From Behind The Lens

This week, I interviewed the fabulous Hannalee. She’s in Joburg and she has a Facebook Page you can become a fan of as well! 

How do you describe your photographic style?

I am a storyteller. I had a passion for writing and telling stories my whole life, long before I got interested in photography. Through the lens I found a way to tell my stories in vivid imagery that really speaks a thousand words. I tell the story of a wedding as it unfolds. It is all about anticipation of the right moment. If I had to give a name to my style of photography it would be free style. It is a mixture of candid, unposed images that is storytelling in its purest form mixed with natural, romantic shots that I direct to compliment the story.

How did you get into photography?

I went through a traumatic time in my life where I suffered great loss and extreme, dramatic changes. I discovered that photography was a wonderful tool for healing. I love photographing people and I found that telling other people’s stories through my images placed less emphasis on my own story. I was taken aback at the positive reaction I got from my photos and I decided it was time to follow my passion. I resigned my full time corporate job and have never looked back. 

How long have you been photographing weddings?

A mere two years. I started straight away after buying my camera and I were heavily critized by my peers for getting into weddings that fast. But I was determined to let my passion be my biggest teacher rather than relying on experience. Of course I would not recommend to every aspiring photographer to jump in at the deep end like I did. It takes nerves of steel, many late nights and it is very tough financially. In the end it is all worth it though.

What has been the highlight of your career as a wedding photographer so far?

I’ll have to say my first destination wedding I did in Kenya at the end of last year. But it is very rewarding every time you see the joy and satisfaction on a couple’s faces when they view their photos for the first time after the wedding. 

Which are your five favourite wedding photographs, and why? 

1.  This has become a ‘signature’ shot of mine which I like to take at almost every wedding. I love the accent on the eyes as the windows of the soul. The bride was particularly emotional – this photo is a true reflection of what was going through her mind on this very special day.

2. This was a photo I took on the one and only photography course I have been on. It was a 2 day course in the basics of wedding photography. The model was hired for the practical shoot. I love the magic that happened at the right time leading to the clouds in the background looking like angel wings.

3. I love this one because of its candidness. I came walking in from outside and found the father of the bride crawling on all fours to catch his little grand daughter, to her absolute delight. Priceless.

4. I took this photo at a wedding in Dullstroom. The sun has just set and the guest were sitting down for supper. When we looked outside the whole lake was covered in a thick mist. I just had to tear the couple away from their guests to capture them dancing in the mist.

5.  I like incorporating nature in my photos.  This was an Autumn wedding and the leaves were just starting to turn red. This tree was standing proudly on its own and I knew it would make a striking image. The photo looks totally unposed as if I happen to discover them stealing a moment together.

How do you market yourself?

I have built a good web site to showcase my work. I do very little print ads. I post my site link to various other websites. The ultimate goal is to sustain the majority of the business by referrals and word of mouth.

What type of camera do you use?

I am a Canon shooter. I use the Canon 5D Mark ii. It is an amazing piece of equipment that keeps on surprising and satisfying me.

What would you love to add to your equipment?

I don’t think any photographer will ever stop adding to their camera bag. Techonolgy is changing so fast that new developments like faster lenses and better cameras are coming onto the market every few months. At the moment I would love to have a 15mm – F/2.8 Fisheye lens and once I have done a bit of weight training the fantastic but very heavy 70-200mm – F/2.8 zoom lens which is considered the ultimate wedding lens by most professional wedding photographers. 

How important is a tool like Photoshop in your work, and do you retouch at all?

Editing is an integral part of my artistry as a photographer. You can’t shoot digitally without spending considerable time behind your computer adding a signature look to your photos. The actual shooting of the wedding is probably less than a third of the total time I spend on each wedding. In the beginning of my career I used Photoshop extensively. Nowadays I do most of my post production in Adobe’s Lightroom which has cut down on on editing time a lot. I only do skin smoothing and things like removing blemishes in Photoshop.

Which are your favourite creative/ outrageous/ artistic photographs and why?

1. I love it when a couple are spontaneous and even outrageous. Sometimes I get lucky by shooting a couple that just don’t care how silly they may look. It makes for great photography. 

2. This was the second wedding I ever did. I was almost taken by surprise by this bride looking straight into the camera and sticking out her tongue at me – I loved it.

3. The bride bought similar handbags for all of her bridesmaids. They were a crazy bunch of girls and FUN was a huge part of the day. They decided to be wacky and all throw their bags in the air while running towards me.

4. This couple is also very fun-loving and daring. Nothing I could suggest phased them – they got into this tree for a very different shot.

If you could be invisible- with your camera- for a day, you would…

My favourite subject is people. I love the story in a face. Yet people naturally shy away from the camera and you hardly ever get a natural shot of their true character. There are fantastic photo journalists in the world that have managed to capture real emotion as it happens. If would love to be able to tell stories of South African people through my photography. Not only the traumatic and sad stories of children living in the streets, Aids orphans and other South African tragedy, but also the joys and moments of pure bliss that we experience in this beautiful country we call home.

What advice do you have for photographers who are just starting out?

Shoot shoot shoot. Be willing to do a lot of weddings for free in the first few months to build your portfolio. Experiment. Don’t be afraid to try new and crazy things. It might not always work, but you learn something every time. Once your business start doing well you won’t have as much time to shoot as you did when you were a hobbyist or freelancer, so do as much as you can now. 

Where would you love to go for a wedding shoot?

Italy. To me it is the most romantic country in the world. Apart from its rich history it is also exceptionally beautiful. But to be honest, our country offers so many wonderful places to shoot I don’t know why South Africans would want to get married anywhere else.

Is there anything you’re learning to do?

Photographers never stop learning. It is an art-form that has so many different facets that you will never master it in one lifetime. At the moment I am learning to use off camera flash to get better exposure in low light conditions.

What will you be up to in 2010?

By the looks of it this year is going to be a very busy one. By the end of February I already had 23 weddings booked for the year ahead. I am also planning a workshop later this year for aspiring wedding photographers in terms of the pitfalls and the challenges of the business when starting out.