Kate Hailey

Hello! 

My name is Kate and I’m a photographer and artist based in the PNW. 

It’s been a while since I shared a new photo of myself here so I thought it was time. And, I thought I’d share a little about me too. I grew up around music, art and photography. I started singing and playing music around 6 years old. From there I learned a variety of instruments, and studied music in school. With that I always had a camera, including instant cameras as a kid, photo assisting as a teen, and over time, exploring just about every genre from landscapes and weddings, to travel, astro, and of course portraiture. 

Today I mostly focus on capturing people and places, with a splash of the vast wonders of the universe. I have a long love of instant film and film photography (@analoguekate ), which prompted me to start leading the occasional instant film photowalk (@PNWInstantFilm ). 

When I’m not making images, I love to teach others what I’ve learned. You will find me teaching around the PNW. I am on the faculty at Photographic Center Northwest (@PhotoCenterNW ). Each year I teach a few workshops (travel/portraiture) and their Studio (Lighting) course, which is a part of their Certificate Program. 

And, when I’m not doing those things, you may find me wandering around the city with @SeattlePhotowalks . Where the primary goal is to get out in the world with a camera and capture whatever we find interesting and compelling. 
 Oh, I also paint a little too - @spiritedearth ! That’s a little about me! 
(And yes, I have too many IG accounts 😂)

I’d love to know a little about you, so please share a tidbit or two in the comments. ☺️📷

A little mood goes a long way. Pulling back the light. Capturing moments and expressions between the laughter. These are my favourite moments. Every. Single. Time. @briannapdague , at it again. @FujifilmX_US X-T4 w/ 56mm f/1.2 @WestcottLighting FJ400 w/Beauty Dish Switch @CaptureOnePro for tethering and edits @TetherTools for tether cable. #seattleportraitphotographer #makeportraits #life_portraits #storyportrait #chasinglight #justgoshoot #makemoments #fujifilmx_series #myfujifilmlegacy #fujifilmportrait #westcottlighting #captureonepro #betterwhenyoutether

Riona If you saw the last two posts with Riona, you may notice I only used one light for each frame. This one has a tweak, if there’s time (in a demo/workshop) I love to show what a second little hair light can do, so here I added an A10 with a CTO gel and a grid to put a little warm light on Riona’s fab red hair. From my recent workshop in Portland, One Light Portraits. (Yep, I cheated and make a 2 light setup! 😂😉). In Frame: @rionaraindrop Location: Pro Photo Supply, Portland Camera/Lens: Fujifilm X-T4 w/56mm f/1.2 Lighting: Profoto A2 w/ ClicBox Octa + Profoto A10 w/Grid + CTO Gel #prophotosupply #makeportraits #onelightportrait #profotosharethelight #profotoa2 #fujifilmx_us #myfujifilmlegacy

Happy World Baking Day! No, I did not bake these beautiful shortbread cookies; I did pick them up at one of my fave Seattle bakeries: La Liath (@laliathbakery ) in Wallingford. What is your go-to baked good??

Chanel. On the runway. I love to find a cool frame and see what wanders in. For me, street photography is about patience, a lot of patience. I also love a bright, sunny day to find great light and deep shadows. #myfujifilmlegacy #seattlestreetphotography #fujifilmx100v

Ben Bridge Creative Street Scenes. - Slow Shutter speed to capture the moving car. - Exploring creative framing through the jagged street and deep shadows. - Getting lucky in timing. Have fun. Have patience. Make something different. #myfujifilmlegacy #fujifilmx100v #icmphotography #icmstreetphotography

MAY Photowalk: BELLEVUE Let’s explore the east side! Join Kate Hailey at Bellevue Park Downtown, for a morning of nature views and cityscapes. WHEN Saturday, May 23, 2026 Photowalk start time at 10 AM WHERE Bellevue Downtown Park 10201 NE 4th St, Bellevue, WA 98004 Photowalk Starting Point: Near the entrance/parking lot on NW 4th St **If you’re in Seattle, and want to take the train… Kate is planning on being at the Symphony Station around 9 AM to catch the 2 line to Bellevue, from there we will walk to the park. This should put us at the park around 10. **If you’re already on the East Side or just want to drive, start here for finding parking: 10201 NE 4th St, Bellevue, WA 98004 Entrance looks like it’s on 100th Ave NE between 1st and 4th! RSVP via the events link in the bio. 
 Questions?

Let Kate know in the comments! Photo by @katehailey Event host @katehailey #seattlephotowalks #seaphotobellevue

Scenes from Alki Beach in Seattle on a mostly rainy afternoon in March. #alkibeach #pnwphotographer #myfujifilmlegacy #fujifilmx100v

📸 PolaCon NYC presenter Spotlight 📸 @katehailey Kate Hailey is a Seattle-based freelance photographer and educator known for her expressive, light-driven portraits. She teaches photographers to approach portraiture with intention, blending technical skill with creative exploration. Lighting for Instant Film & Film Photography is an interactive demo focused on creating compelling portraits using small, portable lighting tools. Learn to shape light with compact flash and LED options while working within the unique constraints of instant film. Attendees will be invited to step in as models and have the opportunity to photograph each other, gaining hands-on experience with the lighting gear. This session emphasizes simplicity, experimentation, and creative control.

Happy Earth Day! Our planet is strong. Our planet is fragile. Our planet is beautiful. Our planet can support us if we support it. I believe it's important that we work towards preserving the people, land, and animals of our world. We must be open-minded. We must learn. We must have conversations and truly listen. We must explore. We must work to understand the differences that make us who we are. I hope you find some peace today, and every day. I hope we can find a way back to our humanity. Life, and life on our planet is precious, and short, we must always remember and respect that.

I'm a sucker for deep shadows and how they stretch in or out of a scene. Alley in Pioneer Square, Seattle, WA. 📷: Nikon Z f w/28mm f/2.8

Instant Film Photowalk | International District Edwin Land’s Birthday is on May 7th. Co-Founder of Polaroid and the inventor of the “Land Camera”, I thought it would be fun to do a photowalk in celebration of his birthday. 

A few years ago I did this with a small group of instant film frields, it was a lot of fun, so I thought it was time to do this again. WHEN May 7, 2026 @ 6:30 PM Sunset is at 8:29 PM WHERE TO MEET HING HAY PARK 423 Maynard Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104 We will meet up at Hing Hay Park in the International District and wander around the area for some photos! If the group wants we could wander towards the waterfront if it seems like the sunset will be awesome. WHAT TO BRING ~ Bring your fave instant film camera, Polaroid or Fujifilm are welcome. ~ Recommend bringing cameras that use 600 film or Instax, since we will be out closer to sunset. 
~ Attendees could consider bringing a tripod, if they want to try some slower shutter speeds. Event Host: @KateHailey 
Event Hashtags: #pnwinstantfilm #PNWInstantFilmID