I have always been fascinated by the art of photography.
I believe this was ingrained in me through my family since I was very young. I grew up with a large extended family that we didn't live very close to. Not to mention, I was one of the oldest "cousins" in the family. As I grew older, I had more and more younger cousins, and before i knew it, i had more than a dozen kids around me at any holiday we could make it to. I had a couple of aunts that were very into photography--think in the style of "Anne Geddes." I loved to see all of the homemade photography settings and calendars and books they came up with. It was incredible! I was so inspired.
As I went through high school, I should mention that there were very little creative outlets available to us as students. Had there been a photography program or class, I would have signed up in a heartbeat. I always had a disposable camera around, should the opportunity to take a picture arise. As we leapt into the digital age, the first year they were deemed generally affordable I absolutely asked for one. I knew this was a gift that many of my relatives had "gone in" on, as it was expensive at the time. That year I received my first digital Canon point and shoot camera. In today's standards it barely took pictures as good as a disposable film camera but I didn't care. I carried it everywhere. I took pictures of everything. I LOVED it.
Since then i've had numerous other digital cameras, and known that photography was always going to be a part of my life. When I was deciding what to go to college for, Photography was definitely one of my options. I even enrolled as a Graphic Design major at first. And although I ultimately transferred to another school and decided to major (and graduate) with a degree in Dance Studies, Photography remained a huge part of my life. I took multiple photography classes at school hoping to minor in photography, but because I transferred, I didn't have the amount of time that was needed to do so.
When I graduated with said degree in Dance, I did explore my options with that field. However, I did not want to move from Rhode Island, and if anybody reading this knows how the arts are in Rhode Island, you will know that there are not many options for a non-ballet dancer to explore. I went on auditions in Boston even, trying to expand my region a bit and my experience. But nothing stuck.
I finally decided to stay in Rhode Island and I got a minimum-wage job working at JCPenney Portrait Studio (Lifetouch). This honestly was probably the most fun I had had in years. I had the opportunity to explore my passion for photography, that had gotten a little bit lost along the way, and I was able to express myself in ways I hadn't experienced yet. Of course, the holiday times and the lack of pay got to be a bit cumbersome, so I explored other avenues.
When I did so, I decided to get a technical degree in something that would "make me a living." And to be honest I really felt that I found something I liked to do and that would give me a better life. And it's not that that statement is untrue, it's just that it's not something that I am passionate about.
When people ask me how my job is going, I am of course inclined to say that it is going well, and I am enjoying it, and it is paying the bills. And that is because, in general, all of those things are true.
But as time went along, I missed my creative outlet.
And so here I am now. I have been experimenting and exploring this other avenue of my life for a few years now, just hoping that I would be able to "make it" as a photographer. But that time is over, and I have decided that it will be a part of my life, and I am going to have to work for it.
I hope that you all enjoy my work and my story, and maybe it will even be an inspiration for some of you. I just want to bring joy to people and families with my art form and hope that I will have this creative outlet in my life for years to come.
If you have any questions, please visit my Contact page. I will gladly answer any questions you have.
Thank you!
- Ally Reigstad