Abi Coop
Melissa Richard
Kristen Ryan
Welcome New Hello Artists & Pros | April 2021
Welcome New Hello Artists & Pros | April
Heidi Beetz
Tell Us About Yourself!
I’m a mom to a 5 year old girl and a 1 year old boy. Also a family photographer currently in the San Francisco area – moved here from Chicago about 6 years ago. Canon shooter, prime lens collector, lover of color and lines. In my (very limited) free time, I like to sew, read, and be outdoors!
How Would You Describe Your Photography Style?
Optimistic, joyful, colorful and fun. My daughter is now 5 and she loves our photo adventures because it’s as much about the memories behind those images as the final image itself. It’s raining and she wants to jump in puddles? Great, I’ll edit so that it looks like she’s jumping out of my phone. She wants to paint? Ok, we’ll paint each other’s faces! So many moms out there are just concerned with “getting the shot” that they forget to let the child lead.
What Inspires You To Create?
My children are my inspiration! I want to capture their childhood joy, sibling bond, silly faces and everything in between. I also love vibrant colors and whimsy, anything that makes you smile.
What goals are you hoping to achieve as a Hello Artist?
I’d like to find a community of like-minded and talented artists who can elevate each other and maybe also make some new friends along the way! Learning to teach and mentor in a more structured environment is also one of my career goals.
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Annie Dunigan
Tell Us About Yourself!
I live in Michigan with my husband and three kids. I taught middle and high school for 10 years before taking a desk job. Photography allows me to fulfill the need to create art and challenges how I see the world around me. When I’m not shooting, I love to read (historical fiction is a favorite), attempt to cook for food shoots, garden, and get outside with my kids. While I tend to be shy, I can also be outgoing and silly when I feel comfortable. My friends all agree that I am a mom that doesn’t shy away from a mess. This hopefully comes through in my work, and my kids think I’m a “cool” mom when I let them have pillow fights or slather themselves in paint! Life is too short not to have fun!
How Would You Describe Your Photography Style?
I would describe my creative style as layered, colorful, whimsical.
What Inspires You To Create?
My children are my first inspiration and why I picked up a camera in the first place. I find inspiration in nature, and am trying to cultivate a green thumb. I also have a love for interior design that I express thru flatlays and food photography.
What goals are you hoping to achieve as a Hello Artist?
I love being a part of the Hello Storyteller community, and I would love to make deeper connections with this community as a Hello Artist. I look forward to continuing to learn from those in the community, to participate in community projects, and to share my knowledge and skills thru my artwork.
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Jill McMillan
What goals are you hoping to achieve as Hello Pro?
I have a passion for helping other people be able to create magical memories through photography. Ultimately, my goal is to teach courses and mentor in the Hello Storyteller community by bringing my own unique skill set to the table, as well as learning from the other mentors and Hello Pros. Learning is never ending, and I’m excited to continue tapping into the knowledge and expertise of my peers.
In what ways are you involved in the Hello Storyteller community?
I try to take part in as many projects as I can with my fellow Hello Creatives, and to be active in the Facebook group. I find Facebook is a little more personal than Instagram, so I tend to stick there a little more when it comes to interacting with other members of the community. I have also started a monthly project with the creative family, as well as a weekly clubhouse chat alongside 3 other creatives where we chat about all things related to successfully photographing our children. I am also a Moderator for the Hello Pro Creatives Instagram Hub.
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Stephanie Schweitzer
What goals are you hoping to achieve as Hello Pro?
I am a life-long learner, and my dream is to share that love of learning with fellow photographers. This would be a two-fold goal: always continue learning and growing and teach others the skills I acquire as I learn and grow. One of my favorite things ever is when I can look back on an experience and see where it could have been made easier, and then make that experience easier for those who are following in my footsteps. I hope teaching can allow me to do just that. Another goal of mine is to become an encouraging and uplifting voice in the photography community. I’ve had many great photographers cheer me on along the way, and I’d love to use the Hello Storyteller platform to do the same for others. Another goal is to create community projects that get members of the Hello Storyteller community working together. I’ll elaborate more below on how I’ve been fostering community interaction recently. Finally, one last goal is to encourage others to have a healthy relationship with social media use. This would mean using my platform to host conversations about Instagram, Facebook, and clubhouse, and how they can be used as helpful tools without letting them tear us down. It’s all about the boundaries!
In what ways are you involved in the Hello Storyteller community?
I try to be consistently supportive in the community through various social media platforms. I also have participated in every Hello Creative monthly project since joining, including the traveling project, the monthly themed project, and the color project. I have helped Angie start a new series on the Hello Storyteller Instagram stories called Saturday Lovin’, in which we ask for members of the community to send us story responses for a chance to have a photo featured in the stories. We feature the first 50 to respond. This has been a great way for me to see and love on more work in the community! I’m involved in the Hello Storyteller engagement pod, and another engagement pod that formed within the Hello Storyteller Facebook group. I regularly participate and help with the Hello Storyteller Clubhouse Chats and am a Moderator for the Hello Pro Creatives Instagram Hub. I run a Uniquely Unfocused Instagram loop that was formed from the HS Facebook group, in which we embrace creative blur in our storyteller. And recently, I’ve created a collaborative diptych loop, in which the members work together to create shared diptychs. It’s been an amazing collaborative project. I’m also involved in many other loops that either formed within the Hello Storyteller Facebook group and/or include many members of the Hello Storyteller community. It’s been such a joy to be a part of this community and I look forward to more projects and more connections with community members in the future!
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Molly Carstater
What goals are you hoping to achieve as Hello Pro?
I would love to join the Mentor program and also teach classes. I am very much an introvert and feel that working one on one with someone as a Mentor is right up my alley.
In what ways are you involved in the Hello Storyteller community?
I am active in the Artist prep group and will be part of the moderator team for the new Hello Creative Instagram hub. II do also try to post in the HS FB group when I have time, and I am a member of the Instagram Engagement group. I also participate in the monthly themes when applicable; some aren’t as relevant to my nature genre.
Social Media Links
