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Rachel Hannah
@itsrachelhannah
Nature photographer based in the UK
From as young as I can remember I have always been creative. Painting, drawing, creating mini stories, producing videos, websites, graphics or leaflets you name it, I was always doing something. Besides, my love for animals and nature has been the number one focus since I was very little. It’s been my goal to work with animals/wildlife all of my life. But paths changed when I left school for one reason or another and I went on to gain 10 years’ experience in digital marketing. But the desire to work for wildlife never left. Realising this, I went to University part time to study wildlife conservation and I now work for a wildlife conservation charity where I am able to use my creative skills and experience to raise awareness of the amazing work they do.
"It’s incredibly rewarding to create videos and content which will help the charity in some way, bringing in vital funds to protect and preserve nature – which desperately needs saving."
So out of all the creative tools I have been using for years, you never see me without a camera today. For years I was lost and didn’t really know what I was good at, apart from loving animals of course. But 2016 was a year of real change for me. Photography changed my life and I only wish that I started picking up a camera much sooner. Some may say I am obsessed. However, my obsession has brought me great amounts of joy.
In my early 20’s I was going through a tough time mentally and my mental health was at an all-time low. I remember being sat at home watching the wildlife in my garden with a cup of tea, which I did quite regularly to ‘zone out’, and a great-spotted woodpecker flew on to the bird table – it was at that point I realised I wanted to capture these special moments.
"From there my curiosity of the natural world around me grew and I wanted to see, capture and experience more."
Now, photography is my therapy! For me personally, it’s an amazing way to escape from the hustle and bustle of life and allows you to live in the moment. If I haven’t got a holiday booked, me and my partner will head out at the weekends to explore our local National Parks. It’s good for the soul! I’m always looking for new challenges and experiences to capture in nature.
Fast forward a few years and I shoot almost everything, from detailed raindrops using my 90mm macro lens to capturing the sunrise at 4am on a ridge. Each genre has its own challenges but that is what I love about them. One day I could be out shooting a product for a brand, the next might be in the comfort of my own garden capturing a spider on a macro, I love the challenge. Of course, my love for wildlife shows in my photography: My favourite photo at the moment has got to be this portrait of a highland cow. I love the way I composed the photograph creating real depth. The highland cow is a beautiful ‘beast’ with lots of character and can be tame if you keep enough distance. I had the perfect model for me on this day amongst many others that were just grazing on the heathland.
"It was great to sit with them for a while and capture their personalities. For me that was special."
"Although whatever the genre, one thing people may notice from my photos is that I favour more moody landscape conditions."
This is my specialism and what I crave the most when planning trips. I feel moodier, atmospheric conditions are more appealing to the eye, whether you like it or not they tell more of a story. I try to capture as much mood as possible, so post processing is a lot easier. Earthy greens and subtle oranges is what I try to bring out in most of my photos and the most important thing above all is bringing the photo to life. On the subject of mood being my most favourable condition, I would always head out to the Peak District National Park. An amazing place right on my doorstep that is 80% mood, especially around the hills. However after a while, I was after something more. I’ve been to the Lake District a few times, but I was wanting something bigger, more impressive. So I booked my first trip to the Scottish Highlands.
"Wow – what a place. It was everything I dreamed of and more. The sights, the scenery, the wildlife and most importantly, the mood."
I was here for just one week, so trying to see everything was nearly impossible but I made sure I got to see as much as I could. From Loch Lomond to the Isle of Skye. The moment that was most special to me was the drive along the scenic road of Glen Etive. A road where James Bond – Skyfall was filmed, and perhaps more famously a location from the film Braveheart. Miles of peak Scottish scenery – mountains, moorland, lochs and huge skies. It might be short, but it packs in some seriously impressive views. What sealed the deal for me was the wild red deer that roamed the mountains around you, occasionally heading down to the river for a drink. You will also find them crossing over the road in front of you which inspires the perfect photo opportunity. The whole experience driving down this road was special to me, I’d never seen mountains so grand which had their very own weather systems.
"One moment the mood was strong with clouds brushing the mountain tops, the next it was glorious sunshine – incredible."
This trip to Scotland alone taught me some valuable lessons in photography, not every day had the conditions I had hoped to photograph. Most of the week was quite sunny so I had to adapt my photography eye and try different compositions to make it work. This also required a whole different editing process to match my current style and colours. I enjoyed this to be honest, it’s always good to have a challenge to learn from and from this I learnt that I can adapt myself in many conditions.
"For me, my family and my partner have been incredibly supportive of my love for photography and my development over the years."
The word I would give to describe them is patient. They’re extremely patient. As mentioned above, I take my camera with me everywhere, which means everywhere we go, and if I see a composition (which I see in almost everything) I’ll spend a few minutes taking photos. Obviously they will stay with me while I do this which can take up their time but they’re used to me now and sometimes will encourage me if they see a photo opportunity I miss! The love and support from them give me the fire to learn, develop and grow my skills every single day. If I’m ever feeling low, my partner will take me out for the day just to take photos. You need people like this in your life.
My best advice would be to never take criticism from people you wouldn’t go to for advice. I do not know what the future holds in terms of my career, not many people do. But I know for sure it involves wildlife and/or photography, whatever that may be. My motto is to Believe in yourself, Capture the moment and Inspire others.
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