around myself. I thought I was safe there, where no one could hurt me again....but...I began to disappear. I withdrew from people...from love...from God.
Outward I went through the motions, but inward...I was fading. It was only through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint's 12 step program, that I finally learned how powerless I was.
There was such hope and peace in that knowledge. I was determined to find healing for my spirit and to have joy again.
After months of meetings and working, I was beginning to see light again, and feel hope in the promises of God.
One day as I was exercising, I was pondering on the efforts of the Savior on my behalf. I was granted a vision of sorts...
In this vision I was sitting on the ground, my back against the wall of a cage, it was dark - and I felt terrible. Dark, angry, and so deeply hurt. I looked up and through a door in the cage was a hand reaching towards me. It was Jesus Christ.
I knew as I looked at Him that He had come all the way down the twisted path I had taken, and had found me to bring me out. I took His hand. He walked back the same twisted path with me...until we came back to light.
To hope. To life.
I cried as I exercised. I knew this had really happened.
That He had really come...for me...and that He had been with me all along.
I love Him for this.
I encourage you to take a minute and reflect on Jesus Christ...on what he has done for you and what you might do to always remember Him.
- Haley