The People In Your Neighborhood: Hannah of HFotos

Good afternoon Community!  I chatted with a good friend of mine, Hannah Sowards, who recently made one of her most favorite hobbies into a business. In June of this year, Hannah started @Hfotos. She offers a variety of photography sessions consisting of family portraits, headshots, engagements, weddings, and so much more. Here's how our conversation went...

• What would you like for people to know about your business?  This business was formed on the difference, and beauty’s each individual.  It’s @HFotos’ goal to catch that uniqueness in a way that will make them fall in love with their self.

• Do you have a certain daily routine that sets you up for success? If yes, what is it?  Everyday I do my research for different poses, different locations, and create a playlist for the shoots I have coming up.  For example, if I have a couple shoot, I’ll play music that the couple likes to ease their nerves and help set the vibe.

• What gave you the idea to start this business?  I’ve been in love with photography since I was a kid.  I remember receiving a camera every year for my birthday since I was 12.  I was dealing with questioning why I was put on the earth, and a dear friend mentioned a book for me to read. This book basically told me to stop thinking so much and to pick what I was always best at doing, and build a hobby from it.  Now, I’m thankful to say that this hobby is now my future.

• What has been the biggest surprise/challenge of business ownership so far and how did you overcome it?  The biggest (and my most favorite challenge) is to make each shoot look 100% different than any other shoot.  To capture the personality (or personalities) by posing, and capturing the light, just right.

• What is your most effective means of bringing in new customers?  By showing confidence in my work.  Marketing is so easily done these days with social media.  When people see the product, they tend to want it more.  Same with photography, when you see the quality of an artists work, it naturally draws new people in.

• If you could go back in time, what’s the one thing you would tell yourself about starting your business?  Not to compare myself with others.  Photography is an art form. And just like every other artist in the world, photographers can catch a moment differently.  I accept that my style is unique, and I love that about my business.

• How do you juggle other responsibilities and interests outside of work? I schedule shoots around my personal life.  I always try and schedule a weekend a month off for myself.  In this time, I’ll spend time with my family, and friends.  I also couldn’t do it without their support as well.  My family and friends help me more than anything in the world.

• What is one of the biggest lessons you've learned as a business owner?  Not everything is going to be easy.  And photography is so much more than just taking a few pictures here and there.  These are moments my clients will remember for the rest of their lives.  And my time is valuable too.

• Where do you go / what do you do when you need inspiration for something new?  The first thing I do, is brew up some coffee.  Coffee always sparks up my joy.  Once my motivation kicks in, there’s no stopping me.  I’ll go for a drive, take walks, set up a homemade back drop, etc.  One night, an idea popped up in my mind, I called a friend up at 2 AM, she came over and we made a spot light with a Croc shoe, and a utility lamp. The pictures turned out incredible.  I’m unpredictable when I have inspiration.

Wise words from a young entrepreneur! You can check out Hannah's beautiful work on Instagram and Facebook by searching for @HFotos. She provides photography services in the Southwest region of Virginia, and is expanding her client base every day. I hope her words inspire you as much as they did me. I'd love for you to share your business story here with us in the Community!