With a quick snap of a cell phone and a button pushed, you have a photo instantly that you can share with all your friends from anywhere in the world in less than a minute.
With easy access to photography and photo sharing some might wonder about the future of professional photographers. I met with Alison Clinton, owner of Horizon Photo, to discuss her journey as a photographer and the art behind the craft of professional photography.
Alison grew up in Lewis County and graduated from W.F. West High School. It was during her senior year of high school when she took her first photography elective. “I was already accepted and set to start classes at Western Washington University in the fall. I was going to study education.” For a graduation gift, her parents bought her a used 35mm film camera. That summer she spent her savings to take a photography class at Centralia College. After her first year at Western, she couldn’t ignore the pull of her love for photography. She transferred to Spokane Falls Community College the next year.
Alison shares, “Working in a darkroom and working with film is so hands on. I learn that way. Plus, working in the darkroom is instant gratification. There weren’t any digital cameras or cell phones.”
After completing the program, Alison moved back to Chehalis where she joined Horizon Photo as a wedding photographer. In Spring 2007, Alison bought the company and has been the owner ever since.
“I was twenty-seven and I don’t really know what I was thinking,” Alison explains. “Ellie was seven months old, I was teaching at the high school, and we had just bought a house. Joe and I just knew that this wasn’t an opportunity that I could let pass. I signed the papers on a Friday morning and I was on the job the following Monday.”
Something that sets Alison apart as a photographer, amongst other things, is her artistry – finding the extraordinary within the ordinary. One example is that Alison loves searching for unique locations in order to make a photo strikingly urban and edgy. Or she will find a patch of grass or trees that can transform a city space into appearing as if the photo was captured out in the country.
“The back of Azteca in downtown Centralia used to be hot pink. That was a great place to shoot senior photos. Locations force you to get creative and I love that,” Alison explains. “Also, I love finding something new to shoot. I like looking for the texture and color that can make a photo pop.”
Another example of Alison’s artistry is her ability to encapsulate a memory. “The truth is that you can get anybody to document the day for you. But you need a professional to capture the details and emotions – those details that really preserve a memory,” Alison shares. “When you look back at the photos, you want to remember the feelings of the day. That’s what I like to capture – the action, the warm laughter.”
Even though photography is her first passion, teaching is still close to her heart. Alison has taught and coached at W.F. West High School and is currently teaching physical education at St. Joseph School in Chehalis for grades kindergarten through eight. As Alison points out, teaching runs in her blood. Both of Alison’s parents, her sister, and her father-in-law are teachers – and that is just counting her immediate family.
“I feel so blessed and so thankful that I’m able to teach at St. Joseph’s. The staff is awesome, the kids are great and that families are wonderful,” Alison says. Not to mention, she gets to teach both of her daughters who attend the school.
When she can find the time between running a business, teaching, and her family, Alison teaches photography lessons – a perfect marriage of her two favorite things. Alison gears the classes toward helping her clients learn how to use their SLR digital cameras. “I started teaching photography classes because so many of my clients would ask me to teach them how to use their cameras. My goal is to get you past ‘program’ and help you to take more control over your photos,” she explains.
In addition to helping to teach you to navigate your camera, Alison also covers lighting tips, tricks for getting genuine expression out of people and ideas for posing to create the most flattering photo possible. “I really love teaching photography. Photography can be tricky. It forces you to think in a different way. And I like to see that light bulb up when it clicks for my clients,” explains Alison.
Alison shares that being a photographer in this community is an honor. She says, “I’m invited to share in some of my client’s biggest life moments and memories. They are trusting me to capture the specialness of those moments.” Alison also shares that at the core of her craft is the want to give back to people however she can. Often that means giving confidence through images or preserving memories with family.
As we wrap up our meeting Alison professes her gratitude for our local community. For Alison, Lewis County is home and the place where she feels honored to share her art with her clients and preserve happy memories for generations to come.
To contact Alison, visit Horizon Photo’s website.
