Feature Friday : Allison Patel, Family Portrait Photographer

Allison Patel, Tell us a little about yourself!

Hi! I’m Allison Patel. I live in the RVA suburbs with my husband/partner/BFF and our two kids. When I’m not capturing fun and special moments for Richmond families, I’m making photos with my own family, trying to remember to get in the frame, watching “The Office” reruns, hosting toddler dance parties, and convincing my kids that they don’t actually want to eat paint.

I occasionally do adultish things like reading non-rhyming books, cheering on the VCU Rams, and finding new places to explore in this city I love.

In 2011 created Allison Patel Photography with the goal of helping families capture their milestones and relationships without a lot of fuss and fake backdrops. I want to fill my clients’ homes with true pictures of their favorite people in their favorite places.

What do you specialize in? What made you want to focus on that specialty/specialties?

I specialize in family, maternity, and newborn photography. Additionally, I love helping families document their milestones and their everyday real life. Mostly, I love building relationships with my families and seeing how their lives grow and change with each passing year. I firmly believe that children’s mental health is positively affected when they see themselves in photographs in their homes, and work hard to convince my families to print their photos and get them to places where their kids can see them.

How did you first get started in photography?

I grew up having my photo taken a LOT, and learned that it was important to have a camera for every day, not just for important holidays. My mom gave me my first camera when I was 8 years old, and I started documenting my favorite things. Then, I added favorite people, and haven’t stopped taking photos since. Since, I never pictured myself (pun intended) as anything but a photographer, and graduated from college with a degree in photography that I’m finally putting to good use now.

How has using Iris impacted your business?

I have been using Iris since 2017. It is something I so needed the automation and workflows in Iris to help me provide a consistent experience for every client. Iris has helped me provide the professional experience my clients deserve. I love the integration with Square and Shootproof, to make my workflows seamless and professional.

What are your future goals for your business? What are you looking forward to?

I have been in business for 10 years but only went full-time in 2020. My goals include updating all of my automations and workflows with consistent information and with my updated pricing.