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Austin photographer plans to move away as rents rise and 'eclectic small businesses' continue to close

Jennifer Hennigan has been taking photos of women in Austin since 2018 with her business Eye Candy Boudoir. But in the next year, she's planning her exit.

AUSTIN, Texas — As our city booms and grows, the cost of living is going up. And if you ask some, they might say that what initially made Austin a cool place to live is disappearing.

That's why a local woman is planning how to keep her business here in Austin while still moving on to a new city.

Jennifer Hennigan is just like any artist. She enjoys sharing her work with others, especially when those "others" are the subjects of her photography. 

"I've been working for four years to develop that experience for our clients," said Hennigan, owner of Eye Candy Boudoir. "Yeah, I'm not ready to stop empowering Austin women." 

Not ready to stop, but as rent rates get higher, and more truly "Austin" businesses close, her thoughts on the city have changed.

"So I moved here originally in 2015 after graduating from Texas State," she explained. "You know, I could just pay the basic bills, but it was so worth it because it was Austin and Austin is such a fun ... it was such a fun place to live. There were so many eclectic businesses."

But she doesn't want Austin to lose another small business. This is why she's making plans to move away in about a year. She's training her assistant to take over, so she can move and take photos in another city. 

"It's going to be bittersweet. I'm going be so happy to move on so I can grow my business. I'm going be sad to be leaving somewhere where I made so many amazing memories, but I think my time here has run its course," she said. "I mean, we're doing this over the course of a year, and a lot of it is figuring it out as we go along." 

She's hoping to share her work with even more clients, even if has to be in another city.

"I'm moving because I can't justify the expense of staying here and not growing when the things that kept me here are no longer around," she said. 

If you're interested in learning more about her business, you can click here.

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