Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Allison.
Hi Julia, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My dad has always had an interest in photography while I was growing up. That’s what prompted me to take a little photography workshop at the camp I grew up attending. I think I was around 14 years old when I took this class squeezed between the big game of the day and lunch. We ran around the campground taking pictures of things that were square, or showed movement, or fit whatever prompt we’d been given. That was the moment I realized I preferred to be in front of the camera. I was so bored—it just wasn’t for me yet.
It wasn’t until high school that I wanted to try again. Different friends were posting really cool stuff on Instagram, and I wanted to know how they were doing it. With only my iPod touch, I took as many photos as I could. The quality was bad, but it taught me framing and the rule of thirds. Junior/senior year of high school, my church handed me a camera to document events. The photos left much to be desired, but I’m still proud of them because they taught me to watch for opportunities and work in low light. It was the first time someone had trusted me to capture a moment. I think that was the turning point that made me want to do more.
Throughout college, I shot for school functions, friends’ events, weddings—basically anything I could. I wouldn’t even ask; I would just show up with my little Sony Alpha 6000 and send people photos later. The more I did it, the more I loved it. The more I saw what I could create with it, the more I felt like I had to do it.
I never wanted to start a business, despite loving photography. It felt like a safe space that was mine, and my life was so busy I didn’t have the capacity to do it.
The last few years, our lives changed dramatically. Friends moved away, our community split up, both my job and my husband’s job changed, and we found out we were pregnant. None of it was what I thought it would be. My husband and I started really evaluating what we want our lives to look like. I suppose having a baby will do that to you. We want to be people invested in family and community.
I think I got to a breaking point where my job was not working out the way I thought it would. Ever since I met my husband, he has been telling me to start a photography business, and I’ve always said no. When he asked me again this year, it felt right. Maybe I needed all of the hard things to finally be able to give myself to this? For the first time, I really want this. I want to grow and learn and meet new people.
Photography is something I have grown to love, and it has been the thing I have loved giving to our friends and family as special moments come into their lives. My approach has always been about your story, your people. I am here today building a little business to serve our community, push myself, and give my daughter someone to look up to for following her dreams.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Adversity is one of those things that I know in my head comes with life, but I’m always surprised when it hits me. Over the last two years, my life turned upside down. Both my husband, Caleb, and I had major job changes—we were both working in nonprofit. Many of our friends moved away for similar reasons. Our community disbanded, and then we found out we were pregnant.
Our little girl turned one at the end of August, and over this past year, we have been reevaluating our life. Somehow in the disarray, starting a photography business felt like the clearest yes and the craziest thing we could do. I have been shooting photos for a long time, but I have never run a business like this. It is not a smooth road yet, but we are loving it. There are so many things to learn. Learning to run social media has been a particular challenge—there is so much advice out there that it’s hard to know what is going to help my business and still hold on to who we are as a photography business. But I am really thankful to be here.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a lifestyle photographer—treasuring up every engagement session, newborn goodness, and family get-together. I bring a determination to capture both the staged and candid moments that make up a person. My action shots really capture the energy of the moment, and it feels like they breathe. I love when I take a photo that encapsulates something real, and when the client sees it, they feel it too.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I had a teacher in high school who said that you can have all the gifting, but if you don’t train and work hard, it won’t matter. I have been fortunate with this business, whether that be with cameras or opportunities. There have been moments with clients that have felt like an open door, and other moments that felt like I was trying every means possible to open the door. The business is the culmination of all of that—some days clients are falling into my lap, and other days I feel like I’m searching and things do not work out.
Pricing:
- PETITE SESSION/ $250 30 minutes More flexibility for poses and variety Includes 10 high-resolution edited images (Option to purchase more) Online gallery access
- STANDARD / $350 1 hour Perfect for capturing a mix of posed + candid moments Includes 20 high-resolution edited images (Option to purchase more) Online gallery access
- EXTENDED / $400 90 minutes Great for larger families or multiple locations Includes 35 high-resolution edited images (Option to purchase more) Online gallery access
- STORYTELLING SESSION / $450 2 hours Best for documenting milestones, family adventures, or extended gatherings Includes 50+ high-resolution edited images (Option to purchase more) Online gallery access
Contact Info:
- Website: https://juliaallisonphotography.myportfolio.com/welcome-1
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julia.allison.photo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579620614718
