Hati - Beauty is Everywhere
May's Tenacious Woman features the very beautiful and very lovely Hati. Most of the responses here are in her own words as I didn't have the heart to edit them too much as they were too beautiful. I imagine this is the kind of reading you would do when you are in a nice comfortable armchair, by the window, with a throw over your feet and a warm mug of tea/ coffee/ cocoa in your hands (whatever floats your boat).
In her own words, here's Hati.
I'm Hati. I was born and raised in Germany. I grew up between two cultures as I have German and Turkish roots. I work as a full-time Business Administrator and a part-time photographer, with a focus on portrait and wedding photography. I love to read and always carry a book with me, so I read wherever and whenever I get the chance. I mostly read fantasy novels which is why you might not be surprised to hear that I am a huge Harry Potter and Game of Thrones fan. To make me happy, you just have to take me to a bookstore or hand me a piece of chocolate. I love to eat and became a pescatarian recently. I love spending time with my friends and family. I also enjoy going to the cinema on my own, where it’s just me and my beloved popcorn. Oh, and I spend way too much time on Instagram.
When and how did the passion for photography start for you?
My first experience with photography was when I attended a photography workshop at school when I was around 14 years old. But my real passion for photography started in 2013 when I bought my very first DSLR, the Nikon D90, and started taking pictures of everything around me. I did some fun shoots with my best friend and learned that I love to take pictures of people, especially female portraits.
How did you decide this will be your career and why did you join Einblick Fotografie?
I didn’t immediately think of making photography a career, I just loved to take pictures, share them on my Instagram and make other people happy with pretty pictures of them. After some time, people started asking if I could take pictures of them. I want my pictures to be as natural as possible and I wanted to improve my skills so I attended some workshops. That was how I got to know the girls from Einblick Fotografie. We stayed in touch and eventually became friends.
When Lisa from Einblick Fotografie asked me if I would like to join her in her wedding photography I nearly freaked out. She is one of my role models in photography and I love her work! So I decided to take the step and assisted her at some weddings. It was so much fun and I loved the whole atmosphere at the weddings: the love between the couple, the happiness of the guests, the beautiful dresses and decoration and everyone smiling. Lisa encouraged me to open my own side business, helped me with the paperwork and gave me (and still gives me) so much good advice about business and photography in general. This was also the time I switched from my crop camera to my full frame camera.
How do you manage your time and your life between your job and your passion? Do you see yourself branching out to photography full-time?
What started as a hobby became a career eventually. But I still see it as my passion more than actual work, although it can be a little exhausting sometimes (especially after a long wedding day). I try to maintain a balance between my job, my photography and my free time. My job is on weekdays and the shoots mostly take place on weekends. I only do one wedding per weekend and two or three weddings a month through wedding season, so that there is enough time left for friends and family and me time. This works fantastic for me and although I love to be creative, I don’t see myself branching out to be a full-time photographer anytime soon, because I need the safety of a permanent employment.
I started following you immediately after I read Vithya's (of Vithya Hair and Makeup) blog post about you. It was very clear from the post that you have a very strong work ethic and that's the quality I admire most about people. Can you tell us what are the things you do as a photographer to upgrade yourself? And if you don't mind, some of your aspirations?
I constantly try to work on my techniques and attend a workshop here and there but the most important thing for me is to consistently shoot and practice. I believe that if you do something you love on a regular basis, you will get better with time. I am very self-critical, so my aspiration would be to be 100% satisfied with my work; to find my own voice in my pictures and for people to recognize it when they see my work. But the most important thing for me is to make people happy with my pictures, especially to get that big smile on their face when they see their pictures for the very first time.
What has been your favourite piece of work so far and why?
That’s a tough question! I think it’s the pictures I took of Vithya in Zandvoort Beach, Amsterdam because I always wanted to take pictures of her. This was a spontaneous shoot with no preparation, and the pictures came out so pure and raw. That's what I love the most in pictures.
Do you have a dream client (from the past or present)? Why them?
Vithya was my dream client because I love everything about her: her kindness, her professionalism when it comes to shoots and her authenticity. I love to show the personality and character of a person through my pictures and when it comes to couples, I love to capture the little in-betweens and the real moments, when they interact with each other as if nobody was around.
What does a normal day look like for you?
