Meet Hannah Ziegeler | Photographer & Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hannah Ziegeler and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hannah, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I truly think that the most important factor behind my brand is humility. No matter what, when someone reaches out to hire you it is an honor. The fact that they saw something in your skillset and wanted to inquire about the chance to work with. you is magical. I feel like starting out in photography the question that causes such anxiety in our line of work is ” what if no one thinks I am good enough?” and now 10 years later to have multiple inquiries come in a day I remind myself that there was a time when I asked myself that question every day. Obviously our confidence grows over time, and skillset but to pause for a moment and remember where I started has helped me handle clients with grace and understanding time and time again. It is not always easy, there will always be asks and inquiries that do not instantly get you excited but that is when I tell myself, its still an honor they even asked and maybe I am not the right photographer for that need but I work to find someone else who may be.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I will say this, I took one photography class in college, just one. They told me I was “too commercial” I lacked depth, and art in my work. It honestly hurt me, it was before I was a full time photographer and comments like that to a 19 year old girl can really rock the boat. However, I just completed the class got a B and moved on. That was where I decided that one persons opinion of me, or my work, would never be able to dictate how I felt about it. There will always be critics, and not everyone is going to like you. This world is full of unique people and personalities and its one of the best parts of humanity, and its also one of the most difficult. To get to where I am now professionally I had to see remind myself of that experience over and over. You could have 100 happy clients and 1 not completely satisfied and it feels like the only words you recall are the 1. There is only one way I deal with that now, I make sure I try to see the experience from their perspective, I make sure I did my very best, and I offer to make it right however I can, and then I move on. In a service based industry people are the greatest variable and that can be a challenge but it is also what makes every day interesting to me.

I am most proud of the way I make people feel, the greatest compliment someone can give me about an experience with me is that I made them feel beautiful or amazing. I think that is what sets me apart, and I really want the service to be about them. In our fast paced world it can be so hard to feel seen, and when someone is on the other side of my lens that is all I want the to feel.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Holland, Michigan is an absolute hidden gem. In the spring we have the most incredible festival of Tulips in the united states. We have over 6 million tulips on show during this week and it has taken place for 94 years.

So, if they come in the spring I encourage them to check out tulip time. We would go get coffee from the 205 coffee bar, and maybe lunch from Deboer bakery, take a salad to go and have a picnic in the tulips before walking around for an elephant ear.

We are right on the Lake Michigan and have some of the most incredible beaches in the summer time. Truly it is a sight to see these freshwater coasts!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are far too many people for me to thank to name them all. I know for a fact I would NEVER be living the life I do now without hundreds of people encouraging me on the way.

Of course there are family and friends who have really seen this journey unfold from the beginning. What I have to say to them is thank you for your understanding, when I did choose photographing events on Saturday nights and sacrificed birthday parties, and bridal showers. I was building my brand, hustling hard and establishing a work ethic more than I even knew in those early years. It didn’t make me the most balanced, or the greatest friend or daughter but the ones that saw my heart and goal and stood by me anyway…. I see you, and I love you.

I did go to college even though I did not study photography, I was in a general business program and there was a teacher there who made me feel like my light had no off switch. He was nothing but motivating, positive, and encouraging every step of the way. When you are 22 the choices ahead of you are scary and you don’t always have the confidence to swim against the current… So thank you to him for never once doubting my ability.

I know there are some people who chose me from the beginning, my first boss (and only boss) my first year out of college pulled my to NYC for the experience of a lifetime. The work was amazing, but the lessons learned with her were what made my path alter. Working along someone chasing their dreams and not accepting anything less was an absolute catalyst in my life.

And ALLLLL the amazing people who have ever hired me, even one single time. Every time someone has chosen me for their photography needs it has lifted up my heart and spirit and allowed me to live in my passion.

So Thank you to everyone cheering on the sidelines.

Website: https://www.hannahziegeler.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hzphotos/

Image Credits
HZ PHOTOGRAPHY