How I Got Here: Newborn and family photographer Hannah
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Admit it, we’ve all been there – stalking social media and LinkedIn profiles, trying desperately to figure out how the hell someone got their dream job.
It seems impossible, and yet there they are, living out your career fantasy (minus the itchy business suit). It might seem hard to believe, but once upon a time, they were also fantasising about their future career, and with some hard work, they made it.
Welcome to How I Got Here, HerCanberra’s series that reveals everything you want to know about the secrets of career success.
This week, we chat with Hannah, the founder and face behind Little Wing Images. Combining her work as a newborn and family photographer with her background as a qualified social worker, Hannah takes a gentle, trauma-informed approach to capturing local families. Her core message? Photography doesn’t need to be performative – your family is worth documenting just as you are.
Existential crisis time: Who are you and what do you do?
I’m a newborn and family photographer and owner of Little Wing Images. I’m also trained as a social worker – and I bring these two things together by running my photography business in a trauma-informed way.
Working in a trauma-informed way means creating safety – including emotional safety. It begins with my initial communications with clients and my marketing, and continues through to delivering the final gallery. It means I’m careful not to pressure clients to prepare in particular ways or turn up a certain way. During a session, it means I am always giving options, not instructions – so clients always have a sense of control. And it means affirming the strengths that I see in families. I’m a mum of three myself, and I have experienced the vulnerability of the postpartum period: how it often comes with difficulties you didn’t plan for, it can come with mental health challenges, and it is never what you expect it to be.
You don’t need to have been through a “Big-T” trauma to benefit from trauma-informed practice. We can all benefit from some extra kindness and softness, but these things are particularly important at vulnerable times – like when we’ve just had a baby and are experiencing all that comes with the early postpartum time.
Let’s go back to when you were a kid, have you always dreamed of working in this industry?
Not at all! This photography business was a big surprise for me! But it brings together two things that have been with me since I was a kid – creativity and a love of showing care to people who need that.
Tell us about when you were first starting out, what set a fire in your belly to get here and how did you do it?
I began my business out of a love of photography. As a hobbyist, I loved photographing my own babies as they grew; I photographed families of friends, then offered my services to strangers for free – and it kind of just grew organically from there. I brought a trauma-informed approach because that’s my training! But I began to realise it was a bit unique in the industry, and my clients were very vocal about appreciating the approach I brought to my work.
Recall a time when you wanted to chuck it all in; what did you tell yourself when it got too hard?
On a personal level, these last couple of years have been the hardest of my life, with many very difficult things happening. I’ve been building the business at the same time, and there have definitely been times it’s felt like too much! But it’s also a wonderful feeling to be building my own business and bringing something positive to the world in the midst of it all. It’s helped me to focus on the bigger picture, and my family’s future, in the midst of the struggles. And working with beautiful families each week is really nourishing for me.
What was your biggest break?
I haven’t had a big break in building my business. It’s been a case study in small things consistently – I think of it like a drip on a stone. Most of my time is spent caring for my kids (including a very energetic two-year-old!) and I’ve worked on my business through nap times, evenings, and weekends. It seems to me that “small things, consistently” is how we do all the most important things in life – fitness, relationships, raising kids, achieving goals. Things rarely happen all at once in a rush, but we can look back to see how much we did, one small drip at a time!
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
A friend told me that our bodies know best who we are safe with and that’s been life-changing for me. It’s worth paying attention to how you feel when you’re with someone; your nervous system will show you where you are safe, fed, and valued. We train ourselves not to pay attention to those body cues, but they’re actually crucial!
What is it about your industry that you love and what makes you want to pull your hair out?
I think newborn and family photography can often feel performative, and that can be a barrier for people. Photographers often market to clients a vision of perfection – it’s often highly staged and not really reflective of the day-to-day life of the family. There’s a place for that, of course – ome people love this style of photography! But I also think a lot of people look at this marketing and feel… well, inadequate. They can’t see themselves reflected in the marketing images.
My message to clients is: you are enough, you are doing it right. Your life doesn’t have to be perfect, or look like what you see on socials – it’s authentic and real and messy and chaotic, and beautiful – and worth remembering. I try to normalise this imperfect experience of family life in everything I do in the business.
I bring gentle compassion to mums in particular. I affirm how much work it is to care for a bubba, especially when there are unexpected things like feeding challenges, unplanned caesarean sections, birth trauma, NICU stays, and reflect to them the beauty and strength and incredible love I see in their care for their bubbas.
I love being able to reflect back to them that beauty, not just through my words, but also in the beautiful images I can deliver in their galleries – the smile mama has just for her bubba. Breastfeeding photos for a mama and bubba who have worked hard to get there. Gentle, attuned soothing of an unsettled bubba. Sometimes some tears – because postpartum is raw and real.
I love what I do, and I see it as a privilege to step into that newborn bubble with families. And I am always mindful to tread gently and bring kindness to what is a vulnerable time for every family, regardless of the unique story they bring.
Tell us how you ‘stay in the know’, what media do you consume?
I actually don’t follow too many photography creators online, just a select few. I think there’s a balance between being in touch enough to help spark your own creativity and ingenuity – to keep your work fresh and interesting and creatively fulfilling – and getting bogged down in comparison. So I follow Insta accounts which I find inspiring and interesting and connect with emotionally, but I don’t spend very much time on Insta.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
My ambitions are simple but important. I want a sustainable, life-giving business which contributes positively to the world, and helps me to provide safety and joy for my family.
Why should people follow in your footsteps?
I wish we, as a society, were more trauma-informed and just… human-friendly. I think of how much better off we’d all be if we all put in the effort to do everything with a degree more kindness and compassion for each other. Everyone comes with a backstory, and we never know what people are dealing with. We can all thrive as humans by making space for each other, bringing a bit more softness to our interactions.
What advice would you give your past self?
I’ve missed many opportunities in life because I haven’t backed myself and have devalued my contribution. It seems to be a common experience for women! It’s taken me this long to start to back myself, and I do wish I had learned this lesson earlier.
