Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Hannah Rooney. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hannah, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.
Real Estate Photography is the primary focus of my business. Through relationships in the community, I am in, I have been able to enhance realtor listings, and VRBO/ Airbnb images, and have been able to help local home designers and builders showcase their exceptional work. I provide interior, exterior, and drone photography. I have been able to stand apart with the addition of a striking evening photography called Twilight.
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 remember carrying a camera as a child and taking photos to submit to 4h for the local annual county fair. I posed family members and animals for my photos. I went to college at a local college in Minnesota and studied photography. This college focused on commercial photography as portrait photography. We also learned about manual cameras. And got to know the manual camera settings inside and out and also how to do flash photography. Which self-taught photographers seldom use.
After I graduated, I moved to Minneapolis and assisted commercial photographers. This is where you learn so much from other industry leaders. I spent time assisting with on-location architecture photographers, food photographers, and product photographers. I also assisted a wedding photographer.
There was a lull in my photography after September 11, 2001 and the economy for creatives tanked. I went back to school for dental assisting. After the birth of our son and later our two daughters, I took care of the kids but had some time to be creative.
This is where God intertwined my gifts and talents. My dad was a builder and I always appreciated homes. I have the gift of organization and the ability to see angles that are pleasing to the eye. I began taking photos for real estate agents; the rest is history. Over the years, I have continued to educate myself on industry standards and ways I can help sell properties better. I started to offer drone photography after becoming a licensed drone pilot. As well as learning how to take twilight images.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
For me, it has been word of mouth in our community as well as a striking website. When you have a good reputation for good honest work-others want to work with you. And vice versa, I have some of the best clients I get to work with.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Defiantly feedback from the client but it’s also an honor to see your work used (with permission) on billboards, print, or websites.
It’s also been fun to have a challenging job and use problem-solving skills to figure out lightning, work on the images, and wow the client with the finished product.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.visualeyesphotography.com
- Instagram: visualeyes.photography
Image Credits
Sara Englund