Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sandra Hauptman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Sandra , appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
Coming from a place where I survived a war and moved to a foreign country by the time I was 10, I had to grow up really fast as a child. So in some way, I was born with resilience. When I first started my photography business, I couldn’t have ever imagined that it would ever be what it is now. I wasn’t sure that I would ever succeed, work with so many people, and experience so many adventures, but I took my camera, stood tall, reminded myself of what I wanted to achieve, and became comfortable with the uncomfortable.
One thing that I always kept in mind, is that I am further now than I ever was before and that I will give it my all to continue to grow. I was open to criticism so that I could learn.
My resilience came from every situation that I encountered that didn’t have an ideal outcome, because I knew that when I get back up from the fall, I would come back better, and stronger and challenge myself to make it better every time.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
One of my favorite things about being a photographer is that I get to capture small moments in busy lives that people can look back on and remember those small special moments that make this crazy life worth it. I love being able to challenge myself with every shoot to do something different and create something special for my clients. I love working with natural light and movement, as well as creating the most authentic experience possible.
My photography has given me the opportunity to be able to donate and create fundraising events to help those less fortunate, specifically to help with child hunger.
This year my plan for my photography business is to seek more adventures and take more challenges. But, I look forward to being able to use my photography for more charity work as well as giving more of an opportunity to start donating again.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
One skill that I think every photographer needs to have is the will to learn. Knowledge will come to those who seek it, and with photography, things are changing often, therefore you have to seek. Having the will to want to learn, will lead anyone to only improve their skills, the way they see things, and the way they create their business. For me personally, if I didn’t push myself to learn new things with every shoot I had, I wouldn’t be able to improve and grow.
The second most impactful skill in my journey would definitely be listening. Listening to what my client wants, rather than what I envision is so important. At the end of the day, the photos that I create are not for me. They are for someone else to look back on. Their memories matter to them. Without listening and without understanding what they are asking for, I wouldn’t be able to achieve the business that I have achieved.
Lastly, an important quality to have is to never compare yourself to others. It is easy to look at those around you and compare yourself to what other people are doing, or what you see on Pinterest. But you and only you are responsible for creating your vision and your business.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
For most of my life, it was just my mom and me, therefore everything that I did she had a huge impact on. She has always been a huge inspiration and guide for things that I have achieved. She was always there to push me further when I felt that I was done. However, the most impactful thing that she did for me was to put aside her life to provide for me. She brought me into a country full of opportunities and then pushed me to pursue them. She always told me to remember that “I can and I will”.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://2owlimages.wixsite.com/home
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/2owlimages/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2OwlImages/
