Hidden Gems: Meet Hannah Korte of Hannah Korte Photography

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Korte. 

Hi Hannah, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I have always enjoyed art and never wanted to have a conventional 9-5 job, but I could never figure out how to achieve that as a teenager. I finally fell in love with photography and decided that that was going to be my way to a career I actually enjoyed. I love the feeling when your photograph comes out exactly like or even better than you wanted. I create my art so I can show other people the world through my eyes. It’s a way to make scenarios from my imagination become reality. My art gives me a way to express my thoughts and communicate ideas with others in the easiest way I find possible. It also gives me the ability to be a part of people’s lives and capture important moments in their lives. Really, it’s the most rewarding part of this job. Until I started college, I was self-taught. I work primarily with digital photography. The majority of my personal work involves constructing some sort of set or prop from my imagination which I try to make on my own, and I try to incorporate that into commissioned work as well. 

I graduated from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, MI in 2016 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography. I assist and retouch for commercial/Architectual photographers as well as photograph weddings, product images, and capture everyday milestones for families in the area. I am currently working on a personal project called “Womanhood, that focuses on the stories of women from all walks of life. This particular project has taken a pause because of the pandemic, but I hope to re-launch it soon. Until then I have been taking on one-off creative projects to push my skills to the next level! 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not always been a smooth road. Being a freelance photographer is something that requires a lot of people skills and constant networking, as well as its fair share of uncertainty. Feast or famine is a great way to describe it. There are times where I am booked solid for months, and once winter hits, bookings drastically go down. Trying to make all of the income stretch through all of the slow months and also balancing a personal life has been a struggle. It’s very easy to work all the time! I am still constantly trying to learn how to balance my business. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I have been running a photography business since my senior year of high school on top of many other odd jobs. I was finally able to take the plunge into a full-time photography business shortly after graduating from college. I do a lot of different things, but I tend to lean more towards portraiture, as I love capturing special moments in people’s lives as well as creating sets for people to be photographed in. Creating a space, they can be themselves and feel comfortable doing so! My goal as a photographer is to make everyone who leaves my session feel better than they did when they showed up for our sessions. Having photos done can be a hassle, but I do my best to make it experience that just feels like a fun outing with your loved ones that just so happened to be captured on camera. 

When running a business like this, it is important to know that sometimes things aren’t always going to go the way you expect them to. It’s important to be on your toes and constantly adapting to changing situations. Being a problem solver is a big part of the job. In my opinion, the most important part is to not give up. It’s cliche I know. There have been many times where I have wanted to throw in the towel, but I wouldn’t be in the position I am today if I had done that. I think that is good advice for any job though, if you really want it, don’t give up!

What were you like growing up?
I am an only child, so I spent a lot of time with my parents as well as friends from dance class and school, once I was able to make friends! I was a dancer for 11 years of my life, so as a kid I spent most days at the dance studio or at a dance competition for the few years I was competitive dancing. I have always been interested in artistic things and have never really wanted a conventional job. From fashion designer to actor to forensic photography and eventually to portraiture, creating art or imagery has always been something that has been important to me. I always had to be doing something or everything. I was always involved in clubs and even class president in high school, as well as drama club. If you know Patty Simcox from the movie “Grease”. I feel like she is a good equivalent to how I was as a kid/teenager. Always trying to do as many things as I could, and sometimes way more than I could actually handle. 

Pricing:

• Most photo sessions start at $200
• Weddings start at $1000

Contact Info:

• Email: kortehannah@yahoo.com
• Website: HannahKortephotogaphy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannah_korte_photography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HannahKortePhotography

Image Credits:
Hannah Korte Photography