We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Hannah Mulik a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Hannah, thanks for joining us today. Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?

When I first started out I was working as a portrait photographer, but I always had the idea of getting involved in commercial photography so I could work with brands and businesses. At this time, I noticed there weren’t many female product/commercial photographers and not many that focused on small businesses either.

I saw an opportunity to make my way into this side of photography by working with a blogger in Miami and doing fashion photos for her. I reached out to her on Instagram and we started working together, and it wasn’t long until she had me accompany her to events as well. While at these events, I would take photos for her blog, but I would also be sure to get photos for any vendors there with the goal of eventually working with them too. One of the vendors that I offered photos to ended up liking them enough to book me as a product photographer for their business, and they became a regular client of mine. With this experience I was able to work with more and more businesses and I was eventually able to focus solely on commercial photography as I had always hoped for.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a commercial photographer that specializes in product photography and working with women-owned and small businesses. I graduated from the University of North Texas with a BFA in photography, and began working as a photographer in both freelance and traditional jobs. I lived and worked in Denton, TX and Miami, FL before settling in Houston and focusing on my business full-time in 2018. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with many great businesses ranging from beauty, food, fashion, and other unique areas. I’m most proud of the relationships that I’ve built with my clients and the results achieved working with them. My goal has always been to be a photographer who is approachable and easy to work with. I stay involved with my clients each step of the way through planning, styling, shooting, and editing, whether they are a new business owner just starting out or an established brand.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Over the years I have learned the value of good client relationships and word-of-mouth, and that you never know just how far one client can take your business. A few years ago I started working with a fashion blogger here in Houston, and through our continued working relationship I have gained at least eight other clients that I can trace back to her either from direct referrals or from her followers seeing my work through her platforms. I still work with her to this day, and she is just one example of why I really value building relationships with those I get to work with.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

When I was in school, my professor told us that the goal of the photography program was to train us to be problem solvers whether or not we continued on with a career in art. Having continued on this path, I have come to find that creativity and problem solving go hand in hand. It’s rewarding to me that with creativity I am able to balance the artistic side of photography but also address the necessary problem solving that comes with running a small business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hannahmulikphoto.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahmulikphoto