She captures the essence of beauty through the lens of her camera, capturing shadow, highlight, tone, personality, atmosphere, emotion, color. She fuses the detail of her eye with rich colors, sepia-tone finishes, black & white portraits, and mixed midea art. Photographer Hannan Saleh has an amazing eye for beauty. You may recognize her work from album covers for Ursula Rucker and "Kindred: The Family Soul". Hannan takes a moment to share the beauty of her talents with us, as she shares advice on the photography industry, as well as her biggest inspirations.

ymib: When taking your photos, what is it that you look for through the camera...what key things do you compose before hitting the shutter?Hannan: When looking through the camera I try to get the subject comfortable enough to reveal the spirit of their true self. Also, I like nature to take it's course and inspire me. I really like design, style and elegance.

ymib: You speak of your visit to Yemen, and how the imagery is still with you, what images did you see or experience there that made it so impressionable?Hannan: When I was 8 my family and I went to Sana,Yemen for 3 months. This was such a memorable experience. Sana is such and old country with a rich culture and spirit. The homes and buildings were thousands of years old. The most memorable experience was with the women. They were so happy and rich in spirit admist their modest lives.

ymib: What are some of your biggest challenges that you have faced with getting started in your career, is there anything you know now that you wished you knew when you first began marketing your work?Hannan: My first biggest challange in building my business is cleaning credit. My biggest suggestion is to hesitate before taking out any major school loans or credit cards.That has to be my biggest stuggle now. Another suggestiion I have to say to young photographers is to keep on shooting and really work hard to develope your style. Just remeber no matter how expensive, this will be an investment in you. As far as marketing, do as many contest and shows as you can. This will be a way to build a name for yourself.

Hannan: Well my favorite photograph is one that evokes anemotion another is one with great shape.

ymib: What was it like to work on "Ursula Rucker" and "Kindred: The Family Soul" photo shoot / album covers...what was something new that you learned from each experience? Hannan: Working with Ursula was great. I spent the day with her and it felt as though we have been friends for years. She is an incredible artist whom I used to see at poetry slams. I did a couple inserts of her "SuperSista" album. I learned to trust my instincs on shots. I had a great time working with Kindred too. I reallylove their music and feel as though we constintly inspire each other. This was my first time working with a major label. There was so much pre production for the shoot. It was an intense shoot. Also a lot ofpeople on set. For this shoot I learned not to under estimate your time and not to bring along friends who are not as serious as you. It can jeopardize your relationship and reputation with your client.

ymib: What 3 tips would you give to someone who wants to pursue and market their photography to publishers? Hannan: My tips would be to be sure you have a series and are not too scattered with subject matter.Make sure your portfolio is not too long and not too repetative. Be persistent, enter your work in contest andcompetions. This will only spread your name and build your reputation.

ymib: Throughout your career, what has been your most memorable moment..what photos, location spots, or people that you have photographed for that matter, have made an inspirational impression on you? Hannan: My most memorable photos have been with people who gave their all when they were photographed. Models like Sophia Nadain and Ora Eldridge. Also places like Hawaii and landscapes. My biggest source of inspiration is nature. It always blows me away.

ymib: When showing a portfolio to publishers/designers/agencies, etc. what are some key factors that one should make sure that their portfolio contains or should not contain? Hannan: Portfolios should alway contain your stongest work along with a few support materials.They should not be longer than 10 or 15 pages. The pages should flow together well.

ymib: Favorite Affirmation or Inspirational Quote? Hannan: The biggest key to success is hard work, it always pays off.