I have a 9-5 office job, so my photographer life happens mostly on weekends. When it comes to wedding photography, I prepare my equipment the night before the wedding (charging the battery of my camera, making sure I have my SD Cards ready, packing my camera and lenses into my camera backpack and having all my notes ready). I set my alarm 4 hours before the wedding starts. For example, if the wedding starts at 12 noon, I get up at 8 a.m., feed my cat and have breakfast (an avocado toast with eggs and salmon or some porridge with fruits and nuts plus a decaf latte). After that I get myself ready, check my equipment again and drive to the venue half an hour early. It then depends on the kind of wedding, what the rest of the day looks like, but mostly it is getting to the bride and groom, talking to them to make them comfortable, taking pictures during the ceremony, the congratulations, having the couple shoots and the family pictures. In between the shoots I love to chat with the guests as they are always so nice to me. The moment I get back home, I transfer the pictures on an external hard drive and then Netflix and chill for the rest of the day.
Where do you get the inspiration for your photography and style ideas for your subjects? Especially now that you're doing wedding photography, how do you determine how to style your pictures?
I love to watch people and I like to catch them in moments they aren't aware of because in those moments they happen to be so much of themselves. They are natural. This is what I want in my pictures. I like to get inspiration from Pinterest and Instagram, but I try not to get too deep into it as it can frustrate you sometimes when you start comparing yourself to other photographers. My biggest role model is Lisa from Einblick Fotografie, she gives me lots of inspiration when it comes to wedding photography. When I take pictures of a couple I start with a simple pose and then let them interact with each other, talk to each other and give them very little instructions. Some couples feel more comfortable if you tell them exactly what to do because they are nervous on their wedding day. So it depends on the couple.
You have a very peaceful energy about you. I even remember reading somewhere that you described yourself as "Switzerland" because you don't like to be caught between two different opinions. From my point of view, you have the same peaceful energy to your pictures. Is that what you want your photographs to convey at the end of the day?
Kind of, yes. I love to show people as they are, no extremely unnatural poses or heavy editing. I want them to be as pure and raw as possible.
Other than having an eye for detail and being observant, what else has helped you in your photography?
Practicing, being in constant exchange with other photographers and of course, working with my new team. It’s also so much more fun than working alone.
What has been the biggest hurdle or challenge for you so far in your career? How did you overcome it?
I used to feel uncomfortable to tell people what to do in front of the camera, especially when somebody else was watching me. But with time, it became a little easier. Interacting with people has helped me a lot, not only with photography but in my life in general. The last year has changed me so much. I used to be very reserved when it came to talking about my private life, but I can open up to people a lot easier now, which has had a big impact on my photography. Because when I felt more comfortable interacting with other people, I started to connect with them better and made them feel more comfortable around me. To take pictures of someone can be very intimate sometimes and for that, you need to create a trusting atmosphere. I think I am a little better at this now and again I have to thank Lisa for that, because she is constantly pushing me to my limits!
These days, so many people say they have an interest in photography. Especially because almost all phones have cameras now and there are so many free photo editing apps. As a professional photographer, what do you think about that?
I think it's a good opportunity for people who don't want to invest in an expensive camera or editing software. It is really practical on vacations when you don't want to carry around a heavy camera with you all day. I don't think that it affects the photography business that much because most people still want to have a professional photographer for their wedding.
Almost everyone takes a picture of their food and shares it on social media these days as well. Why do you think that is?
We like to show what we are doing and food, having a meal, is a big part of our life. So maybe that's the reason. I used to do it myself, I wanted to show the fancy, delicious meals I ate and somehow everybody was doing it, so why not me? I now only do it when I want to recommend a really cool eating place or when I made a nice cake or something, but I don't see the point in sharing my everyday meal anymore.
And since we are talking about social media, how much has Instagram influenced your work and your life since it's mainly a photo sharing app?
A lot! I got to know my best friend via Instagram, as well as many other beautiful people who inspire me (like you and Vithya) from all around the world and I discovered loads of talented photographers through the app. As I mentioned, I am totally addicted to Instagram and it’s the only place where I share my work, so it's kind of important to me.
What is something you wish people would ask more to better understand you or your craft?
Sometimes people assume that as a photographer you can take perfect pictures of anything and with any equipment, but it depends on so many aspects and every photographer has his /her own style and is specialized in something. I, for example, love to take pictures in available light (daylight) but I struggle with artificial lighting.
What advice would you pass on to someone who's trying to figure out or follow their passion? Especially if it's in photography?
I would say they should just go for it and shoot, shoot, shoot. Finding someone who can give you advice and push you further is also very helpful. Do what you enjoy and not what others do or what is trendy, unless if that’s what you like. Then do that!
What does the word "tenacious" mean to you?
I think you need to be consistent to achieve certain things. Sometimes it takes years to get to where you want to be, so you shouldn’t give up if something doesn't work in the beginning. At the same time, try to stay true to yourself and be authentic, because that has a big impact on everything you're doing in your life.
If you would like to find out more about Hati or follow her work, you can do so by following her on Instagram, or by checking out Einblick Fotografie.
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