Alison Hillman
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You could say I have always been a little backwards. There is a picture of 2 year old me holding a camera. I am looking into the viewfinder, with the lens on my chin. The first time I intentionally held a camera was the same day I fell in love with St. Louis, both in the back of my grandparents' car. I grabbed this cheap manual wind point and shoot. It became my first love interest. And I used it to capture the magic of the city I would later call home.
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Photography and writing are what kept me grounded in high school. My journalism teacher Mrs. Hamm, who we just called Ma, identified my eye. "I think we have found your niche," she told me after using me as a last resort to cover a ball game. A year later, Ma sent me to get the story on our new assistant principal. I brought back a typical "shaking hands" photo I had seen so much in our local paper. Ma was incredibly frustrated so she sent someone in my stead to try again. It was in this moment I learned how important it was to use my eye and tell the story, not just who was there.
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Nashville taught me about bad roommates, even worse apartments, friends who are family, and finding pure happiness in a 450 square foot downtown studio apartment. I was so young; living it up, raking in money at a popular blues club, but something was missing. I learned to lean into uncertainty and open myself up to entirely new opportunities.
Then a crappy club sandwich changed my life.
A dear friend had been courting me hard. I simply wanted to remain friends. I had a type- big, strong southern gentlemen. And that just wasn’t him. He apparently wouldn't give up, so he thought his friend Jason should meet me, and help him figure me out.
One night I was ambushed while working a slow section at the blues club. Here came this guy with my friend. Completely my type, but had no interest in answering the myriad of questions I shot him at an attempt to get to know this gorgeous man. Jason had my attention. And then he tried to order the club sandwich, AKA the WORST thing on our menu. He wouldn't listen to me. Who was this man?
After getting off work, a quick shower and favorite outfit later, I found them on 2nd Avenue. Eventually Jason seemed to warm up, actually talk, and annoy me less. After spending most of the night telling me how great my red heels were, he told our friend he had no chance.
A dear friend had been courting me hard. I simply wanted to remain friends. I had a type- big, strong southern gentlemen. And that just wasn’t him. He apparently wouldn't give up, so he thought his friend Jason should meet me, and help him figure me out.
One night I was ambushed while working a slow section at the blues club. Here came this guy with my friend. Completely my type, but had no interest in answering the myriad of questions I shot him at an attempt to get to know this gorgeous man. Jason had my attention. And then he tried to order the club sandwich, AKA the WORST thing on our menu. He wouldn't listen to me. Who was this man?
After getting off work, a quick shower and favorite outfit later, I found them on 2nd Avenue. Eventually Jason seemed to warm up, actually talk, and annoy me less. After spending most of the night telling me how great my red heels were, he told our friend he had no chance.
One day I decided we needed something better than a point and shoot to capture our adventures. I longed for the beautiful portraits I captured years before. Much to Jason’s grumbling, I eased into the massive world that is Canon and built my solid set of equipment over the years.
As a couple, there is nothing we halfway do. We are fearless, but responsible- weighing our options and working to reach our goals together (WOOT! WOOT! Team Hillman!) We channeled this inner resilience and it lead us to leave Tennessee, and move to St. Louis, only knowing my cousins here. We put ourselves in the path of abundance, purpose, and grace.
As a couple, there is nothing we halfway do. We are fearless, but responsible- weighing our options and working to reach our goals together (WOOT! WOOT! Team Hillman!) We channeled this inner resilience and it lead us to leave Tennessee, and move to St. Louis, only knowing my cousins here. We put ourselves in the path of abundance, purpose, and grace.
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