We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Hannah O’Connor-Bratz. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Hannah below.
Hannah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about serving the underserved.
I donate my time at the Craven-Pamlico Animal Services Shelter to help gain more exposure for their adoptable animals. As a former Corrections Officer, I know what working in a highly scrutinized and underappreciated place is like. For the staff, I wanted to give them a glimmer of hope, that someone from the outside sees them and sees the hard work they do daily. For the animals, I wanted to present them to the community through a different lens because it takes one picture for a stranger to see and fall in love with that animal.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am a former Corrections Officer, a Marine Corps spouse, and a mom of two. I am a very creative person and love creating things. I got really into macro/pet/nature photography about five years ago. I’m a horrible student so the way I taught myself was by using an app called Skillshare where professionals of any discipline do 30 minutes to an hour classes explaining how to do what you are learning to do. I read a bunch of photography books and had help from my friend who is also a photographer. I love the fact that I see the world differently than other people for example you may go for a walk and hear the buzzing of a bee and go on with your walk but, I want to find the bee and freeze those moments of that bee’s day but I try to get so close that it draws the viewer in too. I try and help as many people as I can with my pictures. I started selling my nature prints at a local coffee shop and at the end of the month I take a percentage of those proceeds and donate to smaller rescues that may not get as much recognition as they should. I also offer three photoshoot packages for pets. One of the packages I offer, Rainbow Bridge Session, is an end-of-life photoshoot session for beloved pets that may have to cross the rainbow bridge soon. With that photoshoot, I take a portion of that and sponsor a dog at the Craven-Pamlico Animal Services. The thought behind that is an end of a life, saves a life.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I believe that everyone and everything deserves a loving home. It is my mission to help the abused, neglected, and forgotten to find a family that will show them unconditional love, and I achieve that one photo at a time.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist would be seeing the clients’ faces when they view my photos. It is also rewarding when I get updates on dogs I have helped save or comments from the adopters saying because of your picture I had to come to the shelter to meet him/her. It is rewarding to know I am a small part of something bigger than me and that I am truly making a difference all around.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fhlbphotography1989.mypixieset.com%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0bIf6biqMX5na1mDTyMN0mF0LFlt-26dxlUlFMcds_ulms2omv0l-vEY4_aem_WQihm3b0T3Smbj-21y5AGA&h=AT13fp7gNbVMiQkykZDDQccTy2Um7ZmkB_3sJL5Re66iz14kSC8I-Ntw1JFlTNOd9B8gRjL4jNTZdPZG1vmeqamE1xrDYAcRweJ2P2wsadyLXAYCnPJ9zFM0l3IQmKcGf7LToIEmyg
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077550012343
Image Credits
HLB Photography