Hannah Herpin of Lafayette, La on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Hannah Herpin. Check out our conversation below.

Good morning Hannah, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I got back into ballet this year, and it’s been amazing! The whole thing started when one of my brides turned out to be a dance teacher at my old studio – we connected over that, and she told me about an alumni class they were running. I immediately signed up. I danced for over 20 years, stopping halfway through college, and when you spend that much of your life doing something, coming back to it felt surreal in the best way. It felt like getting reacquainted with a part of myself that I had lost. This summer, I saw Basin Arts was offering an adult ballet class, and even though I didn’t know anyone and had no connections there, I signed up anyway. It was a beginner class, and getting that refresher on foundational technique was genuinely therapeutic – reconnecting with the basics in a way I hadn’t done in years. They said more classes are coming, so I’m hoping I can keep this adult ballet phase going!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Hannah Herpin, and I am a wedding and portrait photographer in South Louisiana. I’ve been married for 15 years to my high school sweetheart, and we have a beagle named SoCo. My work blends fine art and editorial styles. What really matters to me is the time I invest with couples before their wedding – that connection allows me to capture their story authentically. Lately, I’ve been diving deeper into film photography, and it’s had a huge impact on my creative vision. I’m in this really confident place with my work right now, and I’m excited to take on bigger projects like full wedding weekends.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who taught you the most about work?
My mom, hands down. Her work ethic is unmatched, and she instilled that in me from an early age. Her mantra has always been to “go the extra mile” with customers. I try to channel that with my clients every single day. Of course, she taught me how to bake and all kinds of other stuff, but I’ve never heard anyone else talk about learning so much about working from their mother as I feel like I’ve learned from mine. I loved that my mom worked and, by doing so, showed me what was possible. I always had a deep internal ambition and every time my mom got a promotion, it showed me that all that hard work can pay off and that drive would pay off for me too one day. It’s funny – my vendor friends will sometimes be amazed at how I tackle a difficult email or slip into my “HR voice,” and all of that comes from my mom.

What fear has held you back the most in your life?
I can think back to thousands of times I was scared to speak up. The more tough conversations I’ve had, the easier it’s gotten, and I’ve noticed that speaking up tends to work out in my favor more often than not. It doesn’t always go perfectly – I’ve definitely had it blow up in my face. But when it goes well, it goes really, really well and opens doors I didn’t even know were there. I think we don’t realize how much courage it takes just to take up space in a room or a conversation, but I’ve learned that no one’s going to speak up for me but me. Early on in my business, I was too shy to even tell anyone that I had started a business, and then I was frustrated that no one had heard about it. That was 100% my fault. Even now, hitting “post” on my work can feel vulnerable and a little embarrassing, even if it’s work I’m really proud of. So it’s always something that I’m going to have to work on.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
Oh boy, this is something that I’ve been working to merge, and I feel like I’ve made some huge strides! Earlier, I mentioned how much my mom taught me about work, and so much of that was about professionalism; that polished, put-together approach to work. And don’t get me wrong, professionalism matters. But my work and my relationships with clients demand something different. This work is incredibly personal – I’m documenting some of the most important days of people’s lives, and that means they need to know the real me. One tangible shift has been in how I dress. I started wearing things that feel more like me and less like some version of “professional me,” so I can slip into creative mode much more easily. My work depends on who I am as an artist, which means showing up authentically all the time, especially while I’m working. So it’s been this interesting and fun process to try and blend those two sides of myself more and more.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I think a lot of the answers I’ve given today have reflected some shifts I’ve made in my life since my dad died in 2019. That experience taught me about what really matters and gave me a visceral understanding of time. So, beyond speaking up more and living authentically, my husband and I have really centered experiences in our lives. We’re always going to take the trip or go to the concert. I’ve also let go of things that weren’t serving me anymore. That included being honest about the work I actually wanted to do – I shifted my wedding focus from classic and traditional to more editorial and personal. Tradition can be beautiful and meaningful, but it can also be impersonal. Couples doing things a certain way just because “that’s how it’s always been done” or because everyone around them is doing it? That’s not what lights me up anymore. I want to attract couples who are intentional about making their day uniquely theirs – beautiful and true to their actual story.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hannahherpincreative.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahherpincreative/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hannahherpincreative

Image Credits
Hannah Herpin Creative