The professional: wedding photographer extraordinaire, sassy bridal lifestyle podcaster
The human: wife, cat mom, fried potato enthusiast, giant harry potter nerd
Hi, I'm Hannah Kuznia. I'm a wedding & family photographer based in Saratoga Springs, NY... though I love to travel for a good shoot.
I really had to think back to my childhood to remember my original draw to photography. I was captivated by the way a photo can freeze a moment in time, and how it can still make you feel things years later. It's funny, sometimes I feel emotional looking at photos of people I don't even know -- maybe it's because I'm an empath, maybe it's because I'm an artist. I remember as a child I would frequently ask my parents to go through their old family photo albums with me, or through the packs and packs of photos they'd had developed from their disposable cameras (so very '90s and 00's).
My artistic photography journey starts in the dark room at Bethlehem Central High School in Delmar NY -- just south of Albany. It was in using film cameras that I learned the art of being patient, waiting for your shot, and developing your images slowly and lovingly for the best effect. I graduated with my BA in Photography from SUNY Oneonta in 2015, and shortly thereafter went on to work with local wedding photographers to learn how a wedding works from the ground up.
Watch the video below to get a closer look at the Hannah Lux Experience. As Gilderoy Lockhart once said, "I didn't learn joined up writing for nothing!" and I didn't film this clip to yell wedding day tips into the void ;)
"My mom said to me,
'You know sweetheart, one day you should settle down and marry a rich man.'
And I said,
'Mom, I am a rich man.'"
- Cher
I started in the industry as a wedding photography assistant, so I was the one keeping the timeline straight and powering through massive lists of family formals, checking to make sure the people in the photos looked perfect, and positioning people who needed it. I'm glad I started this way, because now I have a really keen sense of how to structure a photography timeline, and can wrangle wedding guests and extended family like no other. That job also entailed photo editing, so I learned to expertly cull and edit photos in such a way that they tell a story as a group. Long story short, bada-bing bada-boom, four years later and I'm out here running my own business and loving life.
What am I really in this for? I’ve asked myself this question countless times over the past five years. When I first started this company and was working a full time job during the week and filling my nights and weekends with shoots, when I was deciding whether or not to quit that job because the demand for weddings & editing had gotten so high, and I ask myself again on every drive home from every wedding where I got to make my clients’ photo dreams come true.
Here’s my most up to date answer: Someone told me recently that it's obvious by watching me while I work that I am just as moved by the wedding day as my clients (who are the ones actually getting married) are. I approach every day with a very deliberate, loving attitude because I am so incredibly happy to be there. I do this because being able to figure out what makes a couple laugh, and to immortalize their love in photos drives me. I love to play a small part in making my clients' big day absolutely flawless. There are over over 6.9 billion people on this planet - each with their own unique values, background, outlook on life, and support system. No two individuals are the same, just as no two couples are the same. Itt really makes a mark on me to get to see what all these different partnerships are like, and then to find a way to uniquely represent their love and the love of their support systems - their families and friends - on the day of. Observing and documenting the special bonds that hold people together is not just a career to me - it’s a privilege.
I count myself very lucky that I found my person already. In October 2019 I married my husband Tyler, and it was truly the most magical day of my life. It was such a fun ride being the bride, and being a newlywed is a truly amazing feeling! Part of what informs my photography is my firsthand knowledge of the desperate desire that every person feels to create beautiful, loving, carefree photographic memories with the love of their life.
During my downtime, I like to read, take walks, go out to eat (I'm a major foodie), and hang out with my fiance, family and my two cats, "the twin tabbies" Toby and Rory. I love those little orange goofballs so much. My toxic trait is brunch, I love Italian food, and I drink wine of any color.
I'm a huge fan of The Office (US), I read Harry Potter every year like a giant nerd, and I love listening to podcasts - The Moth, Radiolab, This American Life, and Potterless to name a few.
I was nominated for Saratoga Today's Best Wedding Photographer of 2019. I am a member of Saratoga Arts, and will be exhibiting my "sarasota" collection from July 3 - 28 of 2019 at the Halfmoon Public Library. I also have a special partnership with n. Fox Jewelers here in Saratoga Springs, NY where I offer their qualifying engagement couples photo sessions.
My work has been used and showcased in various publications and websites, for a variety of companies - including Food and Wine, Saratoga.com, The Times Union, The Daily Gazette, Saratoga Living, ExploreSaratoga.com, CapitalCarshare.org, ShmaltzBrewing.com, Consumer Directed Choices, Mechanicville-Stillwater-IDA.org, Univeristy at Albany Fall 2016 Business Magazine, Ciaratoga.com, and Mazzone Hospitality's 2017 Wedding Book. I have designed over 30 websites and 15 logos for local businesses, and I have developed social media and traditional marketing plans for small to mid-size businesses.
This year we won the 2020 Couple's Choice Awards from Wedding Wire - what an honor! I have also served as an Art Juror for the Talent Unlimited Judging Showcase with WSWHE BOCES for three years in a row (2018, 2019, 2020) - because I believe it is so important to encourage young people to keep making their art!
I hope you've enjoyed watching me navigate the Saratoga Springs wedding scene for the past few years. It's hard work but I've loved every second of it, and intend to keep working at my goals.
- Hannah
