Han | #InFocus
She/Her | @babyfacehannn | Swansea, Illinois
How did you get into photography?
I used to pride myself in taking very good iPhone pictures of my best friend. I loved the satisfaction of taking a really good picture of someone and seeing them feel good about themself. Then for my 18th birthday she gifted me a Canon AE-1 which is a model of 35mm film camera.
Who are some of your biggest inspirations?
My biggest inspirations are James Baldwin because of his dedication to expressing the narratives of people who are told they don't deserve one. Renell Medrano is also a big inspiration because of her dedication to both narrative and ambiguity when operating on a social media platform, which can be challenging. My Dad is also a huge inspiration because I see my best and worse self in him, and he encourages me everyday.
How do you prepare yourself for a shoot?
I pack a bag with my camera, film, and my speaker. I like to have seen the location that my model and I are going to be shooting least once before so I can have ideas for composition in my head. And I make it a point to ask the person that I'm shooting for what kind of music they'd like to listen to add to comfortability and setting the tone of the shoot.
If you could give a young photographer any advice, what would you tell em?
If I could give a young photographer advice I'd tell them to always remind themselves of the power of their work outside of social media.
What do you ultimately want to say with your work?
I'd ultimately like to say that my work translates the way I see the world. Like metaphorically being able to take out my own eyes, hand them to someone else, and say "look, this is how I see it." Perspective is so powerful to me.
Do you prefer film or digital, and why?
I prefer film because the waiting period between taking the pictures and being able to see them is more gratifying than snapping the photo and having them in an instant.