Today we’d like to introduce you to Allison Burriss.
Hi Allison, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I am a mom of a beautiful, fun loving, photogenic little seven year old daughter, a spunky, funny, brave little 4.5 year old son and 18 month old “mommy’s girl” who has a fun little personality and is also photogenic! I am also a proud police wife to an extremely hard working husband!
Photography has always been special to me since I was a young girl growing up in Connecticut. I still remember seeing my aunt and Mom snapping photos at all of our family occasions and special events. As I got older, I looked back at those photos (boxes and boxes of old photos), and it inspired me to start taking my own photos to capture memories. It started as a my creative outlet and I was simply taking photos of my family and nature.
Then when I went off to college in Massachusetts for my degree in accounting, I found that I still needed that creative outlet, but wanted to learn more about how it all worked. I took a few photography courses while at college so I could have that same outlet, but with more knowledge and focus (no pun intended).
While working as a full-time accountant after college, I was still taking my own photos during my off time, but then began taking photos for my family and friends. After a few years of taking photos for just friends/family here and there, I was encouraged by my family to start my path into becoming a “part-time photographer.” At first I wasn’t entirely sure what that would look like, but I knew I wanted to be prepared so took a few additional courses online. After that, it was time to take my first paying clients!
Then when my oldest daughter was born in 2018, I took a leap of faith and I left my accounting job and transitioned to a stay at home mom and part-time photographer. As I started this new endeavor I was doing a bit of everything (weddings, birthdays, newborns, maternity, holiday sessions, and so much more). Now, almost 7 years later, I’ve been able to focus in on my main passions of newborns, families and in-studio sessions; and I couldn’t be happier!
When we moved into our new house in 2019, I was lucky enough to have enough space to create my own dedicated studio within my house. Since it’s initial construction, it has undergone a lot of upgrades and progressions, but I have finally landed on an all white space that I have truly fallen in love with.
As for photography as a whole, I am a true believer in “community over competition.” Although it would be easy for me to see other photographers as solely competition, I have thoroughly enjoyed becoming friends with other photographers and being able to watch them grow and succeed as well. I have also benefitted from receiving positive feedback from other local photographers who have truly shown that they have applauded watching me grow and succeed as well. To me, that has been a truly fullfilling component of being part of this photography community. In the photography world it can be hard to find likeminded people who want to support you, see you succeed and encourage you to be creative. I am thankful for the friends I have made within the photography community so far and the friendships and support they have provided me as well.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
For myself specifically, the main challenge is not feeling like there is enough time in the day to get it all done sometimes. Along with running my business, I am married to a police officer with a hectic schedule, I homeschool two of my three children and try to do most of my business/editing work at night when everyone has gone to bed. Trying to do all of that while managing social media content on multiple platforms, staying accessible to clients, staying up to date with new trends and producing a consistent product can feel overwhelming at times.
Most days running a small business can be really rewarding, but some days it can honestly be really challenging. However, I have found it is helpful to remember “my why” on those challenging days. My small business has allowed me to pursue my passion, stay at home with my 3 kids, impact peoples memories and still give me that creative outlet that I seek. Although it’s not always easy, I don’t know where I would be without it.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As a mom, I know how important it is to remember each chapter of your children’s lives. You want photography that captures real moments, looks perfect on display in your home and is an experience that captures memories worth looking back on. I offer a variety of sessions that do just that! I offer newborn/maternit/ sitter sessions, continued milestone/birthday/cake smash sessions where I provide a custom balloon arch, family sessions and various themed minis throughout the year! I try to add at-least one or two new minis a year where I change setups on valentines, Easter and Christmas to best fit the current trends or likes of my clients!
I am very proud of my new all white studio located in my home that has its own entrance and bathroom to better provide for my in-studio clients. It is warm and inviting and creates timeless memories. When I first started out with in-studio photography, one of the quickest and easiest options at the time was to utilize paper/cloth backdrops or faux flooring. While those certainly served their purpose for me in my early years, the ability to transform my studio into all white (walls, ceiling, floor) has really opened up so many possibilities for me. It has also helped advance the quality of shoot and photos that I am able to provide to my clients.
As of recently, I was fortunate enough to have my work featured in an exclusive for People Magazine as they highlighted the story of my dear friend Lauren’s daughter Violette and her courageous battle with 4S Neuroblastoma. While I initially struggled with feeling proud to be part of this feature, I was positively encouraged by Lauren that my photos helped them capture such a gift during trying season of their lives that they can always look back on.
I also recently went “viral” on an Instagram behind the scenes reel bribing my kids with ice cream to cooperate in photos. Amazingly the reel was seen by over 325k people, liked by over 18k and shared almost 8,500 times. It was amazing to see the immense number of people a single reel could reach and receive such wonderful feedback from.
My current passions in photography are newborns, family sessions and in-studio sessions.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alliebeanphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alliebeanphotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alliebeanphotography/
Image Credits
Allie Bean Photography
