Meet Hannah Fellows | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hannah Fellows and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hannah, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I was always that really annoying girl that had a camera in her hand wherever she went. My dad bought me my first tiny film camera when I was around 10 years old and I would snap and snap photos and run up to him and ask him to drive me into town so I could get the film developed. We would take it to a one-hour photo store and would wait around in town until the photos were developed and we would look at them together. When I turned 16 my dad bought me a digital camera and said he would never pay for another roll of film again! Ha!

Throughout high school and college I loved capturing moments with my friends and having them to look back on days, weeks and years later.

When my son Hunter was around four months old I started to take pictures of him as he reached certain milestones and loved being able to look at photos and seeing how much he had grown. I realized how excited I was after I spent some time behind my camera and started to do family sessions which I found I loved. Then, when one of my best friends got engaged she asked me to take her engagement photos and then wedding photos and I dove into the wedding photography industry.

I absolutely love that each session and each client that I meet makes me feel something different. I get asked often what my style is and I have a hard time answering that because I feel that my style can be based off the day or the moment. I tend to love editing with a bright and airy feel but some sessions that I photograph can have a moody and dark vibe to them so I will edit that way. I love that photography allows me to be creative and capture moments for people to have to look back years later. I grew up looking at family albums of black and white photos from the early 1900s and I treasure those albums to this day. Everyone has a story to tell and photos can tell a story and make you FEEL a story. I want people to look at my work and feel something. I want to capture moments that make you feel alive.

What should our readers know about your business?
I have learned that some months, even years can be slow. Very slow. As an entrepreneur this can be very scary because sometimes you aren’t quite sure when your next paycheck will come. When you are a photographer there tends to be an off-season, usually in the winter months. This has taught me to hustle during the spring, summer, and fall. Days and weeks can be very long and stressful but when your off-season hits, it allows you to regroup and I take this time to rebuild my business. This is when I can focus on my branding and really dig deep into the areas that I truly want to focus on. In the beginning I wanted and tried to photograph every type of session and it was overwhelming for me. I loved each session I was doing but one day I would be photographing a newborn baby and the next day photographing a wedding. I’ve learned that it is great to find a speciality and focus on that. Now, I mainly photograph family sessions, elopements, wedding proposals, weddings and events. I still enjoy doing a random newborn session or senior session here or there and I love when I meet a client and they allow me to completely step outside the box for a themed session. Since I found what I really want to photograph, I have noticed that I can really fine tune my skill for those sessions. This allowed me to grow as a photographer and I feel like I can give my clients the best experience.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Since I am a family photographer I meet a lot of families that are visiting Colorado Springs on vacation. I LOVE when I have an out of state client that books a family session. Not only do I get to capture family portraits for them while they are enjoying my city and state so that they can remember their trip, but I also LOVE to share with them my local favorite spots that they can see as well!

My favorite spots in and around Colorado Springs include Garden of the Gods, which can sometimes be super crowded so I encourage you to put some hiking shoes on and walk on the trails to see some incredible views of not only the city but Pikes Peak as well. For more hiking I suggest Red Rock Canyon Open Space and North Cheyenne Canyon. Helen Hunt Falls has a beautiful waterfall and a short little hike that is great for kiddos! Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is also a must. And if you want a really good workout check out The Incline in Manitou Springs.

My favorite spots around the town are Old Colorado City, Manitou Springs (check out the Penny Arcade!), Green Mountain Falls, Woodland Park and Cripple Creek.

I love to eat breakfast at BonTon’s Cafe in Old Colorado City and grab ice cream at Colorado City Creamery. Another great local spot for delicious food in Old Colorado City is Paravicini’s Italian Bistro and you must stop by Jive’s Coffee Shop and grab a coffee. My favorite is the caramel delight. 503w and N3 Taphouse are also a couple of my favorite places to grab lunch or dinner.

And of course if I was showing you around we would have to stop by some of my favorite breweries, because, well you’re in Colorado! Fossil Brewery, Trails End, Black Forest Brewery, and BierWerks in Woodland Park are just some of my favorites and the food is great or there is a food truck around for you to enjoy!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My father Steve Burr is my inspiration. I saw first hand what it was like to be a small business owner from him and he taught me to work hard for what I wanted and to always dream big.

My fiance Blake Collier is my biggest supporter when it comes to my business and my personal life. He encourages to set huge goals and sometimes I don’t think I can reach those goals but he’s always right next to me to encourage me to keep working hard and is there to celebrate with me when I reach a goal. His drive to be a better business owner himself is contagious and his passion to help others be successful is beautiful.

Website: www.hannahfellows.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/hannahfellowsphotography

Facebook: www.facebook.com/hannahfellowsphotography