Interview with Hansel & Sonia, HSLoveStories

Friends and partners, Hansel and Sonia, photographers from Gran Canaria, shared with us a bit about their life, growth, photography, and philosophy. While browsing through their website, (which is built with our design kit Onyx), we felt so much Love and Positive vibes, that it was hard to stop at only 9 questions, we wanted to know much more about HSLoveStories and their process of creating such beautiful, deep work. So, take a break, make a cup of sweet tea, enjoy our interview with Hansel and Sonia and get inspired.

1. You and Sonia are two great photographers who create photos filled with warmth, love and sincerity. Exploring each of your series of shootings, the time seems to slow down. Needless to say we enjoyed viewing your portfolio. Through your work you share the story of each couple, their feelings and their relationship. Tell us your story. How did you and Sonia meet each other, and how did you come to the idea of creating the brand HSLoveStories?

We met at the art school when we were very young, here in Las Palmas. Both shared our passion for cinema, arts, photography, so we decided to start an adventure together...After finishing his studies Hansel used to work for a wedding photography studio, but he wanted to create his own brand, a more personal and representative one. Inspired by the idea of catching the most important moments of people's life, always with a cinematographic touch (the colors, the light, the angles...) he had the urge of starting a company as soon as possible, and asked Sonia to join him. Hansel is now the photographer and Sonia the videographer, being together such a great team. 

2. Spain and Gran Canaria is your home. What is remarkable about the island and how does it influence your photography?

The light, which is warm and strong. The weather, because you can have all kinds of climate around the island and different atmospheres, cloudy in the interior, very sunny in the south... Being surrounded by the sea, with the influence of the winds that give you a great movement in the pictures. Gran Canaria being a small place makes us rethink of places and rediscover them constantly. 

3. You have made your profession your greatest passion and have devoted yourself completely to it because it makes you happy. Tell us what the word "happiness" means to you both and how it relates to photography.

Having the opportunity of being in people's most important moments makes us be in the middle of other's happiness. But what is happiness for us? We are not able to express what this word means to us, we see the happiness in the looks, the gestures, the complicity between the couples, and their beloved ones. But also, happiness for us is the satisfaction of doing great pictures that keep all these special instants in them.

4. We love your logo, which totally represents your brand voice and shows the attitude to your work. What is the story behind it? 

We love our logo! The mountains and the forest that you can see are our comfort zone, where we really feel ourselves. We also like the aesthetics from the 20's, that's why we have a couple from those years, we also pick a handmade drawing by Cristina Diaz from Hollymabuba, making the design more unique and personal. 

5. Can you tell us about the image below? What’s its story?

This was one of Hansel's most important shoots, and one of the most beautiful, they are Susann and Yanik, photographers from PaulliebtPaula and Hansel met them at the Rural Workshop 2017. Their personality and photography style were the reasons Hansel went to the workshop. There he had the privilege of meeting them, and in a very shy way, and that's not common for Hansel, he asked them for a photoshoot. Being with them in a more intimate way, allowed Hansel to discover a more private side of this amazing couple. The photoshoot was very warm and personal, and they ended being very grateful about it, which made Hansel absolutely happy!

6. Watching your galleries on the website, we noticed that you are attaching one song to each series of photos. How does music affect your work? Share your favorite playlist. 

We don't have a playlist but after meeting the couples during the photoshoots, we pick songs that help to tell their stories. 

7.  Tell us about your post-production style. How much time do you spend in Lightroom, working on series of images? What mood & colors you are most drawn to? 

We have a cat that works for us pushing some keywords, hahaha! No, seriously, editing became very mechanical and intuitive. Usually, Hansel tries to do the best shots during the sessions, so then he needs to spend less time editing, it depends on the difficulties he had during the photoshoot, his mood and the original results.

8. Where do you see HSLoveStories in 10 year's time?

Sincerely, we don't know where we are going to be in three years. The brand is growing very fast, we are very happy with this fact! And we expect to see the brand in the place where everybody wants to be: having the customers we want and being always loyal to our style.

9. Choose one word that describes you and Sonya. 

Light.