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

Hi Hannah, thanks for joining us today. Alright – so having the idea is one thing, but going from idea to execution is where countless people drop the ball. Can you talk to us about your journey from idea to execution?

I began my photography journey about 11 years ago when my husband and his parents gifted me my first DSLR camera for Christmas. I began learning the trade and taking photos for family and friends. As the years went on I became a mom and my three daughters became the main subjects of my photos. Starting an actual photography business was always in the back of my mind, but fear kept that dream quietly suppressed for many years. As my daughters grew and needed me a little less than they did as babies the nudge kept coming back and I no longer could ignore it- I honed in on my skills, began taking online courses from other photographers I loved, sought guidance from other business owners on the ins and outs of running a business and how to even begin and in the summer of 2022 I launched Hannah Mae Photography.
Over the next year I saw growth in myself and in my business that I never had dreamed of. I was gaining clients steadily, improving in my skills all the time and absolutely loving what I was doing. I never have felt so fully like I was doing what God had made me to do until now. Not only was the work doing incredibly fulling for me, but I was able to create my own schedule to be at home with my kids, and was also bringing in more money than I ever had before at my previous jobs.
My husband and I had turned a room in our house into a studio space for newborn and milestone sessions, but I quickly outgrew that area. My props were overtaking the house and it was extremely inconvenient to kick my family out every time I had a session- which was getting increasingly more and more.
After weighing out all options we decided to add on to our home and build a true studio, which has been a dream come true!

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

I am a photographer based out of Prescott, WI specializing in maternity, newborns, milestones, and weddings. I truly feel like I am combining my two greatest loves to create timeless memories: people and art.

I have loved drawing and babies since I was practically a baby myself so it’s only fitting that I am in a creative field that I get to hold newborns all the time! I am also a sucker for a good love story- ask any of my friends- the only movies I would watch were romantic comedies. Now I get to create some real life rom com photos for my job!

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

The most effective strategy for building my clientele has simply been to talk about my business! I joined the chamber of commerce, handed out business cards at any chance I got, went to many businesses and left post cards, and have collaborated with other vendors on styled shoots that have greatly impacted everyone involved. Once I began getting more clients word of mouth was huge for me. I would say about 90% of my clients are from word of mouth.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I have a lot of reasons for wanting to run a successful photography business, but a huge driving factor for me is to show my daughters that we can do anything we put our minds to and work hard for.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hmaephoto.com
• Instagram: @hmaephoto
• Facebook: @hmaephoto

Image Credits

They are all my images, Hannah Mae Photography