Conversations with Hanna Wilson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hanna Wilson.

Hi Hanna, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
To say my journey as a photographer has been a whirlwind would be an understatement! Throughout my childhood, my dad constantly had a camera around his neck documenting my life as I grew. So it only made sense that I would follow in his footsteps and pursue a career in photography.

From a young age, my dream was to be a National Geographic photographer when I grew up. I always said I never wanted to photograph portraits, I just wanted to travel the globe and photograph landscapes. Then I began second shooting weddings in high school to make some extra cash. I’ll be honest, I didn’t love it at first. I enjoyed having the honor to document the couple’s love stories, but I would leave the wedding feeling completely depleted and drained.

I’m a huge introvert, so I was struggling to connect with the big, traditional weddings I was photographing. I went on to study Commercial Photography at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. I spent those next 4 years photographing all kinds of different types of photography in a studio setting, such as fashion, product, and editorial photography. I enjoyed editorial photography, but I was still convinced I was going to be a National Geographic photographer. That is until I discovered elopements my sophomore year

When most people think of elopement they imagine a bride and groom running off to Vegas to elope in secrecy, but over the years the term has evolved into so much more. Elopements grant couples the freedom to commit their lives to each other however and wherever they want to. After I photographed my first elopement, I felt an instant connection and left feeling so fulfilled and inspired.

In that instant, I became OBSESSED with photographing elopements. I branded myself as an elopement photographer and only shot elopements and couples. Over the years, as I’ve grown and evolved, my style has evolved alongside me. I still photograph elopements, but I found myself craving something more.

During the pandemic, weddings and elopements had to be postponed. I missed shooting and creating, so I began photographing self-portraits of myself at home. I’d gather props, set up a scene, put my camera on a tripod, strike a pose, and take self-portraits with a remote shutter. These personal projects sparked something within me and I began actively pursuing editorial and fashion photography.

Everyone knows the Instagram algorithm is constantly changing. When Instagram began pushing videos and reels rather than photographs I was pretty frustrated because I’m a photographer- I take photos, not videos. I denounced reels for the longest time until I discovered my love of stop motion. I realized I needed to pivot to appease the algorithm, so I began turning my photos into GIFs and stringing them together to tell a story in video format. This also sparked something within me and I’ve never felt more inspired! I feel like I finally found *my thing*.

I realize my journey and evolution as a photographer are all over the place, but that’s kind of what I love about it. Now when I’m asked what kind of photographer I am, I’m not sure how to respond. Elopements will always have my heart, but I’m having fun shooting mini stop-motion movies during my photoshoots. I have no idea where this journey will take me, but I can’t wait to find out!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’m sure I’m not the first to say that social media has been a huge struggle for me in the past. As I mentioned before when the algorithm began prioritizing video content over photos, as a photographer it was hard to keep up. It became disheartening when my engagement began to tank after continuing to post only photos like I had done for so many years prior. I took 3 months off of Instagram and that time unplugged completely transformed my business.

I spent a big chunk of that time reflecting and that’s when I came up with the idea to start turning the stop-motion GIFs I was shooting during elopements into mini-movies to post on social media. This creative endeavor has changed my business forever, and I owe it all to the ever-changing algorithm. Who would’ve thought?! Now I can please the algorithm while also staying true to my passion for photography. It’s a win-win!

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m an editorial photographer creating dreamy, vintage-inspired photos and stop-motion films for daring, artistically minded creatives and couples. I bring my photos to life by turning still photos into GIFs, so not only do I deliver photographs, but also a stop-motion video sure to make you feel like the main character.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
I have an obsession with documenting things – I don’t want to forget a single thing. In 5th grade, I started keeping a detailed record of my day in a journal. Now all of these years later I can pick up an old journal and instantly be transported back in time to that very day. Which is almost certainly why I ended up as a photographer.

Now I bring the same energy to my photoshoots so that when my clients curl up on the couch and revisit their photos a few decades from now, each photo will bring to life the sights, sounds, and emotions of that day.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.hannawilsonphotography.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/hannaiwilson

Image Credits
https://hannawilsonphotography.pic-time.com/-voyagedenver