Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Midkiff.
Hi Hannah, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Photography found me in high school. I had a little point-and-shoot camera and a bunch of friends who were always down to model for fun. Before long, I was the one holding the camera more than posing, and I kept practicing on friends and my younger brothers.
In 2016, a local theatre invited me to photograph a production, even though I had never shot indoors or worked with manual settings. Learning through trial and error pushed me to grow quickly, and that single opportunity opened the door to everything that came next.
As the years went on, people from the theatre asked for headshots, then families reached out, then couples trusted me with their weddings. In 2019, I finally realized this wasn’t just something I loved, it was something I could build a career around. So I stepped fully into it. Today, I’m grateful for every challenge, every lesson, and every client who has become a friend. This work is more than pictures. It’s storytelling, connection, and capturing the heart of a moment.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. I’ve had seasons where things felt uncertain, where doors closed that I really wanted open, and where I questioned if I was doing enough or being enough. But I’ve always come back to the same motto: “what’s for me will find me.” It grounds me. It reminds me that closed doors aren’t failures, they’re redirections.
Some of the biggest challenges have actually been internal. One of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn is understanding my own value and standing firm in my pricing. As a creative, it’s easy to downplay your worth or feel guilty for charging what your work is truly worth. I struggled with that for a long time. But every time I undercharged or overextended myself, I realized I wasn’t just doing a disservice to myself. I was draining the very passion that got me here.
The moments where opportunities slipped through my fingers were painful, but they also created space for better ones that aligned with who I am and what I want to build. And learning to value myself, my time, and my craft has been one of the most important parts of the journey. The road hasn’t always been smooth, but each bump has shaped me into a stronger artist and a more confident business owner. And I’m grateful for every part of it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a photographer who loves people and stories. I work in live theatre, weddings, families, portraits, corporate branding, and events, and I truly enjoy the variety. No matter what I am photographing, my goal is always the same. I want to capture real emotion and honest moments. I want people to feel seen. I want them to look back at their photos and remember exactly how that moment felt.
Theatre is where so much of my passion grew. There is something incredible about freezing a single moment on stage that holds so much energy and emotion. I have photographed hundreds of productions and I still get excited every time the lights come up. It feels like being part of the heartbeat of the show.
I also love photographing weddings, families, and all kinds of events. I love watching people interact with the people they love. I love the tiny details that most people do not even notice in the moment. I love seeing a corporate client relax during a headshot session because they finally feel comfortable and confident. Every session is different, and that is what keeps me inspired.
What I am most proud of are the relationships I have built along the way. Many of my clients have become friends, and that is something I cherish. People let me into some of the most important moments of their lives and that is an honor I never take for granted.
What sets me apart is how personal this work is for me. I do not show up just to take a picture. I show up to listen, to pay attention, to tell a story in a way that feels true to the people in front of me. I care deeply about the experience from start to finish. I want every person I photograph to feel comfortable, understood, and celebrated.
What does success mean to you?
For me, success is not about numbers or followers or how busy my calendar looks. I define success by the kind of life and work I get to build every day. If I am creating work I am proud of, serving people well, and showing up as the best version of myself for my girls and my clients, then I feel successful.
Success also looks like peace. It is trusting that what is meant for me will find me, and not forcing opportunities that do not align. It is choosing integrity over urgency. It is learning to value my time and talent, even when that has been one of the hardest lessons for me.
Most of all, success is connection. If my work makes someone feel seen, if a family treasures their photos for years, if a student or performer lights up when they see themselves captured in a moment of pure expression, that is success to me. It means I did something meaningful, something that will last longer than the moment it was taken.
Success is being able to look back at my journey and say I grew, I stayed true to myself, and I built something real.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hannahmidkiffphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahmidkiffphotography?igsh=M2I3MXM4NWl2NDBi&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CpgCHS3ei/?mibextid=wwXIfr
