We were lucky to catch up with Hannah Lorsch recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hannah, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I used to look for a sense of purpose in everything I did. At times, my need for “purpose” was overwhelming and anxiety filled. I often felt the need to do something BIG or grandiose, because without a larger, extravagant purpose I felt small and like I wasn’t doing enough. In 2020, I started therapy & really worked on the relationship I had with “my purpose”.
It was very healing to have an outside source give me perspective on what “purpose” could look like. I was given the opportunity to view it in multiple ways.
A few things I learned were:
-My purpose could fluctuate, and didn’t have to be one single life purpose. It could change, evolve, or re-route. I realized my purpose could change from day to day, but in the end working on me, and being content with the life I create, and the person I choose to be is a valiant enough purpose.
-My purpose could be spread out over varying situations.
-My purpose didn’t have to be grand or extreme…it could be soft and personal. I could be my own purpose. Navigating a life where I feel proud of who I am and the ways I contribute to the happiness of others is a worthy purpose. I realized I don’t have to create world peace, or be a great philanthropist. I could simple be enough by the small things; giving it my best at my job. Making the people around me feel like they matter, and loving myself and finding joy in life.
That being said, I do find so much purpose in my work! I feel a great sense of purpose by making memories into something tangible for people. I’ve grown a deeper appreciation for photography after I lost my father this past year. Photos have never meant so much to me, and that new found appreciation has pushed me to be better for my clients. I want to create images for people that help them remember the people they love in a beautiful way. Loss is so hard, but creating physical memories and photographs to remember the ones we love- especially when we can’t physically have them with us anymore, helps me feel a huge sense of purpose.
But the place I find the majority of my purpose is in my close family & personal relationships. I feel fulfilled and like I matter when I am around them, and nothing has ever come close to feeling as important as developing and cultivating solid connections with my people.
My purpose, or purposes are ever changing, and I love the freedom & evolution that allows me.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a full time photographer, and owner of Hannah Lorsch Photo & Film! I love the challenge of creating beautiful visuals in different situations. The scope of my work varies from wedding & elopement photography, to families, brands, and editorial work. I never decided on a specific niche, as each type of photography has its own aspects that excite me.
For example; artistically speaking, I love the beauty of the beauty and emotion behind weddings- while working with brands and companies helps me keep my technical skills sharp!
When it comes to weddings, the majority of clients who book me, are drawn to my warm, film inspired edits, and my artistic interpretation of what is often just documentary moments. I aim to create images that tell a story.
When working with brands, I feel it’s my quick turn around and delivery of many quality images that keeps them coming back. This year in particular I worked on a large marketing project for some very well known brands, and provided a years worth of marketing photos for them. It was such a fun opportunity and took me to 36 unique cities across the US, where I shot product and lifestyle images for key retailers.
The families I work with are literally the best! It’s an honor to have them come back year after year, see the kids grow, and watch them change and flourish. I have a strong love for photographing families, as that is where my journey in photography began. Clients have told me they love all the options, as I give every usable image and never limit the amount of photos I return to the client. I think they love choosing their favorites!
My turn around is also a signature aspect of booking a session with me. Clients often receive next day delivery of their images, and almost never wait longer than a week at the very most. I think we all love a little instant gratification!
This year I aim to take on more destination weddings, and take more clients in the boudoir photography space.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I think if you want to pursue photography, or any other self employed business endeavor- 3 key qualities to be successful are: Passion
Persistance
Purpose
Without passion, creativity and good ideas can be hard produce.
Without persistence, the slow times, or difficult clients can really be discouraging.
Without purpose, we don’t feel deeply tied to what we are doing, and can lose the focus or fuel to stick with it.
For those early in the journey of pursuing their dream, I would give the advice to keep your purpose in mind, to never give up if it matters to you, and to revisit the aspects of what made you passionate to begin with.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
I think overwhelm is a very natural, human emotion to feel-and we have all been there.
When I feel overwhelmed, I strip it back to basics, prioritize, and allow myself time to take things one step at a time.
A lot of times too, I have noticed that if I am overwhelmed there’s often something I’m doing or taking on that is not authentic to me, my passions, or my values.
When I’m aligned with my purposes and my values, I believe I can more easily tackle situations, because I am made for them!
But when I say “YES” to situations, relationships, clients, or jobs that don’t align with my values or passions, there’s a natural resistance to them. That resistance makes decisions and steps in that direction difficult because my thoughts are cloudy and unclear, and my heart is not in it.
My advice or strategy for keeping unaligned situations at bay is to listen to your heart and intuition. Saying “no” to jobs or people that our hearts and minds don’t align with is an ok thing to do. We don’t have to be a good fit for everyone or everything that crosses our path.
Overwhelm can be lessened when we do things that bring us Joy.
Contact Info:
- Website: hlorschphoto.com
- Instagram: @hannahlorschphotofilm
