Name: Erin Hatch
Name of business and how long you’ve been in business:
Erin Hatch Photography. I've been officially in business for three months, and have learned so much in such a
little amount of time!
When did you know you wanted to be a photographer and what inspired you to take that leap?
It started when I took an 'intro to photography' class at BYU Idaho, back in 2001. I had no idea that I would fall in love getting neat shots from this little device called a camera. I continued to play with photography till 2007, when I saw the amazing work of Jeanna Hayes. From that point, I said “Ok. I want to learn all I can to get going.” She inspired me to get cracking!
How do you prepare for a session?
Well, I try very hard to not forget anything important. The night before, I charge my batteries, clear my cards,
get my shoot sac out and fill it with a water bottle and snacks for my clients and myself. (Don't have a lot of
lenses to sill the sac with yet:) The day of, I kiss my husband goodbye and tell him how thankful I am that he
stays home with our boys so I can go play. On the way, I crank up Sarah Barielles's “Uncharted”. I love the sound of the piano, and the strings doing pizzicato on that song. It's great:)
What’s your wardrobe style when shooting?
Its great to get out of my stay at home mom clothes and wear something nice. I love an opportunity to dress
up! A cute, classy top from Target, and some comfy jeans. I wear my Toms shoes in the summer, and Ugg boots in the winter, ah!
If you could photograph one person, who would it be and why?
Jennifer Aniston. I just think she's so beautiful, and looks amazing in black and white portraits!
What book would you read over and over?
Anne of Green Gables. From that book, I get so much inspiration to be grateful, make the most of every
moment, and to remember the important things in life.
What editing program do you use and why?
90% of the time, I use Lightroom, with the other percentage in Photoshop. Lightroom is incredible. I am a mom of two young, active boys, and need time to balance everything. Lightroom helps make my life simpler, and gets it done faster. I LOVE the sync feature!! Not to say that I edit all my pictures a certain way, but with mass amounts of wedding and family pictures, it sure helps:) I use a handful of presets, from the freebies at presethaven.com to Totally Rad Actions, which help me find my style. Yet, Photoshop is valuable also. I edit my pictures in LR, and send them to PS to get them ready for the web, and any other tasks that are easier to do there.
How do you decide which photos to keep and which ones get tossed?
I try to focus on the best of the best, and the photos that really get me excited. I heard some great
photographers saying to not give out so many photographs, as it cheapens your value. I keep that in mind, but
also try to have a good collection of options for the clients to choose from.
Where do you find inspiration and new ideas?
For photo inspiration, Jeanna Hayes. She is the one who started my passion for photography 3 years ago. Her pictures are simply stunning and beautiful. The angles, ahh! She taught me about the importance of lighting, and it has forever changed the way I see things. She is also super down to earth and wonderfully kind. Cherie Hogan. She is such a professional without even knowing it. I was around her at a photo shoot for local photographers, and saw how she helped the couple be comfortable for the camera, giving simple direction, and getting incredible results. Her senior photos rock the world! She's on her way, that's for sure.
Brooke Ashley, Stacy Reeves, and many others. Gorgeous work, period. When looking at other photographer's work, I never let myself think 'Wow, there stuff is amazing and mine is crap'. I simply remember that they are in a different place on the photography road than I am, and that I will get there one day! It's so important to think this way, because there are so many awesome opportunities waiting to happen to you. You've got to believe in yourself and have fun, too:)
For business inspiration, Go{4}ProPhotos. That Leah gal is super! She has excellent blog articles
about marketing and balancing business with family, which is what I'm really trying to master. Also,
http://paperieboutique.com/ From the many pictures in the posts, I found so many ideas that work great for
boutique packaging, welcome packets, and more! My other sources of free and valuable education are Open Source Photo and the community at iheartfaces.
What is your favorite quote?
"Never compare your journey with someone else's. It's a marathon with no finish line. Someone else
may start out faster than you, may seem to progress more quickly than you, but every runner has his own
pace. Your journey is your journey, not a competition. You will never "arrive". No one ever does."
~Cheryl Jacobs
What activities do you enjoy doing with your family and/or friends?
One of my favorite things to do is get together with friends and eat a good meal. I love cooking, and learning
how to make new recipes! I'm a foodnetwork-aholic, and read food blogs such as Our Best Bites, Tasty Kitchen, and Mel's Kitchen Cafe. I also love to play guitar, piano, and compose church songs on piano. My other passion:) I often play the opening song from the Pixar movie “Cars” for my oldest son, Ethan. He will strum the strings for me, while I change the chords with my other hand, and we have a great time! Gardening in the desert is my other joy I share with the family. There is great importance in having a raised bed with good soil in order to have a super harvest. Drip irrigation is priceless gold from the gardening heavens.
Favorites:
~Favorite Movie: A combination between 'Terminator 2', 'The Bourne Ultimatum' ( You wouldn't know it, but I'm such a tomboy, and love good, well crafted car chase scenes:) and the Keira Knightly 'Pride and Prejudice'. How's that for diverse? :D
~Favorite drink: Strawberry smoothie with that yummy slice of pineapple, from the Bahama Breeze restaurant!
~Favorite music artist or song: Joshua Radin. There is great joy in putting the kids to bed, turning on his music in the kitchen and cleaning up.
~Favorite TV Show: The Office. My husband doesn't understand why, and promptly falls asleep when I turn it on at night. There are some dang, funny parts on that show.
~Favorite season: Fall. The colors, the leaves, I just love the beauty of it all!
~Favorite scent: My husband's Eternity cologne:)
~Favorite time of day: Whenever my kids nap!
~Favorite place to shop: Deseret Industries. Unbelievable gold to be found each day, for super cheap. Its
dangerous for me to go there, as I can spend twenty bucks very fast. Oh, and a little store called Target, ha ha!
~Favorite thing about being a photographer: Capturing an amazing shot when you least expect it. Sometimes the best pictures cannot be posed or prepared for. They just happen, and you pray that you can get that right exposure quickly, and have a beautiful image that will last forever.
~Favorite website or blog to read: iheartfaces.com, woo!!
Any additional information you would like to share:
I just want to say this to anyone who is ready to take the leap into a photography business. Network like crazy! I believe photographers that help other photographers should get a ticket straight to heaven.
We are all in this together, and have so much to learn from each other. I have learned tremendous amounts of important information from advanced pros who are kind enough to help newbies like me. Networking is wonderful. Learn as much as you can about the business side of photography. I've heard that a photography business is 10% picture taking, and 90% business. You want to have time to enjoy your hobby, have time with your family, and make a decent profit. Learn, learn, learn as much as you can. I gained a lot of knowledge from the Open Source Photo forum and iheartfaces community. The 'B' school sounds pretty awesome, too! When you begin your business, be prepared to make some blunders and learn from them. As much as you learn from other people's experiences, you're bound to make some mistakes yourself. It's ok. Brush yourself off, laugh, and start again.
Keep learning your craft, make friends with local photographers, and don't let your passion wither. It's ok to
take a break, shoot pictures for fun, and keep the fire burning.
Check out more of Erin's fabulous work here:
Facebook: Become a fan of Erin Hatch on Facebook
Website:Erin Hatch Photography
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