HANNAH-MIA
These early milestones were merely the beginning of the world she’s creating. Now, with a portfolio that includes Internet star @goldensoleil and activist Marley Dias, she’s crafted her skillset with detail and care. “I can't do anything casually; I love making things a big production, but knowing that I have people who are going to be working with me who are taking time out of their day to come hang out with me and create something, I need to be really strategic so that they can be spontaneous.” While her photos showcase her constantly evolving creativity and confidence in her vision, she’s also molding an entire production. “It’s my responsibility to make my ideas as good as I see fit because nobody is going to be as passionate as I am,” she explains. “When I figured out that photography is not just your friends getting really good pictures for Instagram because of you, I started really putting my time and effort into it, and I needed to usurp all those titles [creative director, producer, photographer] in order to have something that was going to look professional. And I love collaborating with other people, but I’ll never ask somebody to do something that I can’t do myself.” Growing up in New York surrounded by other young artists who were willing to “jump off a bridge” to pursue their passions built up her courage and confidence.