Nurse-turned-photographer Amy Haehl specializes in stunning maternity and wedding photoshoots, as well as photographing newborn babies in a studio setting. But when she turned her hand to a funny side project, she found a whole new fanbase.
Haehl, who owns and runs Coffee Creek Studio in Shelbyville, Indiana, released a collection of hilariously edited photos of babies with full toothy grins, and the internet responded by making them a viral sensation.
The 37-year-old photographer clarified that she didn't organize a photo shoot specifically for this project, but rather chose photos that lent themselves well to the funny edit from her existing back catalog. The broad toothy grins were tailored to fit each baby's face.
Haehl, who has over 11 years of experience in the profession, decided to experiment with the photo-editing application FaceApp after seeing a friend transform a picture of their own baby. After running some of her adorable newborn subjects' photos through the app, Haehl was delighted to find that the results were extremely funny.
"I haven't laughed this hard in a long time," Haehl captioned the edits. "I could have gone back and done this to every single baby that has ever come in my studio. Can't. Stop. Laughing."
The fun series was shared tens of thousands of times. Comments flooded in, with netizens exclaiming that Haehl's clever photo edits were inciting giggles, and a little fear at the same time.
As an ER nurse, Haehl had often felt that so much was out of her hands. Coming to photography as an alternative career felt like a "calling," she explained.
"When I realized how absolutely hysterical [FaceApp] was," she added, "I just had to share with my followers!"
The photographer expressed hope that her lighthearted series would provide a little respite amid stress and uncertainty. At its heart, Haehl's photo project is an invitation to smile, just like the broadly grinning babies.
"Laughter really is the best medicine," she said.
