Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Hannah Tingle. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hannah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

If you would have asked me three years ago what I would be doing today, I wouldn’t believe my answer. If you were to ask me three years ago what my dreams looked like it would be my answer today… That I am the owner of a successful business, that half of my job is capturing beautiful moments in beautiful states and countries, the other half is building relationships with clients that I would know through each of their pivotal milestones. Three years ago I worked in a less than 25 sq. ft. office that could’ve been just as easily used to store cleaning supplies. I graduated with my bachelors degree in business and knew that working from the ground up was a part of the job. Working 40 plus hours a week in a windowless closet, still unable to pay the cost of living. I went in to work at 8:00 a.m. left by 5:00 and drove to my part time job of delivering pizzas until 2:00 in the morning and repeated the next day. It was misery, I was so unhappy until one day I picked up an old hobby that I had back in my college days. I didn’t know it at the time, but picking up my old dusty camera would change the entire trajectory of my life. It didn’t happen all at once but through the encouragement of my wonderful fiancé and alot of hard work my passion project of photography on the weekends brought in more money than the long hours I worked during the week, I knew it was time to take a leap of faith. I started out doing 12-14 hour wedding days for less than 900.00 and doing as many shoots as I could for under 50.00 all in the hopes of getting booked and building a portfolio. There was a huge learning curve as everything I did was self taught, but through all the highs, lows, and long hours I am at a place where I charge 5 times that much. It is a very difficult industry to be apart of but I never settle my mind on that thought for to long. At the end of the day if this is to be my career for the next year or for the rest of my life I want to be able to look at the business that I built from nothing into something meaningful and impactful. My clients know that when they hire MHT Media, they are hiring so much more than just a photographer. It is so much more than just the service and product, it is the impact you leave on your client that cultivates a successful business.

This Arkansas girl has captured weddings on the coast of California to the beaches of Mexico, my work has been published in a PEOPLE exclusive, and so many other major milestones that still to this day fill me with nothing less than gratitude to those who gave me the opportunity.

I don’t think that there is any specific way to achieve a successful business because as a business owner there is nothing black and white about it. There have been days filled with tears wondering if this was the right move, facing imposter syndrome questioning my talents and abilities… but then the moments come at the end of a wedding day where the bride and groom pull me aside and with smiles stretching ear to ear, people who were once strangers to me, hug me so tight and fill me with such kind words of gratitude and appreciation. The moment after I send out a gallery and immediately I am flooded with text filled with such gratitude, joy and love. Those are the moments I live for, that is what keeps me going and giving my best everyday. That is the key to earning a full-time job living from my creative work, is giving clients the same high standard of service and product that I would want to be done for myself.

Hannah, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

When I was young I always shared a love and fascination with photography. I would fill rolls of my parent’s film with pictures of my bears posing in different spots in the house and the occasional self portrait thrown in (haha). In college going to business school was very black and white, it didn’t allow for much creativity. It was a cumulation of numbers and statistics so on the weekends when my mind was numb from all the numbers I would grab my camera and roommates and we would do fun creative sessions and the world would be turning again. When I left my office job, I did a lot of lifestyle shoots until one day my dear friend Claire had me join her in covering a wedding. It was at that moment my eyes were opened to a whole new world, the world of weddings. The high pace day filled with so many beautiful moments and opportunities was unmatched to any other shoot I had ever done. I second shot as much as I could building my portfolio and knowledge at each wedding I got to assist in capturing, which turned into booking my own weddings. I was hooked, I loved every moment of it. I wanted to be a stand out in the industry and be my clients right hand. Anyone that books with me from the very beginning receive my personal phone number and know that I am there for any question or concern they may have. I always say that I may not always have the answer but I will always aid you in finding a solution. I help my clients formulate an itinerary that fits their day specifically tailored to them, during any session leading up to the wedding I help in cultivating whatever their vision is. I don’t believe in offering a copy paste service, each client is different and therefore their own personal vision differs. I believe in capturing a merge of posed and candid moments in a cinematic, airy, while keeping a True Tone. Wedding days are dreamed about for so many years and the vision can change but the impact of its importance never does, I believe in providing my clients with the wedding day that exceeds even their wildest dreams. I am quick at problem solving and believe in working hand in hand with other vendors to make sure that no chaos or crisis ever gets into the hands of the clients. Everything is adaptable and fixable. I have sewed a brides dress back together 10 minutes before walking down the aisle, that goes for bridesmaids too, I have fixed more boutonnieres than I can count, and made a rainy day wedding seem as if it were planned. I want my clients to know that not only will theirs pictures be beautiful but that they will be able to experience their day fully and whole heartedly. The photos that I capture are to remind you of how special their day was, a snippet of time that isn’t remembered by continual posing and faking moments. I believe in capturing genuine moments. In today’s time a social media following is one of the most important things but it’s also a very difficult side of owning a business is getting noticed. It can be difficult and also can cause doubt to play in your mind when the followers aren’t reaching sky high limits. Yet at the end of the day, it’s not about the numbers on a site but rather the relationships built during the most important moments in someone’s life. I have clients that have turned into friends and that is what will outlast this business more than anything else. Real genuine connection during the most beautiful time in a world that doesn’t see a lot of beauty anymore.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Money is what makes a business grow but for some that is a tough lesson. I came from two very hardworking and loving parents that from time to time we didn’t have much but we always had more than enough. I was always taught the value of money and hardwork, which are fundamental principles when owning a business. Yet because of where I came from setting high dollar amounts for my services took alot of time and inward thinking to do. I would over work myself and charge just enough to get by just so every person no matter where they stood could afford photos to be taken. I would burn myself out on hours of work that I essentially was making pennies just because I didn’t think I was worth that much money, hardworking is just a part of the job. Until I began to realize there is a balance in hard work and understanding the value of a dollar. My parents were the ones that discussed with me that charging for value vs charging for a dollar amount are two different things. Over working and undervaluing myself wasn’t what I witnessed my whole life so why was I doing it to myself. I realized that my value is my work, I work exceptionally hard and go above and beyond for my clients. The price they pay isn’t just for the end product of a digital photo. It is the many hours spent on phone calls and emails to ease the mind of a bride, it is the multiple weeks I spent editing the images captured, I am being hired to walk in sync with my clients, I am paid for the A to Z work I provide for my clients, in order to run a successful business many expenses have to be paid on equipment and editing softwares and so much more goes in to it. After coming to this realization the trajectory of my business shifted, I was booking the dream clients, I was traveling, I finally found my confidence in my ability and it showed in my work.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

In this industry social media is a huge deal but something even bigger is business from word of mouth. I have grown clientele that brings me clients constantly, receiving an email that starts with, ” **** referred me to you, they rave about their experience with you and I am interested in hiring you because that is the experience I want. Your editing style and how you capture people is what I want.” is the greatest feeling in the world. Every client has the potential to be a referring client one day which is such an important mindset to always keep. Knowing that every little session matters, every wedding matters, every conversation matters, every photo matters. That concepts continually keeps me on my toes and is the ground breaking push to always strive to be better, do better, provide better for each new client. The clients that book from word of mouth are real genuine clients that not only love your work but they love the experience you provide. That is the most effective strategy in growing my clientele, creating a space that promotes conversation for the client to tell others.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mht.media
• Instagram: mht.media
• Facebook: MHT Media

Image Credits

MHT Media is credited for all photos