About Us

HeyAustin.com is, at it’s heart, an entertainment/lifestyle directory. While providing entertainment, business and event descriptive and locations in a user-friendly, mobile ready format is our ultimate charge, entertaining you along the way, we hope, will be our niche.

We’ve chosen photography, in large part, to tell our Austin story, and we’ve been fortunate enough to attract some of Austin’s leading lifestyle/street photographers as contributors to HeyAustin.com.

Austin is a once bucolic state college town turned teeming international music, tech and entertainment destination. Her transformation, while truly impressive, was not altogether unexpected for those of us lauding her allure while at the same time desperately trying to guard her secrets. Austin has experienced, and continues to experience extortionate growth and change and we hope to document and deliver it all.

Will Taylor

Publisher, Sales, Partnership Coordinator –
After 25 years in the financial services industry, most of that spent with Amsterdam based The ING Group, Will developed and currently manages three on-line publications – Lost In Austin, 6street.com and laketravis.com. Will splits time between homes in Austin and Crested Butte, CO. He’s also an admittedly amateur member of the media/photography team. You can contact Will here.

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Hakem Hammouda

Lead Developer –
Hakem is thinAIR Solutions’ Lead Software Engineer and Developer. Hakem’s lived and worked predominantly in the Emirates and Poland, and is currently living in Egypt. Hakem is the lead programmer for the customization and app development work on the thinAIR portfolio of sites. Hakem excels in developing and building online businesses. In his free time he likes to read/learn about other kinds of development, and sometimes his curiosity extends to building things in the real world. You can contact Hakem here.

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Kate McDermott

Lead Blog Contributor –
Kate is a copywriter and content writer at Eat, Drink, and Write Copy, her Austin-based writing outfit. She creates content for bars, restaurants, and hospitality-focused businesses, sprinkling in as much wit and charm as she can muster. Kate is passionate about food, adult beverages, and having a good time. You can find examples of her work on her website or contact her here.

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Justin Snider

Lead Photo Contributor –
As a former teacher and now a Technology Specialist by day, Justin has spent the last 15 years teaching and training others to use Photoshop and other graphic tools. Only in the last few years has he started exploring his own creativity through photography and graphic design. His true interests lie in aerial, landscape, and architectural photography. His work has been featured by KVUE News, Visit Austin, City Of Round Rock, the Round The Rock blog, and 365 Things To Do In Austin. You can see more of Justin’s work at Rock Studios, Inc., on Facebook and Instagram. You can reach Justin here.

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Kuki Bastos

Photo Contributor-
Kuki is a Photographer, Creative Director, and Digital Artist. He particularly specializes in fine-art contemporary landscapes, cityscapes, night photography, long exposure and Travel Photography. Kuki works with tilt-shift drone photography which produces the “tiny-city” effect photographs featured on this site and our FB page. Kuki’s work can be seen on his website and on his Facebook page. Kuki can be reached via email here.

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Ryan Conine

Photo Contributor –
Ryan’s an Austin based photographer specializing in aerial and ground based photography in Austin and the surrounding Hill Country. The goal behind every shot is to capture a view from a unique vantage point that nobody has seen before. Many of the photos taken come from the use of what most would call a drone. Others are taken at ground level taking advantage of lights, shadows and reflections. Ryan’s work can bee seen on his business Facebook page and his photography website. Ryan can be reached here.

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Gino Barasa

Creative Support, Editorial, Blog/Photo Contributor –
Gino is an Austin based photographer specializing in making everything look awesome. It’s really that simple. Gino’s been a photography judge for viewbug.com and his work has been featured in the statesman.com, americansongwriter.com, austinot.com, petetownsend.net, roadhouserelics.com. Check out Gino’s work at 1138 Studios, Gino Barasa FB, 1138 Studios FB, Linkedin, Twitter and Youtube. You can contact Gino here.

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Jeff Vaillancourt

Photo Contributor –
Jeff Vaillancourt may not make his living pursuing street photography, but that is where his passion lies. Recipient of The Austin Chronicle’s 2015 Best of Austin award for street photography. His work has been featured in vespermagazine.com, wastelandweekend.com, La Vita in Immagini unidivers.fr Jeff’s work can be found at vaillancourtphotography.com, Vaillancourt Photography FB and Instagram. You can reach Jeff here.

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Alyssa Taylor

Partner Liaison, Billing –
Alyssa’s responsibilities at LostInAustin are numerous and largely undefined. She’s a project manager extraordinaire and exacting enough to maintain client page and event post redaction. She also handles partner billing duties. Alyssa is a blog contributor at laketravis.com. You can contact Alyssa here.

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Ben Taylor

Content Manager, Proof Reader, Facebook Events Manager –
Ben’s a lifetime Austinite, a Lake Travis HS graduate and attended UTSA and the Austin School of Photography. Ben’s taken over content management of the site and handles our client FB Event management program. He’s also on our photography team and many of our partner page header photos are his. Ben manages our partner photo gallery and our huge catalog of Austin photos. Ben can be reached here.