Questions, I’ve got some questions…

PIN

My sister, Katie, is here to visit today.  She’s a teacher and it’s her spring break.  When I told her I needed to take a little while to write a blog post before we go to see the Hunger Games, she called me a dork.  So I’m a dork…so is she!  Which is why we decided we should work together on this blog post…interview style.   Here goes…

Katie: Can I really ask you anything I want?

Hannah: Anything. Except remember all of the embarrassing things I know about you and choose your questions carefully.

Katie:  Haha okay, okay…Why photography?

Hannah:  Photography kind of found me.  I wanted to be a photographer when I was 14, but life got in the way.  High school, college, moving to Seattle.   Photography was on the back burner to say the least.  But 4 years ago in the middle of feeling my most lost, photography grabbed me and shook me.  It absolutely floors me that people are willing to show me their love, their true selves.  I feel so blessed to be able to witness it every day.  The best part?  Everyone loves differently.  Every single couple or family I’ve shot has had their own unique way of loving each other…and how lucky am I that for an hour or two of their lives, they’ll share that with me?

Katie:  What was your first shoot?  What did you learn from it?

Hannah:  My first official shoot was a 1 year old’s birthday party.  I felt out of my element, totally in over my head, and SO EXCITED!  I learned that you can never be too prepared, you don’t need several hundred shots of the breaking of a pinata, and candids give you a chance to catch real expressions.  Oh, and that 1 year old birthday parties, while fun, are not necessarily my thing.

Katie:  So what is “your thing”?  What does a typical shoot look like for you?

Hannah: Couples.  I absolutely adore shooting couples: engagement sessions, actual engagements, anniversaries, just for fun shoots…weddings too.  Couples give me the freedom to be creative and find the best light and locations, but still capture true emotions.  What does a shoot look like?  I usually start by explaining that it won’t be a “normal” shoot.  I don’t pose my couples.  I very rarely even ask them to look at the camera.  I ask them to give me a chance, just relax, and try to go with the flow.  I also ask them to trust me.  I explain that sometimes they might feel a little silly, but I promise that everything I ask them to do is for a reason.  Then we start with some lighthearted games.  I ask them questions about each other.  I have them be silly right away.  After they’ve let down that guard and we’ve spent some time laughing together, it’s much easier to capture the meaningful serious moments as well.  Almost every shoot ends with moments where the couple forgets I’m even there and just spends those few seconds with one another.  The biggest compliment in the world to me is when the guy leaves saying, “That was so much fun!”

Katie:  What do you look for when setting up a shoot?

Hannah: Authenticity, light, location (in that order).  I look for couples who above all else, want beautiful images that capture them being them.  Authenticity in their interactions with one another and my interactions with them give us the absolute best images I can create.  Light makes me happy.  I adore the “golden hour” right before sunset when everything has kind of a magical feeling to it.  (It makes people look extra gorgeous too!)  The wrong or bad light can take so much away from the images.  Location…a good photographer can make pretty much anywhere work with the right clients and the right light…but if I had my pick (and I’m so lucky that most of the time my clients trust me enough that I do!), I’d choose somewhere natural.  Tall grass, the beach, trees, flowers, nothing to manicured.  I love a little bit of wildness to my locations.

Katie:  Who is your ideal client?

Hannah: I look for couples who are willing to be open with me and with each other.  Couples who want to relax, be themselves, be silly, be serious, try whatever, play.  Couples who really want to spend this hour or two enjoying each other’s company.   The actual look of the client doesn’t matter so much to me.  Age, race, orientation?  Also doesn’t matter.  Any two people who really love each other are my ideal client.  I absolutely love working with couples in love.

Katie: What if your clients don’t give you that emotion you’re looking for?

Hannah: Honestly, I haven’t had that happen yet.  Probably because I don’t look for any emotion specifically.  Once my clients are interacting with each other, I just look for their genuine emotions.  Whatever they’re feeling they show and that’s the emotion I’m looking for.

Katie:  How do you get new ideas?

Hannah:  Pinterest, movies, other photographers, collaborating, a specific location or style can spin off into a whole shoot…mostly Pinterest.  I’m kidding.  Mostly.

Katie:  What inspires you?

Hannah:  Can I say Pinterest again?  Okay, seriously…people who put everything into what they love, textures, color palettes, beautiful light, great books, singer-songwriters, my clients.

Katie: How many Starburst Jelly Beans have you eaten in the course of this interview?

Hannah: I think it’s better that we don’t talk about that.

Katie: Do we get to go see the Hunger Games now?

Hannah: Yep.  Just one more jelly bean.