photographer feature: hannah laamoumi

Name
Hannah Laamoumi
Tumblr | Instagram: @hanlaam

Age 19

Location Houston, TX, USA

Who or what sparked your interest in photography? I got my first point and shoot camera in 8th grade to take pictures of myself and my friends as the year ended and I love it to pieces. Literally. I wore it out! I also quickly outgrew the features on the tiny camera - I didn't have full control over technical aspects like aperture and shutter speed. I later upgraded to a cheap SLR and I still use it. I love the sound it makes. Cliché, but, I love how I can literally capture a moment forever.

Who are some of your favorite photographers? (Please provide links to their website/Flickr/blog) Tamara Lichtenstein - I admire the fact that she uses film to capture the feminine form so elegantly. Her work is innocently intimate without being overtly showy. Ann He - I absolutely adore the concepts she comes up with and her use of lighting and color is amazing.

Do you have any formal education in photography or are you self taught? I did take photography in high school for 2 years. But I never photographed "fashion" or portraits during that time. I came out with a working knowledge of space and form (2D Design). I also did a lot in the darkroom with black and white photography which is why I still try to keep film in my bag.

Is photography your career? Nope. I just do it for fun and for the wonderful people I meet.

Are you currently working on any photography projects? I've been working on a series with my sister called "through her eyes." It's more location based. That's all I'll say about it until I release it.

If you won a $400 million lottery how would you use it? I would plan a trip around the world with my awesome sister. Oh, and I would update my camera gear as well.

What is your favorite thing to photograph and why? Faces! The expressions. The feeling. The lighting playing with their features. People are so much more interesting to photograph than inanimate objects.

Where do you find and how do you instruct your models? I started off just taking pictures of my sister and my friends. I now use model mayhem. More recently I have found contacts through other models and people that I meet. Also, I don't really instruct models. If I have an idea of what I want a photograph to be like in my head then I will jump in and model it myself to show what I want. But a lot of times the model will just know what to do.

Do you listen to music while you shoot? If so, what is on your photo shoot play list? I've ben meaning to! I'd surely get some shots with more feeling that way! It really depends on the location; I'm planning a shoot inspired by Virginia Woofle and we'll probably be listening to some old tunes. Alot of Florence + the Machine, Ben Howard, Alt-J - all relatively tame and soft, still with a beat.

What kind of camera(s) do you use? What is your "go to" lens? Do you have a preferred brand/type of film? I shoot with a Canon Rebel XS for digital and a Canon A2e for film. I purposefully have two Canon bodies to use with a Canon 50mm f/1.4; I pretty much only shoot with that lens.

What do you do when you are feeling uninspired? I hop in the car, put my laptop in my bag, and go to the library. I thumb through interior design books, fashion books, cookbooks. I like scrolling through blogs too. If you can't find something inspiring in the thousands of books there, then you have a problem.

Future photography goals? I'd like to be able to shoot with as many people as I can. I've shot with some amazing people and I can't wait to meet even more inspiring people along the way. I don't want to be a professional photographer. I feel like making photography a job will make it into a chore and I like my photography to be an escape for me.

Describe a day in your life that includes photography: I've only shot with a team a couple of times. I'll set a date and location and meet up with the models at the location. They usually bring along a few changes of clothes. We'll shoot and walk around exploring. Usually the location is new to me. I feel like with a place I don't know, everything feels more interesting. We'll chat and shoot a bit more. Afterwards we'll say our goodbyes and often plan on shooting again.

What does your work flow consist of? Well, post-shoot, If I shoot digital, then I'll upload all my photos on my laptop then begin sifting through them. Some might be out of focus, or an expression isn't right. The ones that I pick to edit usually just stand out. Then I'll play around with them in photoshop (just editing colors and curves). With film, I have them processed at the drugstore and I scan them myself. I just clean up the dust and scratches and that's pretty much it for my film photographs.

Three interesting facts about yourself? I am half Moroccan. I play piano, guitar, and ukulele. I was taught traditionally in piano before I picked up the other two. I am currently challenging myself to read 50 books this year.

What, if anything, do you do to promote your photography? Approximately how much time do you spend per day/week on promoting your photography online?
I'll post a few pictures on facebook and instagram to share with people I know. I keep a tumblr as my portfolio and I have a few followers who will reblog. Sometimes if I feel a series is strong enough, I'll submit it to a few online magazines. It really varies on how much I've shot.