From a small spark to a growing flame.

Staring all the way back in 2009, what was once a small hobby to pass the time, grew into a passion, which through years of dedication and commitment has blossomed into a self owned photography business right here in Columbia, SC and the greater midlands area.

Owner and Founder HannahRenee started taking photos of nature and wildlife on a fifty dollar Walmart camera through late middle school and early high school. After saving enough money for better equipment, she dedicated her free time in her early twenties to capturing local scenery and daily life. After gaining confidence and knowledge, she began taking her camera with her to local gatherings, beach trips, visits to the lake, mountain adventures, and family holidays. Finding local parks, rivers, and nature trails to continue in her efforts to practice, and feed into her ever growing new interest that she had begun to fall deeply in love with.

Over the next few years, she eventually started gaining a personal reputation with friends and those alike as “the girl who always documents the moments”. She began to be locally known for being particularly gifted at capturing candid shots, and emerging with the majority of the pictures and memories from any and all gatherings she was a part of and attended. From weddings, birthdays, graduations, kickbacks, festivals, and even USC tailgates. She used this to her advantage and stayed steady in her pace, continuing full speed ahead.

By 2015 she would begin to expand and add Lifestyle, Macro, Documentary, and B&W photography to her already impressive skill set.

As the year 2018 approached her personal private portfolio contained a volume of over 10,000 photos and continued to grow.

By 2020 COVID had hit, and finding ways to not let her momentum wither while we all faced a national lock down, HannahRenee would turn to the other but equally important side of the craft and dive head first into researching, learning about equipment, studying different styles of film, experimenting with editing, taking online classes, and finding other artist and photographers to follow and gain inspiration from. Which include but are not limited to: Gertrude Kasebier, Dorothea Lange, Imogene Cunningham, Helen Levitt, Lee Miller, Annie Leibovitz, Frans Lanting, Joel Sartore, Brian Skerry, Paul Nicklen, Ami Vitale, Crisina Mittermeier, and Marina Cano. Through the discovery of not only world renowned photographers who’s fields and success matched her own personal interest and ever proving natural talents, to women who held titles such as “The First” or “Leading”, to those who had traveled the world and captured images of places beyond her current reach, she was for lack of better word - inspired, and yet again, the passion grew.

This catapulted her into new territory with fresh new eyes and insight, that would eventually spark the biggest question of her current path and cause the beginning ripple of the chapter soon to come - “What would happen if faith took a leap, and a passion turned into a purpose?”

But, roadblocks as with many things in life, happen often and without warning, and we must take them as they come. After some unexpected major life changes, including the pregnancy and birth of her son, HannahRenee would once again find herself at a cross roads - give up, or find a way around it?

With ideas of expanding her skill set beyond Still Life and Nature Photography already in progress, she decided to use her newest change in life to do so. Taking on yet another style of film, and arguably one of the most challenging - people. And even beyond that, New Born and Infant Photography. Within just a few short years, her son became not only her cutest, but most fun model, helping her hone yet another skill to add to the consistently growing resume.

It is now 2025, and after 4 years of more hard work and extreme focus, she has built a client base, profits, and a local name. She has ventured into and also successfully added Portrait, Abstract, Event, Pet, New Born, Maternity, Commercial, Street, and Family photography. Providing Blue Hiraeth with the well roundness it needs and that our clients deserve.

Through this fifteen year journey, with no plans on stopping, HannahRenee has proved fearlessly and humbly to the point that slow and steady does indeed win the race, and it does not matter how long it takes to reach a goal or a dream, as long as we don’t stop reaching.

She has continued to climb new heights, reach new levels of experience, gain more insight, and overcome the challenges as she navigates through the very competitive and complex world that is photography. She has carefully and thoughtfully crafted and tailored her art and skills to fit the needs of every day people and families. Offering many different styles of photography and genres of film to provide unique experiences for each individual client and their personal needs.

The journey has only just begun