Meet Hannah Homier | Photographer & Owner of She Wanders Photography

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

Hi Hannah, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Since I was young I’ve always had some sort of little digital camera on hand at all times. I was obsessed with taking photos of anything and everything I was doing. I would invite friends over to model for me, set up tripods for my version of “artsy” self portraits, follow my nieces and nephews around to capture their cute antics, and force all my family members to pose for me during holiday gatherings. As the years passed those silly photos became so valuable to myself and the faces in them. I got a rush off of being able to show people how beautiful they were in such candid moments.

As years passed, I got bigger and better cameras. Never with desire of making money or a career off of this hobby (more so obsession at this point) but just with pure fascination with photography. I had started having some dreams of being a well-known photographer. I didn’t think it was necessarily within reach to do so- until I started venting about not knowing what to do with my future to my high school art teacher. She suggested I start an Instagram page for my photography- so I did! I began photographing my friend’s senior photos, my close relatives family photos, and other small occasions worth capturing. Somewhere along the line I started getting offered money to do the very thing I was already doing most of the time. It happened quickly, word of mouth spread and I was off. I was shooting multiple senior sessions a day. Then my first wedding came along and I knew I had found it- what I wanted to do forever. This was 10 years ago and I am happy to report that 17 year old Hannah was right in paving this path for 27 year-old Hannah.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The style of photography that I’ve latched onto is candid. I love capturing and editing a photo to look nearly exactly how it felt in the moment. I want people to feel as though they’re living their wedding day or session all over again when looking back at the photos. When people reach out to me asking about my shooting style I often use the phrase “I’m a fly on the wall”. I want the day to unfold organically and without much interference- of course offering suggestion and guidance when it seems fit! I truly adore being able to create art with every client in a unique, true-to-them way. When editing I choose tones and contrasts that are easy on the eye. More of a warm, wholesome, and clean aesthetic. I want my work to give you those warm fuzzy feelings.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If you’re visiting Defiance, the first place I’m assigning you to visit is Miami & Erie Bar. It’s my absolute favorite local dive bar. You can definitely get some cute photos here with the dark and moody aesthetic as well as a bomb dirty martini or tall beer.

Your next stop is Firedstone Tavern. You must get either the smoked wings (garlicky buffalo to be exact) or the Italian Pizza. I usually request sitting out on the patio for top tier ambiance.

The Independence Dam is next for a long walk. I often just drive slowly through here as well. There are so many pull off spots to bring a picnic or set up to read. There are also camping spots to reserve!

If you’re a coffee person (or just a delicious drink person) you MUST stop at one of the Cabin Fever Coffee locations. The staff is beyond friendly and both locations in Defiance are decorated beautifully for vibing with your laptop or a book. They also have some insanely good paninis for lunch.

White Horse Tattoo Boutique is directly above the downtown Cabin Fever location and is where I get most of my tattoos. They have adorable merch, some local art for sale, and vintage jewelry/clothes for sale as well. Female ran and operated! Obsessed with these gals. Incredible work.

Next up- the Fort Defiance Antique store. You can spend a good amount of time in here digging through the treasures. I’ve found a BUNCH of jewelry here that I wear daily.

My favorite diner/breakfast in Defiance is Kissners- this is also a must while you’re in town. The old building and smells are so welcoming.

Kirchers Flowers is on the list for plant shopping! You can get some super cute photos in here as well. They have some huge greenhouses with indoor and outdoor plants as well as flower stems to treat yourself to a cute lil bouquet.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I owe a million thank you’s to Haley Timmons of Haley Elizabeth Studios. This lovely human and photographer is who shot my senior photos years ago (2015) and taught me nearly everything I know about working a camera properly, how to edit, and how to market myself in such a heavily saturated line of work.

Another set of thank you’s go to my high school art teacher, Ms. Mel Wilson. She nurtured and encouraged my artistic eye and gave me the confidence to take myself and my photography seriously.

Thank you to my parents, Mark & Kathy Homier for the never-ending support in this (and every) aspect of my life. Thank you for my favorite Christmas gifts ever, my cameras/lenses!

Thank you to my number one fans- my sisters Rachel & Claire- for modeling for me to practice from a young age all the way into adulthood. I am so thankful for the kind words that I’m met with after each post I make or send to them.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, to all my friends I’ve made along this journey who make me feel like my art is something special to them. You all will never understand how much that support has aided me in being confident in my work. From Captured by Hannah Photography days to She Wanders Photography- you all have a hand in me being here in this position today: Rachel Koster, Ari Griffith, Caitlyn McCandless, Nicole Cook, Annie Davis, Samantha Drebrushenko, Laura Castillo, Natalie Castillo, Kaytlin Ward, Alexis Davie, Conner Peoples, Allison Gray, Kelsey Garcia, Victoria Anderson, Brett Behringer, Jaiden Shock, Mallory Tietje, Emily Gallant, Cassondra Stutzman, Shea Murray

Website: https://www.shewandersphotography.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shewandersphotography?igsh=dG4za3JzaXVwM3F3&utm_source=qr https://www.instagram.com/shewandersphotography?igsh=dG4za3JzaXVwM3F3&utm_source=qr

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shewandersphoto

Image Credits
Hannah Homier