Today we’d like to introduce you to Alaina.
Hi Alaina, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Absolutely. As early as I can remember I loved having a camera in my hands. This really came to fruition though when I was in high school at Garland High School and took a photo-journalism course. Watching the profound effects of photography in news and media as well as learning the intricacies behind what makes a great photo, I found that my passion extended past just photographing the little moments with my friends and instead that I had a real passion for capturing authentic and genuine moments around my school. Once I realized this wasn’t just a school class anymore, until I could afford my very own, I would volunteer to photograph school events on the weekends so I could take our class camera home with me and spend my weekends learning the ins and outs of shooting. I eventually went on to become an editor for my school’s yearbook and offered my photography services to anyone who would take a chance on me. I photographed my first wedding at 17, I did senior photos for local high school graduates, and would work with my local YMCA taking photos whenever they had events going on. Halfway through my senior year of high school I realized this was something I could imagine a real future in and started looking into pursing it as a college major. although I inevitably followed my passion for education first and foremost, but that love of photography was always there. I found that it became the best creative outlet for myself and something that I looked forward to doing because of the memories I was capturing and not the money I was getting from it. I ended up taking a few courses at the local community college to make sure I was doing my clients justice, and the last 13 years has truly been just a series of clients who have trusted me in the intimate celebrations and moments in their lives and then passed my name and number along to their friends and family. I have never formally paid for advertisements or relied on this as my sole income, but instead have had the opportunity for these photoshoots through referrals and to be little moments in time captured between me and my clients that I get to see pop up on birthdays, anniversaries, funerals, their wedding days, and when they’re looking at how their family’s have grown up over the years I get the satisfaction of knowing I was growing up right alongside them.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I would say that starting a passion like this so young comes with both strengths and challenges. I think the mental roadblocks that come with adulthood are not as prevalent when you are young so your fearlessness allows you to look past the possibility of failure and jump in both feet first. The idea that I would take clients and they wouldn’t like their photos was never a possibility in my brain, I just knew if I did my best and I captured them the way I envisioned that hopefully they would see magic in the same places I did. The earliest struggles would have been getting people to trust that a young girl could do the job and do it well. Aside from that, I think personally my hardest struggle is always putting a price on these moments and charging people who I have worked with for years. Obviously, with owning a business wanting to price yourself appropriately and have your work be valued is critical but I wish I was in a position where I could just volunteer my time more. When I was younger I didn’t understand the true investment that came with keeping up my passion of photography such as the cost of upkeep of my gear, constantly upgrading to meet the demands of my shoots, the backend costs of website hosting, travel to shoots, memory cards, hard drives, etc. so it doesn’t always allow for me to offer my services for free as often as I wish I couldbut I just never want someone to miss out on an irreplaceable moment because of finances.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am primarily a portrait photographer and wedding photographer. When I first began shooting, I took on any opportunity that was put in my path and I quickly realized my biggest passion fell with the people on the other side of the lens. I think there is something so special about capturing a moment in someone’s life where they feel their most confident and beautiful. My favorite opportunities are when I get to photograph people I know in real life and get to show them a glimpse of the beauty I see everyday. The world of social media has made photography a comparison game in so many ways and I have always strived to just be consistent. I want my clients to feel like they’re spending time with an old friend when we are working together. I also want to be an inclusive photographer that captures every type of race, religion, body type, etc. Love is love and happiness comes in so many forms. I am most proud of the relationships I have built my clients and taking a genuine interest in their lives and wellbeing past just being a paycheck. I get to watch their family’s grow up, mourn with them when their grandparents pass away that I’ve known for years, celebrate with them and send them Christmas cards during the holidays, and just get to be there for the good and the bad. I think photography goes so far past vanity but becomes integral for future generations to get to see where they came from. The photos I take now may feel inconsequential but I think about my great grandparents family photos that I still admire to this day and I am so proud that I get to have a small part in someones legacy like that.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I see people going back to have more true to color photography and getting away from more trendy and moody edits as we move into the future. I think in the age of filters, Instagram, and TikTok as photographers it is easy to get swayed by what you see clients interacting with the most or editing styles you want to emulate whether or not it feels authentic to you, but it seems like clients are falling more in love with candid and documentary style photography now. They want to go back to flip phones, point-and-shoot cameras, and they want the real moments captured as they happened and not in an over-processed or perfected version of reality. I love this personally because looking back through my own work in seasons when I also was swayed by public perception, I recognize that my favorite work and most authentic is always with more minimal edits and true to life color and posing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mcclanahanphoto.com
- Instagram: @mcclanahanphotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mcclanahanphotography1
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alaina-mcclanahan/
