Stay-at-Home Moms Work to Supplement Income

A U.S. Census Bureau report lists Utah tied with Arizona for having the lowest percentage of children with both parents in the workforce. The report shows

Photography seems to be a growing trend in the Top of Utah for mothers who want to boost their household income or who are simply looking for a new challenge.

Layton resident Heather Mickey, 34, is a mother of two girls, ages 3 and 6. She owns Heather Mickey Photography and says her career is the perfect way for her to balance a family life, career and a passion.

"It's nice because I can make my own schedule and spend a lot of time around my family," Mickey said. "Also, it's something that I absolutely love doing, so it works really well for us."

Before becoming a professional photographer, Mickey earned a degree in the health care field, working with a respiratory therapist for more than nine years.

Terra Cooper, 29, also of Layton, owns Magnifique Photography. A mother of two boys, ages 4 and 1, she was a sixth-grade teacher before starting her business in 2007.

"I loved teaching, but it's hard to be a teacher full time and raise a family," she said. "With photography, the money is good and it gives me a lot of freedom to spend time with my family."

Although photography allows the two women to form their own schedules and spend more time with their families, both Mickey and Cooper stress that for them, photography is not just a hobby -- it's a career.

"For every hour of shooting, you spend another four hours behind the scenes," Mickey said. "When I started, I had no idea about how much time and money it would take. I've invested tens of thousands of dollars in the business.

"There is a big difference between just being a mom with a camera and a blog, and being a professional. It takes a lot of commitment."

Mickey shoots on location in Weber, Davis and Salt Lake counties, and sometimes in Utah and Cache counties, specializing in newborn babies, children, high school seniors, families and weddings.

Cooper shoots on location throughout the Top of Utah and offers specialized Christmas cards and baby announcements in addition to her portrait work. She said she spends an estimated $10,000 per year in advertising and equipment.

"If you're serious about it, it's much more than a hobby," Cooper said. "There is a lot of time and money that you have to put into it to make it work."

Both Mickey and Cooper are heavily involved in charity as part of their photography careers.

Mickey is involved with the American Child Photographers Charity Guild, a nonprofit, volunteer-based organization from all over the country dedicated to children in need, and Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, an organization that provides free photography sessions for parents of stillborn babies or premature babies who aren't expected to live.

On Oct. 24, Cooper was scheduled to team up with photographer Brandee Butler, who owns Philosophy Photography in Kaysville, to host a charity photography day for the Women for Women International Organization.

The organization provides women who are survivors of war, civil strife and other conflicts with the tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency.