Hannah Reda stepped into the Michigan Birds series with a spark that was impossible to miss.
A 21-year-old student at Grand Valley State University, she’s on the board for 494 Mag, models through Studio Cor3, and is pursuing a degree in Medical Laboratory Science with hopes of becoming a physician’s assistant.
She carries both creativity and care — expression and purpose.
When we began exploring birds, the Northern Cardinal felt inevitable.
Not just for its color —
but for its voice.
How We Met
We first met at a Studio Cor3 Light Night — one of those spaces where creativity hums through the room — and later reconnected on the dance floor at Grand Rapids Original Swing Society’s Tuesday night dances.
Hannah shows up fully in those spaces.
She brings joy to silent discos, gatherings, and anywhere music is playing — not cautiously, but completely.
Who She Is
When Hannah arrived at my studio, she was full of delight.
She lit up in a creative space — curious, expressive, and ready to play.
She told me she’s the talkative one in her group — the one who speaks up, who communicates clearly, who doesn’t shrink herself to fit the room.
And she sings.
Hannah has been singing since she could talk — performing in venues across the country, including DeVos Hall — and has developed a voice that is both practiced and powerful.
She is comfortable being seen.
Comfortable being heard.
Why the Cardinal
The Northern Cardinal is known not only for its vivid red color, but for its clear, melodic song.
Both male and female cardinals sing — often using their voice to communicate, connect, and mark presence in their environment.
Their song is strong, distinct, and impossible to ignore.
That connection felt undeniable.
Hannah carries her voice the same way — confidently, openly, and with intention.
And layered into that was something even deeper.
The cardinal is her great-grandmother’s spirit bird. Each time her family sees one, they say, “She’s watching over us.”
This wasn’t just a visual match.
It was a lineage.
The Look
We built Hannah’s look entirely around the cardinal’s signature red:
- Scarlet stretch denim
- Scarlet rayon wild rag shirt
- Scarlet denim jacket
- Scarlet rayon wrap
- Scarlet ascot tied as a headband
- Hot black rayon kerchief
The layers created a full immersion into red — bold, radiant, and alive.
We tied her pants at the ankles so she could move freely — jump, climb, and play without hesitation.
The Session
We shot at Aberdeen Park as dusk settled in.
What started as a walk turned into something unexpected — we wandered into a construction zone, where piles of dirt and heavy equipment became her landscape.
Hannah climbed, perched, balanced.
She moved through the space with ease — curious, fearless, light.
Even in an unfinished place…
She brought color.
She brought voice.
She brought life.
Color Connection
Red is the color of:
- vitality
- courage
- expression
- life force
It asks to be seen. To be heard.
Hannah typically wears black and neutrals. But in scarlet…
She didn’t just stand out.
She sang.
Find Your Bird
Sometimes your bird is found in your voice.
In what you carry.
In what you’ve always known how to do.
If you’re ready to explore that…
Let’s find your bird in a portrait session.
