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

Hi Josh, thanks for joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later?

If I could advise my younger self, I would tell him that you’re going to spend nearly 16 long, frustrating years working at a career in banking…only to leave with no real, useful skills for being successful in life. If I could go back to do it all over again, I would’ve started my photography career in my early twenties when I knew I was interested in it and not waited until I was in my mid-30’s to take the leap into full time. But being young and afraid of taking an unknown risk prevented me from taking that step of faith when I should have. The issue wasn’t that I was any less afraid of the unknown in 2012 when I left my previous work, but it was a change in perspective to recognize that I was the only one who could make the choice to pursue a happier life. There were really only two decisions in front of me at that point in time…continue to be increasingly miserable and face each day with dread and discouragement, or take a leap to see if a better life existed. I suppose in the grand scheme of things, it was the combined misery from so many years of frustration that had given me the gumption that led me to being fed up enough to force a change…but when I take stock of how much my life as improved and the blessings I’ve received since starting my business, I just want to go back and shake the old me and say “WAKE UP! There’s a better life right there if you just stop being scared!” If nothing else, I can say that I am able to recognize the blessings in front of me far more now, knowing where I’ve come from. More importantly, I can be a voice of encouragement to others facing the same things and help them to see there is a better life in front of them!

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 have always been drawn to visual arts so I’ve been interested in photography and design since my school days. After picking up a camera and getting serious about learning it as a craft, I found interest in photographing high school seniors. The more I developed my techniques I began to be very intrigued by harsh contrast between light and shadow in an image and have worked to develop that concept stylistically into my work. It’s allowed me to set myself apart visually in my senior artwork and embrace the more dramatic visuals.

I have also been a Photoshop geek for a long time and I’ve turned that passion towards designing photographic templates for volume photographers. I really enjoy creating layered effects and it’s been a real blessing to have the opportunity to work so closely with so many fellow photographers.

Above all, I love the challenge of creative photography assignments that allow me to look at lighting or composition in a new way.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I’ve have always tried to be open and honest with those I work with. I never want to oversell my abilities nor undervalue my efforts. I have found that most people simply want to be treated fairly and not feel like they’re being taken advantage of, so being upfront with expectations (what they expect from me and what I expect from them) it helps them to see value and investment over advantage and self-gain.

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Non-creatives tend to think in a very linear pattern. One line, one direction, no deviation…and hammering away at that one thing until it produces the results you want. But for creatives, it’s not just the artwork we produce that requires a creative mindset, but learning to think about business and life creatively to find solutions to problems that we encounter. I think for most non-creatives, they see us as “flighty” or “unfocused”. It’s hard for them to see functionality and form in non-linear thinking…but for creatives who are serious about their careers, it’s less about throwing a handful of darts at a dartboard and more about specifically shooting for areas outside of the “bullseye”. Untapped markets, new leads, emerging artforms…being intentional about looking for new ways to be a unique presence on the board.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://JoshuaHannaPhotograpy.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/JHPhotoDesign
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/JHPhotoDesign

Image Credits
Joshua Hanna Photography