Meet Naomi Hopkins | Portrait Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Naomi Hopkins and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Naomi, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?

I am a businesswoman and an artist, but before all of that, I am a mom. It is the highest honor and privilege I will ever have. Parent or not, we all know the feeling of time just slipping through our fingers. Giving my clients (and myself) the gift of looking back on the legacy they have created with their own stories is so important to me. I want my clients to be able to look back and remember when their toddler’s hand wrapped around their finger or how their teenager would curl up on the couch after a long day and need a back scratch. It’s so easy to let these moments slip by, but once they are gone, we would give anything to be able to relive them; that is where I hope to come in– to be able to get to know my clients and learn what those moments look like for their family. The moments that change our world start in our homes.

They start by rocking our babies to sleep and singing, “You are my sunshine.”
They start by making a secret handshake with our kids, which we do before bedtime.
They start with all of us crowding in bed on a rainy Saturday morning.
They start with creating a legacy with our own stories.

I hope to capture that for every client who allows me to be a part of that story. So that when their great-grandkids look at these photos, they can see the love and memories that got them here.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

Without a doubt— capturing the beauty in fleeting moments.

Beauty has always intrigued me. Art in any form has had such an impact on my life, from growing up as a dancer to spending time in the theatre to owning a hair salon to now finding beauty in the mundane with my camera. However, I never thought I would be a photographer; I would have argued with you until I was blue in the face 15 years ago that there would be no way—jokes on me. After having my daughter at 26 weeks and spending a collective five months in the hospital between the two of us, I then adopted my son at birth through an open adoption. My priorities changed on a deep level. Where I found beauty shifted. I watched those days that felt like eternity somehow flew by in seconds. The same way I want to capture the legacies of my clients, I want the same for my babies and me. So many days, it felt like an uphill battle juggling two kids and creating my own business. I always tell people that watching others’ journeys (especially on social media) is like just sitting at the finishing line of a marathon. You see the celebration. You watch them run across that finish line with tears in their eyes to run and embrace their loved ones. But you do not see how they almost gave up at mile 11 or barely pushed through leg cramps at mile 18. You just see them win. Don’t forget that getting them to that finish line was a painful journey.

That is the best way I can think of to explain my journey to where I am today. Honestly, there are still so many days when it feels like there are a lot more of the mile 11 moments of wanting to give up than of the crossing the finish line bliss. That makes freezing those mundane, immensely beautiful moments so special.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

Ohhhh! You are speaking my love language… which is quality time and snacks.

I recently opened a photography studio at The Mill on Etowah in Canton. I have fallen in LOVE with the area! You can’t visit Georgia without seeing how beautiful North Georgia is. First up would be hiking Cloudland Canyon with a Pub Sub (aka a sandwich from Publix), of course, and then venturing to Fainting Goats Winery. I would end the day with sushi from Izumi in Woodstock.

The next day, we would head down to The Mill on Etowah and go kayaking/rafting on the Etowah River with MURPH Sports. Lunch would be P.O.P.S. in downtown Canton. Get the chopped salad, Trenne herb roasted mushroom pasta, and a side of meatballs; you can thank me later. We would finish up with wine-infused ice cream from Suds and Bottles. Yes, read that again—wine-infused ice cream. You’re welcome, bestie. We would finish the weekend by exploring the streets of Atlanta. Punchline Social is always guaranteed to have great laughs, but first, stop at a Little Five Points to shop and eat burgers at the Vortex.

Apparently, if you want good drinks or food, I am your girl. Priorities, right? We did start the weekend with a good hike– life is all about balance.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My dad.

I grew up surrounded by the art of photography. After studying photography and journalism in the 1970s, he worked for several newspapers. He worked multiple jobs to support our family of twelve. Growing up, he had a wedding photography business. Some of my brothers and I would spend many weekends second shooting with him. Not only his drive to be a business owner, but his passion for the technical art of photography still inspires me to this day.

Website: www.naomihopkinsphotography.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com//naomihopkinsphoto

Facebook: Naomi Hopkins Photography