Today we’d like to introduce you to Trish Alison.
Trish, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in a small town called Waunakee which is just outside Madison, Wisconsin where I worked part-time as an assistant to a family photographer for 8 years throughout high school and college. I handled the sales and back office of the studio, and also got the opportunity to shoot along with the photographer I was working for. Back then, digital photography wasn’t an option, we shot only film and you had 30 exposures to get a shoot correct…..which meant that you had to get both perfect exposure and natural expressions all at the same time. This was before the days of photoshop and digital retouching, which at times I really miss!!
After graduating from University of Wisconsin-Madison, I started my career in media working at top ad agency Starcom Worldwide in both Chicago and LA, working on client lists that included Buena Vista Home Entertainment and the E! and Style Channels.
After I gave birth to my first daughter, I gave up my career in advertising, picked up my camera and starting shooting as a way to capture my daughter, and then slowly started taking pictures of friends and family. Before I knew it, my business took off, all by word of mouth. I think that being a mom is the piece that set my shooting style in motion. I truly understand as a mom of 2 girls (now ages 8 and 11) what it takes to be a family photographer. I have to be patient and have a sense of humor to create a relaxed and fun environment to achieve my ultimate goal: capturing a true moment in time. It’s the most challenging and rewarding part of the job!! I will not stop until I get true expressions (which for me comes through in my subject’s eyes more than their smiles) and I try my best to have the shoots be a fun memory, not an anxiety-filled chore, for families. My goal is to make every photo shoot FUN and relaxed. I always say how lucky I am to have a happy job – the point is to make fun memories. Overall, as a photographer, I knows how to make children/grown ups light up, work with any environment to bring life and movement to a photo, and capture the joy/real emotion in people.
A natural offshoot of my business has has grown to be the photographer for leading schools in the West Los Angeles area, including: Brentwood School (lower campus K-6), Pacific Palisades Charter Elementary (K-5), Canyon Charter Elementary in Santa Monica (K-5), Wildwood Elementary, Middle and High School, Cassidy Preschool of Santa Monica, and Methodist Preschool of Pacific Palisades. One of the things I am most proud of is revolutionizing the school picture process with my modern take on kid’s school portraits. No more tacky awful school photos. It’s an extremely physical and mentally taxing job – I typically have less than 30 seconds per child to shoot before the next child comes….and it’s go go go and I refuse to stop until I get a real natural expression. That’s my goal – I want parent’s to look at a picture of their child and say “this is SO my child – you got him/her to laugh/smile/look natural!” I use natural backgrounds of whatever school I’m shooting in, no more awful blue screen backgrounds!
While my true passion is photographing kids and families, I also shoot for magazines, commercials, stylists’ blogs/websites, editorial and more.
Current clients include:
Various families in Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Brentwood, Santa Monica, Los Angeles, Calabasas, Studio City and the greater Los Angeles areas. Celebrity Family Portraiture (I’m fiercely protective of keeping my client’s images of their families private), Wood Ranch Grill, Maman et Moi Clothing Line, The Charlotte & Gwyneth Grey Foundation, Editorial work for LAX Magazine.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The only struggle I have is just the editing process which is extremely time consuming. Photoshop is the expected norm these days and that is quite time-consuming and my least favorite part of the work.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I think what sets me apart is the energy I bring to each shoot and the tenacity I have to not stop until I’m satisfied that I have genuine moments captured. What I love most is avoiding the “posed” shots wherever possible and getting real moments. I live for capturing true emotion, that isn’t forced or inauthentic to the moment.
“Trish is fun, warm and spontaneous-a terrific mix that puts you instantly at ease in front of the camera. Her beautiful pictures are saturated in color and expertly composed. Her shots of our daughter have become treasured family icons!”
Allegra Growdon and Family
“Trish’s work is nothing short of stunning. She is a natural behind the lens with a keen professional eye and a sincere personal touch that brings out the best in all her subjects. She is organized, calm and easy to work with. And it shows!!! The finished product is always better then I could have dreamed. We have fun taking pictures and precious family moments that are captured forever.”
The Miller Family
“Trish is a miracle worker! She somehow managed to get four kids (including a very squirmy 18 month old) to cooperate for our family picture shoot. She is funny and engaging and takes beautiful pictures – without any of the goofy posing. I already booked her for this year and can’t wait to see how they turn out!”
The Schulz/Roback Family
“We can’t say enough good things about Trish! She’s been documenting our lives so beautifully for years. She has an amazing ability to make our kids smile and to capture their spirit. I can’t even begin to tell you how much her pictures mean to us!”
The Nocas Family
“Trisha is so warm and easy for our kids to be around that she captures happiness in all her photo sessions with them. They can run and be themselves and sit next to us (somewhat quietly) and she gets it all done beautifully.”
Ona Barnett & Family
“We are so lucky to have Trish take such beautiful school pictures of our children and staff! “Trish isn’t just a fantastic photographer, she is also a joy to work with, really flexible and responsive, a consummate professional, completely reliable and great with both kids and adults. She has such a lovely way about her which makes picture taking fun and gets the best out of even the the most reticent little ones. Our parents were so impressed by the school pictures she took us last year that many of them ended up asking her to take their family pictures. Trish is an all around gem!”
Luisa Donati, Director of Cassidy Preschool
What were you like growing up?
Growing up I was a very serious student, but also had a ton of fun with family (which I’m super close to – my mom, dad and 2 awesome sisters) and friends. I loved growing up in a small town and it was super close to Madison, WI (where I ended up going to college) so I was a huge Badger sports fan growing up (specifically hockey and football). I was heavily involved in school government and also played basketball and ran track. I grew up in a super close-knit supportive environment and I wouldn’t trade that upbringing for anything! I’m proud to be a midwesterner and feel that spirit of kindness and fun helps me capture everyone’s heart and spirit in my photographs.
Contact Info:
- Address: Pacific Palisades, CA
- Website: www.trishalisonphotography.com
- Phone: 310-749-0410
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @trishalison
- Facebook: trish alison photography
Image Credit:
Trish Alison photography
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