Women We Love: Andrea Hubbell

Andrea Hubbell always wanted to be a professional photographer, but pursued architecture in college because she “never thought I could actually make a living at it.” She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida and her Master’s of Architecture from the University of Virginia.

She loved her education “until I realized that working as an architect is not the same as being an architecture student,” she says. “You’re creative for a very small amount of your time, and the rest of your working life is spent on tasks I really wasn’t fond of.”

That was the moment she decided to take her love of photography and turn it into a business—launching Andrea Hubbell Photography.

“After a few years of feeling unsatisfied, I finally realized that a change needed to be made and that this was the best possible time for me to go out on a limb and start my photography company…before we had kids and life got even more complicated,” Hubbell says. “Luckily I had the full support of my husband, Brian, to give me the courage and strength needed to take such a risk. I’ve never looked back ... it was the best decision we’ve ever made.”

She loves that each day is different. “Some days I am out in the field photographing a fabulous interior for an architect, others I am home in my kitchen preparing and styling a recipe for Bella Eats, or an editorial,” she says. “I have the opportunity to meet and photograph weddings for really fun and interesting couples. I’ve been sent to a farm to photograph ducks and to West Virginia to photograph a renovated inn. The days that I am behind my camera are my favorites, but I also enjoy a quiet day of editing, which is how at least 50 percent of my time is spent.”

For the first year of her business, Hubbell worked from her home. It was sometimes difficult to turn off the computer, put down the work and spend time with her husband and her dogs, Hank and Lucy, and cat, Mia.

“This year I am going to be renting office space and I am so excited to have more separation between home and work,” Hubbell says. “I think that having an office separate from my home will help [her find balance] a great deal [more]. That and managing my time more efficiently so that I really do have space for working out, cooking with my husband and hiking with my pups … three activities I’m prioritizing in 2012.”

Her most rewarding professional experience is telling the stories of subjects that cannot speak. “Capturing the essence of a place or the taste of a dish in still photographs is challenging,“ she says. “Some of my favorite interior shoots have been spaces that, at first glance, don’t seem that special or are a completely different aesthetic from my own. But with time spent inhabiting that place little details about the lives lived there pop out and scream to be captured and it is those smaller elements that begin to tell the story. The most rewarding compliments I’ve received are from viewers who tell me they felt as if they were there, or could sink a fork into a dish on their computer screen.“

Hubbell says the best advice she heard—and probably from nearly everyone in her life—is to just say no. “Learning to say no to photography projects that aren’t the right fit was hard, especially in the beginning when I wanted to take everything that came across my plate so that I could pay the bills,” she says. “But, saying no to the wrong projects leaves space and energy available for the right projects that will follow.”

Hubbell offers the following advice for any woman thinking of entering photography: “Practice.”

“There isn’t a magic trick or camera out there that photographers are keeping secret from you, I promise! It has taken years for my photographs to look like they do, and they are constantly evolving. Keep looking, questioning, and shooting…it is the only way to develop your eye and your point of view.“

7 Things You Might Not Know About Andrea Hubbell …

1. Who is your favorite author and why? J.K. Rowling. And not just because I love the “Harry Potter” books, but because I am incredibly inspired by her story and what she has created. She dreamed up an entire other world with such detail and craft … I would love to have a mind like hers.

2.  What is your favorite thing about Charlottesville? The food! This community is so supportive of local farmers and chefs. There are so many food stories out there just waiting to be told.

3.  What is your favorite hobby/pastime? I love to read. I am so excited by a long day of travel by plane or car, because I know I will have hours of uninterrupted time to immerse myself in a story.

4.  What is one of your hidden talents/skills? I make a mean grilled ham and cheese sandwich.

5.  What is your guilty pleasure? I love Cheez-its. There, I said it.

6.  Where did you grow up? Titusville, Fla. The Space Coast.

7.  What is the greatest invention of your lifetime and why? The iPhone. It has changed the way we live and work. It has put the latest news at our fingertips. It has made it possible for a grandmother in Florida to see her granddaughter in Virginia daily. We never knew we needed it, but would be lost now without it.

You can see more of Hubbells work on her photography blog at http://www.andreahubbell.com/blog.