It has been my sincerest JOY to add photographers to the HBP team! I put my full, 100% trust in Cassie and Sarah and could not be more thrilled to have them on my team!

In anticipation of a lot of questions about this new addition to our team, we’ve created this FAQ post about the associates! Please feel free to add your questions in the comments (at the bottom), and we’ll add to the list of questions as we receive them!

1. Why did you hire an associate? Why not shoot all the weddings yourself?

This year, I realized that I can’t continue shooting as many weddings as I have in the past and also expect HBP to grow to its full potential and thrive. I want to continue to serve couples really well, and also want to be able to serve more couples with the top-level service & products as I have in the past three years. I’ve had to turn a lot of couples away because I book up so quickly! There are many popular dates throughout the year in which I’ll turn down 5-6 couples (or more!), which is so sad, but for me and the disappointed couple! I decided to add another photographer to my team so that we could serve more couples AND I could continue to grow my business and really see it thrive!

2. Will the quality of work from HBP change?

NOPE! Exceptional quality – both in artistic quality & customer service – is still my top priority. When hiring an associate, I was looking for someone who not only could create beautiful photographs, but also someone who my couples would love as much as me! Character & personality are SO important, and our new associate is as passionate & enthusiastic as I am about creating an unforgettable experience!

Additionally, I choose to train my associate from scratch! Instead of hiring an already-trained photographer who would undoubtably have his/her own way of doing things, I trained our new associate in every element of wedding photography so that she would have the exact style and eye for photography as I do! This is an usual way to do things because it takes much more of an investment on my part, but it was so worth it! After over 6 months of intensive training, shadowing & shooting, I am so confident that our couples will receive HBP quality work, no matter which photographer they choose!

3. Does your new associate have a different shooting style?

Nope! It’s a top priority for our style & quality of work to be the same, no matter which photographer you work with! My associate was trained in the exact style in which I shoot, from scratch! She’s been drinking the HBP kool-aid for almost a year, and training as a photographer under me for over 6 month! Her style is 100% HBP!

4. Will your new associate be responsible for editing her own photos?

Again, the answer is no! The editing style will remain consistent across all HBP work, including editing. We use the exact same editing style across all weddings, and I (Hannah) will remain in control of all editing processes!

5. What did your associate’s training process include?

I’ve trained our new associate in every element of the wedding photography process, from the initial wedding inquiry email to delivering the finished gallery! We focused on mastery of every aspect of taking a beautiful photo – the technical workings of the camera, artistic composure, making couples feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera, and coordinating and running a wedding day, just to name a few!

After basic training, the next step was second shooting weddings. Our new associate has second shot with me all throughout 2018 and has even taken the lead at times! As final training, she acted as lead photographer at a few weddings while I second shot for her!

While she won’t be handling much of the administrative and technical side of things, she knows all the in’s and out’s of what it takes to create beautiful wedding photos and give couples an amazing experience!

6. Why does an associate cost less than working with you?

As the founder & owner of HBP, couples naturally are more inclined and trusting of the person with whom the business’ name is associated. Many couples have been referred to me by friends and family, and so there is a higher demand for working with Hannah Bjorndal than anyone else! Additionally, I will be shooting less weddings as my associate team grows and shoots more weddings, so hiring me will be more exclusive and (again, naturally) in higher demand!

With that being said, it was important to me that we are able to serve a broader audience of couples, which also means serving a wider variety of budgets! Hiring an associate will be more affordable for couples who previously could not afford to work with HBP. Because my time has become more precious (and more occupied with growing multiple areas of the business), this was the logical next step in being able to serve a diverse group of couples!

I want to reiterate that quality will not be compromised as the team grows. My priority is ensuring that every couple who works with an HBP photographer has the same, incredible experience and the most beautiful photographs from their wedding day! I am so proud of my new associate, and even more confident that she will provide the best of the best quality service!

7. What’s the best way to decide between Hannah and an associate?

There are so many reason that you may want to work with Hannah OR work with our new associate. If you’re an engaged couple trying to choose between us, I’d encourage you to view both of our portfolios and read more about us on our about page. It’s so important to connect relationally with your wedding photographer, so learning more about each of us may make you lean in one direction or the other!

Next, few our portfolios! While we shoot in the same style and all editing is done by the same person for all weddings, this will help get an idea of what our work looks like!

Finally, get in touch to see what our availability is like! You may find that just one of us is free for a date, or both! You also will have a chance to view our pricing guides and get a feel for which of us is a better fit!

8. How do I hire your associate for my wedding?

The process of inquiring and booking our new associate is the same as working with me! Simply send us a message through the contact form and indicate which photographer you’re interested in working with (associate, Hannah or open to either!). We’ll be in touch with information, and then send you appropriate instructions for booking!

9. Does your associate shoot weddings outside of HBP or for other photographers?

Nope! Our new associate is 100% a part of the HBP team. She doesn’t own a separate business or shoot for other photographers!

This was an important part of training our new associate. It was very important to me to maintain the quality and brand that HBP has established over the past several years, even as the team grows! In order to do this, it was important to hire someone who was excited about more than just shooting weddings, but to contribute to the team as a whole and be 100% dedicate to the success and growth of HBP! I’m so thrilled to have found the perfect person!

10. I’m interested in working for the HBP team, too! Are you hiring?

We’d love to hear from you! While we’re not currently hiring, we do regularly hire interns! Please get in touch with us at info@hannahbjorntes.wpengine.com to stay up to date!

If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to reach us at info@hannahbjorntes.wpengine.com!