We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Hannah Bagnell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Hannah below.

Hannah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We love asking folks what they would do differently if they were starting today – how they would speed up the process, etc. We’d love to hear how you would set everything up if you were to start from step 1 today.

If I were to start over from the beginning of my career, I suppose there would be a couple of things I‘d do differently. I know that some business mistakes were made for sure, and those I just kind of have to laugh off and realize that I guess everyone makes those. There be a few things I wouldn’t have invested in and somethings I would have invested in. A few things that I thought were holding me back in my career, or what I was letting me hold back in my photography career really could’ve jumpstarted and cleared a path moving in the direction that I wanted. My home life and photography life, while starting off, I kept separate, and now I realize that mushing the two together really enhanced my portraits. Getting my camera out and taking photos of my kiddos and the day-to-day life activities, heading up north weekends, overall, just life events helped me capture those in between moments in my portrait sessions.

Hannah, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I got into photography when my husband gifted me a simple, digital camera and shortly after my friends were due with their first baby. I figured here’s my shot, let’s get you in front of my camera. And ever since then I just have been really hooked on the smiles and the emotions that I am able to gift back to my clients. I love portrait sessions and wedding days! I highly enjoy what I do and love making my people feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera! I work quickly yet efficiently to not drag the moments so they don’t feel forced and my main goal is to get you back to celebrating your day! I like to have fun, have a good time and I’ll probably bust a few moves on your dance floor. I’ll hold your baby’s hand like they were my own, calm your littles down and make silly noises to get them to laugh and getting those in between moments. Those moments that you end up on printing and putting on your wall while sharing them on socials.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

In the saturated market of photographers, word-of-mouth is crucial for maintaining a loyal client list and expanding into new markets. At wedding days and at portrait sessions, finding out more about my clients and who they are and maintaining a friendship has help me gain new clients. Word of mouth goes a long way, they always say it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Having to realize that I don’t have to take on every inquiry that emails me. Though that is something I’ve always dreamed of, “never having to say no.” I realize now that not everybody is for everybody. My style and how I take photos is not what everyone is looking for. And I don’t have to change how I take my photos for potential clients. There’s someone out there that will take photos that way. And there are people out there that enjoy and appreciate how I work.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.Hannahmariephotographyllc.Com
• Instagram: Www.instagram.com/Hannahmariephotographyllc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hannahmariephotographyllc

Image Credits
Hannah Marie Photography, LLC