Welcome to my new Substack Newsletter!
I hope you have had a restful and joyful holiday season and start to the new year. I’m excited to be using Substack as my new platform to connect with everyone on my email list! This will be a new space for me to share updates from my photography and filmmaking adventures. Subscribe for free or upgrade to a paid tier to get exclusive updates straight to your inbox. My Substack page also serves as a public blog so you can easily share with your friends!
Wrap up: 2022 Highlights
I started freelancing in earnest in 2019 after I graduated from Salt at MECA in Portland, Maine and moving back home to Philly. I was only working for a few months before the pandemic hit. It was a huge challenge to work during that time, and 2022 felt like the first year I could move full speed ahead. Here are some of my favorite projects from last year:
Two video stories for A More Perfect Union on The Philadelphia Inquirer: “Lights. Camera. Crime.” and “Exodus”
A short documentary with Fat Rat Films (United Kingdom) for the United Nations about Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. Unfortunately, the film is private, but it was a great project to be a part of.
A day in the studio at Milkboy with Larry Gold for Applejack Music (Australia) while recording strings for The Teskey Brothers. I’m not sure where this footage will end up, but Larry is legendary and it was incredible to see him in action.
2022 was my first year merging two of my greatest loves: Live music and photography! View my full music gallery here featuring Aurora, Wet, Local Natives, Still Woozy, Yung Gravy, and more
Up next: Sundance Film Festival 2023
Before the world shut down in 2020, I was a house photographer for the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The festival went virtual for two years and now is finally back in person. I can’t wait to get back to the festival this year from January 17th-25th. Make sure you’re following me on social media for real-time vlogs and behind the scenes looks. In the meantime, check out my gallery from the 2020 fest here. See any familiar faces? What are some films at this year’s festival I need to see?
New: Print Shop
I’m so excited to offer archival-quality prints and wall art for sale in my new store. Expect mostly travel photos from my favorite destinations, and local Philly shots. I might even include some greatest hits from my music portfolio. What kind of photos would you like to have as wall art in your home? Shop now here.
Becca Haydu Weddings
When I’m not shooting journalism, documentaries, travel, or music, I’m shooting weddings! 2022 was my busiest wedding season yet and I’m looking forward to another great season in 2023 after some winter R&R. I have a separate website, socials, and newsletter for my wedding work, so be sure to follow along here as well!
Cultural Center in Mexico
In 2015, while I was still a college student, I co-founded a cultural center in a small town called Yaxkukul in Yucatan, Mexico. Our mission is to promote indigenous Maya culture through bolstering local artistic talent. Seven years later, our project is still going strong and has morphed into two sister projects: a community radio program and a traveling cultural caravan! I’m excited to continue working with and growing the cultural center this year. We are planning our next big event for February, so stay tuned. In the meantime, you can support us by contributing to our GoFundMe and following us on Facebook!
Become a paid subscriber on Substack
I’m a full-time independent photographer and filmmaker. I’m lucky to get paid to do what I love, but a lot of my creative and personal work is unpaid. By subscribing to a paid tier of my newsletter, you’ll get exclusive photos and updates that I won’t share elsewhere. You’ll be supporting my personal projects throughout the year! You can subscribe today for as little as $5/month.
Thank you!
Phew, 2022 was quite a year and that was a lot to wrap up! If you’ve made it this far, thank you! Expect more frequent and shorter updates throughout the year on both the paid and free newsletters. Next up I’ll be sharing updates from Sundance 2023 so stay tuned!