We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Hannah. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Hannah below.
Hannah, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
I didn’t learn photography through a single path it grew with me. From age four, I was captivated by the camera, but by 11, I was already running my own photography business, taking portraits of girls my age in Cali. I was obsessed with learning so at 11, I started watching YouTube tutorials and online videos to teach myself photography. When I met my first mentor, Alexis Martino, she saw that spark in me even before I had the technical skills. She helped me believe in myself and showed me that photography could be a real career. My family’s support was crucial they’d seen me with a camera since I was a child, so when I chose SCAD, it wasn’t a shock. At SCAD, I dove deep my work became heavily experimental, and curiosity became my greatest skill. SCAD gave me essential technical foundations photography history, art history, and hands-on skills like the darkroom, lighting, and using different cameras. Of course, obstacles like time and budget were always present being a student meant I had to be resourceful, but those limitations pushed me to create with minimal materials, making me more inventive in every project.
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.
My name is Hannah Esquenazi, and I’m a fine art photographer with a strong interest in fashion. I’m from Colombia, and while my roots are deeply tied to Latin America, I create with a global perspective. I got into photography at a very young age there’s a vast archive of me holding a camera since I was four. Today, my work is a fusion of fine art and storytelling, inspired by community and the human experience. Stylistically, I draw from a broad range of mediums I’m inspired by photographers like Man Ray and Lee Miller, and Tim Walker was one of the first who sparked my passion for visual world-building. A key element of my work is its graphic quality I’m always returning to geometric shapes, and I rely on motifs and repetition. These elements create a rhythm in my images, giving them a structured yet dreamlike quality. I’m especially proud of my resourcefulness. I thrive on creating immersive, bold images with modest budgets, and I always bring people along in that process. I’m fully dedicated to the entire creative journey I don’t just photograph; I love planning every detail art direction, conceptual development, and logistics. I’m a dreamer, and I dive into each project with enthusiasm from scouting locations to designing sets, every detail is carefully chosen. I foster collaboration whether with models, stylists, or creatives because I believe the best work comes from a shared vision. What I want my clients and followers to know is that every image I create is a reflection of dedication, collaboration, and the joy I find in the process. After graduating from SCAD this june of 2026 , I hope to continue developing my practice while learning from great photographers and creative teams. I feel very fortunate to be surrounded by artists and constantly inspired by other people’s stories. Being from Colombia has given me the courage to knock on doors wherever they may be. There is a saying in Spanish that represents me well: “me quiero comer al mundo,” meaning I want to experience as much of the world as I can. I’m excited to go wherever my work takes me: New York, Europe, or Latin America to gain experience while continuing to build my own body of work. Long term, I want to balance commissioned projects with personal practice, creating images that exist between editorial and fine art. I continue to evolve my practice as an artist, while proudly carrying my Colombian identity with me, honoring those who came before me and continuing to create work that genuinely moves me.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the ability to discover something I didn’t know I was capable of seeing or making. There’s a moment in the process usually when I let go of control a bit where the work starts to surprise me. It shifts from something I’m trying to execute into something I’m actually in conversation with.
I think what makes it so meaningful is that every project becomes a way of understanding the world, and myself, a little differently. It’s not just about the final image, but about staying open enough for something unexpected to emerge. That feeling that something new revealed itself through the process—is what keeps me coming back to create.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
A lesson I had to unlearn was that having more knowledge always guaranteed a clearer direction. I realized that, although experience offers tried-and-true methods familiarity with the craft, awareness of risks, and sometimes even mastery it can also keep us from engaging in a fresh, innocent way. The more ingrained an approach is, the harder it is to see beyond it. When I first started out in my photography, I kept thinking a detailed, fixed plan would guarantee a great outcome, but it left me frustrated. Instead, I’ve come to appreciate a beginner’s mind starting from a childlike innocence, with as few fixed beliefs as possible. I leave about 20% for experimentation, and when I edit, I drop rigid formulas. By letting go of the pressure to know everything, each project becomes a chance to engage with wonder. That’s when my work began to feel alive because I was willing to be a beginner again, even after years in the field.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hannahesquenazi.com
- Instagram: hannahesquenaziart
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-esquenazi-12706a262
