Meet Barbee Hauzinger | Photographer + Drone Pilot

We had the good fortune of connecting with Barbee Hauzinger and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Barbee, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
For me, starting my own business was about being in control of the life I wanted for myself. I had been working in a commercial studio for 2 years, but it was a toxic environment. I decided to harness and zone in on photography skills during my time there, built up a portfolio, and then to go out and start making money for myself.

I also wanted a way to be more integrated into my community and to help my community thrive through photography. Photography has allowed me to work within my community and to help other small businesses grow. It’s also a joy to create valuable relationships with my clients and watch them grow over the years.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The story of my path in photography is not lot a lot of others. I never grew up with a camera in my hand or wishing art class could come sooner. I was always the math wizard, the athlete, and actually dreaded going to art class. Music and college were my two creative outlets (and like photography didn’t involve me drawing or painting which is not my forte). It wasn’t until college when I decided to make the switch from majoring in mathematics to photography, which is kind of the ground zero of my photography education. I had never even stepped foot in a darkroom, but had become attached to both disposable camera and my simple point and shoot camera. I loved the way that photography gave me a way to document life, to really focus on a person or object, and to actually slow down time. I also loved the way that my art professors encourages us to “just play around” until we found our voice and what we liked. My previous career choice in math was not so playful or fun, so I made the decision to pursue photography.

After graduating with a degree in Art Photography, I realized that I had no business experience whatsoever, and that in order to sell my services + art I would have to be savvy in business. I was lucky enough to receive a grant for a women’s’ small business start up through a local organization called Mercy Connections. There, I and around 12 other women spent the semester learning about marketing, operations, and finances. It has since become an amazing support system and we still talk and support each other to this day.

I think the biggest challenges but also rewards in being a business owner and artist are the constant and forever lessons I will learn from doing the wrong thing or perhaps not being prepared when I thought I was. I’ve learned to use impeccably clarity when talking with a client, even if what I’m explaining seems obvious. I’ve learned to have an airtight legal contract + agreements with all of my clients. I’ve learned to set up and respect my own boundaries when it comes to clients, and not being afraid to enforce these boundaries. I have learned a lot of this the hard way, but in the end I think a lot of people do and we are stronger for it. As long as we keep learning and moving forward, no lesson is a bad lesson.

I think what I’ve learned in being a business owner is to be authentic to yourself and unapologetically you. So many people go around trying to copy or emulate others and sell themselves that way, but it will never work. Take that inspiration and twist it up using your own unique talents and views of the world. I think that constant learning + experimentation is crucial in continuing to find your genuine voice and it keeps you on your toes. I’ve learned to not let rejection get the better of me, and that these are opportunities to grow. I’ve also leaned into the “collaboration over competition” motto in my community, and it’s been invaluable. We had a strong referral network and are constantly building each other up instead of trying to get ahead or tear it all down.

Owl’s Iris Photography is vibrant, colorful, and is about leaning into life fully + unapologetically. It’s about not taking life too seriously and having fun when you can, because we all know that life can be hard + unfair. It’s about taking the time to slow down, to pause, feel yoru breath in your lungs, the wind on your face, how your feet feel standing on the ground. It’s about truly being in the moment and being present enough to be there.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would love to give a shout out to Mercy Connections and the Women’s Small Business Start Up Program of which I am a graduate. The are an invaluable resource in Vermont, and have helped countless women in so many ways get to where they are. I owe a lot to their program + mentorship + overwhelming support.

Website: www.owlsirisphotography.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/owlsirisphoto/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbee-hauzinger-b73a8311/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/owlsirisphoto