Edge Forum

Hannah Taylor started a photography degree having only had a few evening classes in the subject, and despite being told on the first day of her course that “out of 57 of you doing this course, only 5 of you will be photographers in 5 years time”, Hannah beat the odds and has made it her career. She believes that for young people, the most important thing is to “Follow your passions. And if you can combine  what you love with working hard you’ve got the best ingredients”.

We got Samia, another of our role models, who works with Hannah to interview her, because as Samia said to her: “If I didn’t meet you when I was 17 I don’t think I’d be doing photography.”

Tell us about your education.

I went to an all girls’ grammar school in Kent which had a good reputation but was conventional educationally, and the head teacher’s emphasis was on excellence in science. In that respect it was  great in challenging gender stereotypes and nurtured high achieving, professional women. On the other hand it was a traditional, conventional education; I wasn’t interested in science, which is ironic now because my photography practice is very science based. So I left there to go to a sixth form when I was 16 to do media studies, art and psychology because they weren’t on offer at the school I was at.

I got my first Pentax camera when I was 17, but I didn’t know how to use it manually, so I enrolled in a evening class. I had already signed up to go to Hull University to do Gender Studies and Sociology, but I kept it on hold for 3 years – I kept ringing them and saying “I’ll come next year!” But I didn’t. I knew higher education was something I wanted to do and it was expected of me in a way. I guess my parents would have preferred me to stay at my school, but I was very headstrong and followed my own path. I think they knew that I didn’t feel like I fitted in at school, and because I went on to do subjects that I couldn’t have done there, they understood.

Did you have any support during those 3 years off?

When I initially considered doing photography, a friend gave me a contact to find out more about it. When you’re starting out it’s hard to know where to begin, so it’s important to talk to people who can give you sound advice. In creative fields there is no set path, so you need as much information as you can get to make the decisions that are right for you. You’ll find just as many successful photographers who are self-taught, as you do who have a degree.

I remember talking to my father, who is a level-headed, cautious man, he said “I’m not saying you shouldn’t do it, but weigh up how likely you are to make it in photography. It’s a cutthroat industry”. I listened, but I know he isn’t the risk taker that I am - one of his core phrases through my life has been: “it’s all about minimising the risks”!

My mum’s always been on the other side of me saying “you can do whatever you want to do” and that’s the confidence I grew up with. Now, I think I am a combination of both my parents. I hope I’m measured, that’s important in business but I do take risks – to be creative, you have to be able to.

But it is a tough industry. On the first day of my course we sat down with 57 people in the year.  The head of photography said “of the 57 of you, only 5 of you will be photographers in 5 years time”

Samia: They told us that! They said 15% of students become photographers.

He was right – I’ve stayed in touch with other people on my course there are only a handful of us working as photographers. Others work as picture editors, in photo libraries,  and a few have set up a charity for social photography projects. They use the camera as a medium to empower young people to tell their story. It’s a new slant emerging in documentary photography – engaging people to tell their own story instead of a documentary photographer going in delivering it through their eyes.

Have you ever had a low point/challenge that made you doubt what you’re doing?

All the time. It’s not just a job, it’s who you are. You eat, sleep and breathe it. At uni we put a ban on talking about photography after 9pm because otherwise we’d never get any down time! We started to lose perspective and it’s good to have time out. As with life, there are highs and lows – it’s learning how to adapt to those times that will see you through.

Low times are when you’re struggling, the phone’s not ringing and it’s a test to stay motivated. For me it’s seasonal – in December or January I don’t tend to work because my clients have spent their budgets and close down their own businesses. Initially in my career I didn’t know that was going to happen so it was  tough. I thought “I’m never gonna work again” and it’s a constant process of learning how to adapt to that. It’s very important to be around other creatives who are going through the same thing, because they understand.

What does success mean to you?

Balance – it’s such a simple thing, and everyone knows what it means, but it’s not an easy thing to attain. My commercial commissions fund my creative projects and it’s high up on my list to make time for people. Living in London I see how little time some people have for the things they love. I value being my own boss because it’s allowed me to create the space to be around for my friends and family. I love not working a 9-5 job -  there’s nothing better than going swimming with my godson or  going to a gallery in the middle of a week day. Shooting commercial jobs 5 days a week may please the bank manager but it wouldn’t make me happy.

What advice would you give to young people who are deciding what to do with their lives?

Follow your passions. And if you can combine what you love with working you’ve got the best ingredients. However unconventional that life is going to be, I would encourage people to follow their heart. You may not end up quite where you thought, but you will find something much bigger along the way than if you’d chosen the safer, conventional path.

If you could change education what would you change?

I’d like to see education being more open and creative in its approach– like this project, young people getting to meet professionals and talk to them about wide ranging careers – education should be a time to find out about new and exciting things.

What’s your ambition now?

When the recession hit at the beginning of the year, I thought “I’m not gonna sit around waiting for the phone to ring”, so I joined a Regeneration Company as a freelancer. I’m working with young offenders facilitating food growing projects, which I love. It’s added a lot of value back into my life and it’s had a domino effect, the more you do, the more comes to you. I’ve reconnected with photography and had a really busy commercial and creative summer. I’m now collaborating on a short film with a bunch of lighting designers to encourage better architectural lighting in the city.

I’m connected with so many good things right now (including this project), I love that I do something different almost every day –and I’m just going to see where it all takes me..