With These Hands: Hannah from The Unfold
Having founded The Unfold after moving to Australia from New Zealand (we're obviously going to claim her as one of our own!), photographer and stylist Hannah Darkins is a true creative spirit at heart. Through our recent collaboration with her, we chat to Hannah about her career to date, places she visits when she's back home and where she draws her creative inspiration from.
Name: Hannah Darkins
Location: Based in the Sutherland Shire, Sydney
Star sign: Leo
Hannah wears: Small Organic Pendant necklace, Small Signet ring, Lola ring and Moon & Stars ring.
Profession/ Business / Passion / Creative Outlet:
I run my own small business called The Unfold where I work for brands and small businesses creating visual and written content for their digital platforms.
At university I studied dance however when I moved to Australia I changed career track and went into event styling and floristry and eventually ended up doing what I do now which mostly involves styling, photography and content creation. To me it’s all ‘creative storytelling’. What I do and what I love are so intertwined, to which I am so grateful.
Quote/words to live by:
I am constantly asking myself “what can I learn and what can I contribute.”
"Our willingness to show up changes us. It makes us a little braver each time." - Brene Brown
“When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” - Audre Lorde
Favourite places to visit:
I love going back home to New Zealand. The local coastlines at the top of the North Island where I grew up are so amazing, in particular my favourite little beach called Whale Bay where you have to park and walk a 20 minute trail to get there. The waters are pristine blue and the bay is surrounded by native Pohutukawa trees. It’s heaven on earth. I also really love spending my spare time sourcing unique pieces from second hand/vintage stores.
Describe your typical day:
If I don’t have a shoot on that day I’m either sourcing props, planning for shoots, following up enquiries, editing from a previous shoot or working on a website for a client. When not working I’ll be walking my local esplanade or hanging out somewhere by the ocean. I love coffee so you’ll often find me at my favourite local coffee shop too.
Is your design approach intuitive or measured? How so?:
Definitely both. The measured side of me usually manifests through my intentions - I want my creative output to either evoke a feeling, tell a story or have a purposeful process behind it. After that initial stage - when I am hands on creating something - it becomes more intuitive and I often make decisions in the moment and create with the flow.
Where do you draw your creative inspiration from?:
Everywhere. Inspiration is honestly everywhere. When I use to dance a lot, inspiration for a choreography came from using all my senses. Sometimes it’s the most simple of things, from the smell of toast to the colour of a curtain or the sound of the coffee grinder working at the cafe.
I collect random objects and am constantly taking photos of patterns, texture and colour. A lot of my inspiration for work starts with colour. I am quite picky about colour as I feel it is integral to feeling and is often what impacts a first impression.
And of course people. People inspire me a lot- the way someone can make you feel and the warmth in their eyes and the stories they carry - this fuels me. I love human stories... I could go on forever about this so I’ll stop here.
Advice you would give to your younger self:
Have faith in the path you cannot see.
With these hands I…
Hold another,
I praise,
I pick up a shell from the shoreline,
I capture a moment,
I tell a story,
I write down my heart.
Website: www.theunfold.net
Instagram: @theunfold
Photography by: Kaitlyn Bosnjak | @justfilm_
Bridal top: Lilia Cass / @liliacassceremonial
Ceramics: @with__form
