Good Neighbor Podcast: Frisco

EP 368: From Barbie Camera To Mansfield Studio: Heather Harvey On Family, Legacy, And Print

• Sophia Yvette

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What makes Heather Harvey with Heather Harvey Photography a good neighbor?

What if the photos you love most never make it past your camera roll? We sat down with Mansfield-based portrait photographer Heather Harvey to unpack why the images on your walls shape family identity far more than the thousands tucked away on a phone. From newborns and seniors to immersive Santa sessions, Heather shares how she designs studio experiences that feel warm, intentional, and deeply personal—turning fleeting milestones into heirlooms that live in your home, not just your cloud.

Heather’s story begins with a Barbie film camera and grows through profound loss, a journey that taught her how photographs carry voices across generations. She explains why printed portraits boost a child’s confidence, foster a sense of belonging, and help families curate their own visual legacy. We dig into practical details too: how she guides clients on wardrobe and set choices, the role of social media in showing the craft behind the final image, and what it takes to blend artistry with client care at every step.

We also touch on mentorship and community—how Heather supports newer photographers with honest insights about building a sustainable business, shaping client experiences, and staying creative between sessions. Outside the studio, her love of simple family rituals fuels the cozy, seasonal textures in her work, making each session feel like a page pulled from real life. If you’ve wondered when to move a favorite photo from screen to frame, this conversation offers both the why and the how.

Subscribe for more neighbor stories, share this episode with someone who needs a nudge to print, and leave a review to tell us which photo you’d frame first.

To learn more about Heather Harvey Photography, go to:
 🔗 https://www.heatherharveyphotography.com/

Heather Harvey Photography

254-715-7815


SPEAKER_00:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Sophia Yvette.

SPEAKER_01:

Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. Are you in native a photographer? Well, one may be closer than you think. Today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, Heather Harvey, with Heather Harvey Photography. Heather, how are you today?

SPEAKER_02:

I'm good. How are you?

SPEAKER_01:

I'm good. No, we are excited to learn all about you and your business. Can you start off by telling our listeners just a little bit about your company and how you originally got into this business?

SPEAKER_02:

Yes. So my name is Heather and I own Heather Harvey Photography. I have a studio based in Mansfield, Texas, but I service the water DFW Metroplex. I'm a portrait photographer. I work with tons of children. That's my specialty. And with that comes newborns, maternity, families, seniors, just the whole journey of a family, really, and telling their story. And then I do a lot of headshots and work with several businesses and schools. So a little bit of everything.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes. And what is your favorite part of the photography to work on? Which stage?

SPEAKER_02:

Which stage? I love, I mean, just my favorite part is working with children. And so at the end of the year, we do huge Santa experience visits. And so that's what we're in the midst of right now. And um the children love it. It's just a nostalgic, priceless moment with parents building memories with Santa.

SPEAKER_01:

And how did you originally get into this business, Heather?

SPEAKER_02:

So I started out loving photography when I was a little girl. My dad gave me my first camera. It was a um 126 film Barbie camera. And the older I got, I had I lost both my parents and I lost my brother. And I realized how priceless those pictures were. And telling our story and telling our family story. And being able to pass down and tell my children because my children never met their grandparents. And so being able to help them meet and learn about their grandparents, I've just learned the importance of an image, how how important a picture can be to a family in generations.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh well, I'm so sorry for your loss, but I'm so glad you're able to make something so beautiful out of it. Thank you. Now, what is the most common myth or misconception you come across on the day-to-day in your industry, Heather?

SPEAKER_02:

Um, just the daily myth is your images need to live on a wall, not just your phone. So many people think that today's society everything's on the phone, everything's on the go, but there's something about having those images on your wall. Um, statistics even show that children's confidence is boosted drastically when they walk by their image hanging on a wall in their home. They're connected. Um they're they know that they belong somewhere. So I would love for the myth of everything being on your phone digitally would die just a little bit.

SPEAKER_01:

Now we know marketing is the heart of every business. Who are your target customers? And in terms of marketing today, how do you attract them?

SPEAKER_02:

Um, a lot of it's social media because it is my work that's shown, so I can showcase a lot of my work on social media. Um, I love to reach out to moms, grandmas, dads, grandpas um that just really cherish those memories and those moments and and want to capture all of them.

SPEAKER_01:

Heather, have you ever thought about having your own podcast before?

SPEAKER_02:

I have. Just talking about things in the photography world. Um, I do a lot of mentoring and mentorship with um my photography work and all the things that come with that. So being able to speak to that and and help others grow in the industry would be a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_01:

Now, outside of work, what do you and your family like to do for fun?

SPEAKER_02:

Um, we love to just go find somewhere to eat, like a hole in the wall place, somewhere we haven't been before, and just try it out. We like to try new things. Um, we love to sit on our back patio, and especially this time of year, because we can have a fire and s'mores and hot cocoa. We absolutely love that time. Um, and other than that, we I love getting into my studio and just being creative and building and building wardrobes and sets when I'm not working with the client.

SPEAKER_01:

Now, please tell our listeners one thing they should remember today about Heather Harvey photography.

SPEAKER_02:

That it's all about capturing those memories. And I want to be able to tell your story, and I can do that through my camera.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, they say a photo is worth a thousand words, right?

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, yes, and so many more.

SPEAKER_01:

Now, where can our listeners go to learn more about Heather Harvey photography?

SPEAKER_02:

They can go to Heather Harveyphotography.com. I also have a Facebook, Heather Harvey Photo, and an Instagram, Heather Harvey underscore photography.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, Heather, I really appreciate you being on the show today. We wish you and your business the best moving forward. Thank you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNP Frisco dot com. That's GNP Frisco dot com or call four six nine two two two two two two two two two two two two one nine three four five.