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

Hi Diane, how do you think about risk?
Taking risk: the fear of the unknown can hold you back. Calculated risks: knowing “your why,” the options, and back up plans you have can help you embrace change and adapt.
Moving from France to San Diego 14 years ago with my husband was most likely one of our biggest adventures. We left family and friends behind to start a new chapter of our life. Risk was calculated, since my husband had a job, but for me it was the big unknown. Armed with an International Business background and just shy of 4 years of experience in Sales & Marketing, I was not sure what job I could find. Risk had its reward, for 9 years, I worked for a wonderful company that helped me grow, promoted me through 2 pregnancies and allowed me to switch from full time to part time the last few years of my corporate career.

2016 was the year our family decided to shake things up. Time to take some calculated risks 🙂 a year later, I had switched careers and started my photography business! I have been enjoying photographing kids and families all over San Diego ever since!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
From Project Manager… to Key Account Manager… to Photographer! 13 years in the corporate world in France and the US has helped me a lot to start and establish my Photography business.

One of the biggest challenges was to switch from hobby to professional photographer. When do you feel confident enough to charge for your work and how much do you charge? Don’t even get me started with the comparison game with all talented photographers we have in San Diego! Find your niche, find your crowd, and start having some fun.

Being a photographer is not just about taking cute pictures with a nice camera. So much work happens behind the scenes from photo editing, to marketing, accounting, and administrative tasks.

Want some joyful pictures of your kids? I’m your gal. I LOVE working with kids! We will throw confetti, make bubbles, silly faces. Your child will have lots of fun while I capture their adorable little smile. Clients say that I have a lot of patience with little ones but don’t ask my kids, they may not agree.

Your kid is turning 2? How many pictures do you have of you with your kid on their special day? Trust me I get it; you are too excited wanting to capture all the cute decoration details and your kid having fun with friends, but you need to be in the pictures too! Well, I can help! Book me for your kid’s birthday party and you’ll have as much fun as your little ones while I capture your special day.

Have you thought of capturing your family in the comfort of your home? No place is as special as where you brought your newborn home for the first time. Where your kids build their childhood memories. In-home family sessions will help you freeze time and capture your family magical moments.

I love to build connection with my clients and get to know them. If you’re looking for a quick mini session for your yearly family photos, I may not be your best fit.
If you are looking for a boutique experience and have a photo session even dad will enjoy, you know where to find me!

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?
So many places to visit in San Diego! Here are some of my fav’s when we have family and friends visiting from overseas.

Day 1: La Jolla. Start with Mount Soledad to check out the beautiful 360° view of San Diego. Go down to La Jolla Shores to catch some waves, if you’re a surfer or bodyboarder, or just enjoy the beautiful sandy beach and walk towards Scripps Pier. For lunch, you can enjoy the beautiful view and grab something to eat at Caroline’s Seaside Café. Shore Rider’s is also a great spot if you want a relaxed atmosphere where dogs (and kids) are welcome. Their fish & chips are so good! Piatti’s, an Italian restaurant, is also another wonderful option, if you’re looking for something a little more upscale. Ask to be seated in their patio, under their beautiful Ficus tree and try their handmade pasta, wild mushroom & spinach rotolo. So good!

Day 2: Coronado. Start at the iconic Hotel del Coronado and spend the day at the beach. At the end of the day, go to the other side of the island and enjoy the San Diego skyline as the sun goes down and have dinner at Il Fornaio, another great Italian restaurant. Get a table in their outside patio to enjoy the view of San Diego by night.

Day 3: Pacific Beach & Mission Bay. Start with a breakfast at the Firehouse in PB. From there take your bikes or stroll down the boardwalk to Mission Beach, the perfect California beach vibes! If you’re an amusement park enthusiast, you can stop at Belmont Park or cross over to Mission Bay and rent a kayak at the Catamaran Resort Hotel & Spa.

Day 4: Torrey Pines Natural Reserve. Start your hike from the top and descend to Yucca Point Overlook to enjoy a panoramic ocean view. Walk down to find the stairs for beach access to finish your hike on the beach. You may need to check the tides, otherwise you may end up a little wet 🙂
Grab a quick lunch at Stratford Court Cafe and take your kids to the Powerhouse playground, a short walk from there. Kids can have some fun at the playground while parents enjoy the beautiful view of the ocean.

Day 5: La Jolla. Take your kids on a little adventure to descend and ascend 145 stairs to Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave. You can then walk to La Jolla Cove to observe the Sea Lions and kids can play in the big lawn area before grabbing a little ice cream at Bobboi Natural Gelato, in the heart of the village.

Day 6: spend the day at the Safari Park or at San Diego Zoo.

Annie’s Canyon in Solana Beach is another great hike with older kids. You can explore this sandstone canyon and enjoy a beautiful view of the Ocean and the lagoon when you reach the top.

So much more to explore with Point Loma, Balboa Park, downtown San Diego, Oceanside Pier, Carlsbad Village…

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My first and biggest supporter is my husband who never doubted me. Then of course, our kids who have spent countless hours in front of my camera 🙂

I couldn’t have done it without my family and our friends who cheered me on.

The support of local female entrepreneurs, business coaches and fellow photographers tremendously helped me grow over the years. They gave me the necessary confidence.

Lastly, my clients, who trust me to capture their kids and their families, thank you!

Website: https://www.dianehamacher.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianehamacher/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianehamacher/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dianehamacher/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/diane-hamacher-photography-carlsbad

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