Today we’d like to introduce you to Hana Schuman.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Equipped for the Calling: How a Leap of Faith Shaped My Creative Journey
My name is Hana Kaelynn, and I am a professional photographer based in a small, beautiful town in North Carolina, where I specialize in capturing the joy of weddings and the milestones of senior portraits. If you had told me five years ago that this would be my life, I wouldn’t have believed you. To put it simply: this was never my original career plan.
In 2019, I graduated high school with a deep passion for maternal health and dreams of becoming a midwife. Before diving into college, I wanted to take a gap year to serve. I packed my bags and traveled to Perth, Australia, to attend YWAM (Youth With A Mission). While there, I began studying for my associate degree in Mother and Child Health. I was completely on track for the future I had envisioned—until COVID-19 abruptly brought the world, and my studies, to a halt.
Suddenly, I was forced to return to my small hometown. I found myself at an unexpected standstill, without school, a job, or a clear path forward.
—
**The Prayer in the Quiet**
In that season of uncertainty, I did the only thing I knew how to do: I began to pray and ask God what He wanted me to do next. Instantly, a quiet voice in my heart said, *“photography.”*
To be honest, it felt like a wild suggestion. I didn’t own a camera, and I had barely ever taken a picture. But I chose to step out in faith. I opened my notebook and wrote down a very specific prayer:
*“God, if you want me to pursue photography, you will provide me with a camera—and this is the exact model I would like.”*
Not even a week later, my phone rang. It was a friend from Michigan. They said, *“I’m not entirely sure why, but I feel like God is telling me to give you this camera.”*
It was the exact model I had written in my notebook.
**Five Years of Faith and Grace**
In that miraculous moment, God answered my prayer and made my next steps incredibly clear. I took that camera, learned everything I could, and threw myself into this new calling.
Flash forward to today: I have been completely, happily self-employed for five years. I get to spend my days capturing the raw, emotional magic of couples saying “I do” and celebrating the bright futures of graduating seniors.
If my journey has taught me anything, it is this: **Whatever God calls you to do, He is going to equip you for it.** You do not need to have all the answers, and you do not need to have all the tools upfront. All you have to do is trust Him, have faith, and let Him handle the rest.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There has been few months where business might’ve been slow but that comes with the territory of seasons in the photography world but God has been faithful to pull through every time.
Just like I said before that Mother and Babies have been my passion from day one.
I was in the middle of my slow season of photography and got a job offer from the hospital to be their newborn photographer. This job would be the supplement I was needing in the off season but also be fulfilling that call I had to mothers and babies. Plus it included my camera from God!!
God has been so faithful and I’ve received such favor from Him .
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Q: What sets you and your business apart from others in the photography industry?
What truly sets my business apart isn’t just the gear I use or the style of my editing—it is my relationship with Jesus and my decision to let Him run every aspect of this business. My ultimate goal is to honor and obey Him in my day-to-day operations and in every major business decision I make.
There is a beautiful, liberating power in surrendering our own human ideas and plans, and instead letting God rewrite them. Honestly, submitting your business to Him is the absolute best thing you could ever do for yourself and your career. Because of this foundation, my work has become so much more than a job; it’s a ministry. I’ve had the incredible privilege of working with so many amazing clients, using the talent He gave me to not only bless them with beautiful images, but to pray over them, stand in their corner, and encourage them into a deeper, greater faith.
What’s next?
Whatever God wants to do!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hanakaelynnphotography.squarespace.com
- Instagram: Hanakaelynnphoto
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066950234947
