We had the good fortune of connecting with Hannah Dimmitt and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Hannah, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important factor behind my success is staying true to myself and creating freely. I am not a technical photographer by any means and oftentimes I have an untraditional approach to the way I do things. That used to bother me, thinking- oh I have to do it this way instead, I have to be this way, etc, etc. But when I let go of that standard for myself I was creating, realized there really are no rules, is when I truly blossomed! To add on to the original question, not being scared to take chances is another huge lesson that’s helped me grow into my success and brand. I raised my prices, started accepting only the clients that are a perfect fit for me and don’t try to overbook just for the sake of booking, and shoot in my retro, glam, nostalgic, colorful, pastel style. Taking that risk and deciding to stick to my own niche style and more thoughtfully booking clients has also been a rather huge blossoming moment for me.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve always been fascinated with places and things that held countess stories of their own. Rundown gas stations, colorful motels, a vintage dress. This has been a fascination since I was a child. I would always make my parents stop the car on road trips so I could take a photo of a rusted truck on the side of an old dirt road. I loved it- my imagination would run wild, imagining all of the possible stories and memories that truck held. This fascination grew as I grew and I began dressing friends up in high school to run around the neighborhood and take photos of them. Creating our own little worlds within the images! People started paying me to take their graduation photos, which turned into taking family photos, baby photos, all of it. I was a real life photographer, and getting paid! I would still go out and create with friends, even years after graduating high school. That was my passion!
The summer of 2019, I was hit in a very bad car accident and broke my wrist. The scene I remember most from the accident was holding my wrist and pacing around the accident site repeating, “I’m a photographer, I’m a photographer, I’m a photographer.” It was all I could think about! I was rushed to the hospital and taken care of but I couldn’t stop thinking about what would happen to myself as a photographer and business owner. The following months I couldn’t shoot and had an incredible amount of time to simply think. I don’t remember the exact details or moment, but somewhere within that time period a thought occurred—
Why am I making money off family and graduation portraits, and doing the more creative and retro style work “for fun?” Why can’t I make money off of my retro, glam style work?
Thus began my new journey. I came up with a business plan and slowly stopped accepting family portraits and offering 80’s glam headshots, 2000’s themed couple photos with an airbrushed heart backdrop, 90’s yearbook photos- different things to get people involved. When COVID-19 struck, I began doing product photography. It was something I could do from the comfort of my own home. I’ve worked with amazing and groovy brands who love my style of work- I’ve made colorful images, dreamy, groovy- all of it! I’ll work with clothing brands, musicians, graduates who want their senior portraits to be 70’s themed. I’m getting paid to shoot what I love and I feel like I’m living in a dream world.
It’s absolutely been a journey, ups, down, and lots of learning lessons- what I shared is only a piece of the bigger picture. All of this, and everything in between, has gotten me to where I’m at today and I’m entirely grateful.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I like to drive around the city and let the day unfold naturally! Sometimes it’s better to go in with no expectations and just have a good time. Whether that be exploring Deep Ellum during the day and popping into shops and finding a bite for lunch somewhere, or walking around downtown and visiting museums. Or driving through Fort Worth and stumbling on something fun to do. We’d maybe visit a nature park, maybe visit a cute winery or coffee shop. There’s so much to do in the city and being with the right people, anything can be a fun-filled adventure.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shout out my partner, Anthony Sims. He’s been with me since I was shooting family and graduation portraits and helped push me to what truly fulfills my passion for photography, which is what I’m shooting now. His determination and hard work within his own passion for art further drives mine as well. He’s inspiring, and the most supportive and loving person I could ask for to be on this journey with me. I also want to shout out my friends and family. They’ve been with me since lil’ Hannah had a pink point and shoot camera as a kid. Thank you for telling me my work was amazing, when it wasn’t. That ultimately made me excited and passionate about my work, even as a kid. That feeling hasn’t gone away. Thank you for believing in me and supporting me following an artistic path.
Website: https://www.hannahdimmitt.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahdimmitt/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahdimmitt/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/peachyhannah
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hannahdimmittphotographer