Today, we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Hutter.
Hi Hannah, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was raised in a small town in Upstate NY, and I moved to Dallas just over two years ago. I started my business back in 2016, and I’ve been a photographer for over 8 years now. Wow, time flies. Whenever someone asks me how I got into photography, I like to say I didn’t find photography, but it found me (which is a story in and of itself).
Wedding photography, specifically, is something that fell into my lap. Throughout high school, I spent weekends with friends doing seasonal photoshoots on our iPhones, but I didn’t know anything about photos other than that. My journey really began during my freshman year of college. My parent’s kind of forced me to go to school, and at the time, I hated it. I had no clue what I wanted to be or what career I wanted to pursue. I am someone who likes to do things very intentionally, and it felt so purposeless to be in school with no end goal in mind.
About halfway through that first semester, I had the “aha” moment I had been longing for. My childhood best friend and I participated in a professional photoshoot together, and observing the photographer we worked with ignited something in me.
For the first time in my life, my mind was opened to career paths that were outside the norm of anything I had ever been exposed to. My creative heart and mind felt permission to dream and take a leap of faith, knowing that if someone else successfully pursued their passion as a career, I could do it, too.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I experienced a lot of struggles in the first three years or so of building a business. I remember feeling so much pressure to do things the way other local photographers were doing them. Keeping myself from stepping out of the box creatively was very much a thing for me for a while, too.
Also, learning how to make myself stand out in an already very saturated market was another very big struggle. I truly could go into detail about every single bump in the road I have navigated, but if I’m being totally honest, at this point, my mind is so fixated on so many of the highs that I don’t remember as many of the lows anymore.
The journey and adventure have been so beautiful, and I am forever grateful that this is the story I get to tell.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe you can tell us more about your work next?
I am a wedding and branding photographer. In the past year or so, I’ve also started dabbling in family sessions, and I’ve really been loving those, too. What sets me apart from other photographers is the connection I have with my clients. Connection is and will always be a core value of mine, not only as a business owner and artist but overall, as a human.
A genuine connection gives my clients permission to feel completely comfortable in front of the camera, whether they’re planning a shoot or in the days leading up to their wedding. The connection also gives me, as an artist, more insight into who my clients really are, so when I am creating, even the tiniest details are present in photographs that tell the fullness of their story.
Before we let you go, we have to ask if you have any advice for those just starting.
Find your niche and a style you love, and stick to it. Under promise and overdeliver every time… the way you serve your clients is everything! Network like crazy. The styled shoots and collaborations I put together in my first few years of business really helped me to build my portfolio and build a clientele.
I remember having so much fun working with other local wedding vendors to make our vision come to life. Also, pursue friendships with other local photographers. I am a firm believer in community over competition and the ways it benefits everyone involved.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/hannahrosiephoto
- Facebook: Facebook.com/hannahrosiephoto
- Other: instagram.com/brandandbeloved
Image Credits
Odette Patricia
