We recently connected with Victoria Haner and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Victoria, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about how you got your first non-friend, non-family client. Paint the picture for us so we can feel the same excitement you felt on that day.
I’m going to be completely transparent, I don’t remember my very first client. Like most photographers, I started out just by bringing my camera -everywhere- and photographing -everything-. The first actual photoshoot that I can really remember was my aunt’s engagement pictures, around 2010 I believe. It wasn’t paid, but it was the first full session that I was proud of and showcased on my Facebook page. My first ever wedding, I do remember. It was for a friend-of-a-friend in Florida, and they paid me $500, including travel from Georgia. I slept on an air mattress in the bride’s house. I edited that entire wedding the next day because I was so excited to have something as major as a wedding in my portfolio. It’s humbling looking back at my beginning, because while my journey and style is unique, almost every photographer has a similar origin story. When you get down to it, we are all just creatives that are passionate about helping people preserve memories. At the time of my starting out, I truly would have photographed anything for next to nothing. I was just exhilarated by seeing people’s faces when they saw the photos I had taken for 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 am the founder, owner, and lead photographer of Victoria Haner Photography. I have been professional since 2014, but had a camera in my hand since 2010. After deciding I didn’t want to attend traditional college, I pursued photography through The Creative Circus Digital Imaging certification program. I originally wanted to be in editorial, but I switched gears from advertising after graduating and getting married. This was the best choice I could have made, because I found that I am unimaginably passionate about helping people cherish memories. I provide my clients with attainably beautiful keepsakes. I have curated my style to be a blend of candid and posed, so that clients walk away feeling like they had fun, but also receive plenty of what I call the “Christmas card photo.” A compliment I receive time and again is that my clients had, at the very least, an enjoyable experience. I am sure to be hands-on with posing, instructions, and explanations, so I capture genuine emotion from even the most clumsy people.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
Honestly, Instagram stories. Posts, reels, email marketing… None of them even touch the feedback I get through my Instagram DMs. I have a cohesive feed to show potential clients work at the first glance, I create reels to show the more “realistic” side of me, but the day-to-day in my stories is what has people connecting. I share my gym progress, my behind the scenes, my kids, and anything in between in my stories. Still, more often than not the messages I receive are “I’ve been meaning to message you!…” I truly believe things about my everyday life trigger this connectedness, and keeping me on the front of their mind.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Hands down, the flexibility to be a mom while still investing in a career that highlights the milestones, such as motherhood. Nothing fuels my creativity more, or brings me more gratification than knowing I truly get the best of both worlds. I am able to connect with other couples and families and provide them with the priceless memories of their family, while not sacrificing the opportunities to make memories with my own.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.victoriahaner.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/torihaner
- Facebook: facebook.com/victoriahanerphotography
- Other: Email: hello@victoriahaner.com
Image Credits
Victoria Haner Photography