What's in YOUR Bag Allie Anne?

Meet Utah photographer Allison Cox of Allie Anne Photography. Allison and I go way back, to ELEMENTARY SCHOOL in fact! We lost touch for years but reconnected at the Jonathan Canlas Workshop in March. What a HAPPY HAPPY coincidence. This girl is A.MAZING. Not only is she an amazing mother and friend, but she is a fantastic photog. She CONSISTENTLY produces quality images. Very fine art and totally timeless.







Well, without further ado, here's my interview with Allison. . .

ME: So, what's your MAIN camera body?
Allison: My Contax 645 film camera. This is my baby :) I use it for almost everything.

ME: What do you use for backup?

Allison: My Canon 5D. Also a great camera. I like to have it on hand where ever I go.

ME: You shoot both film and digitally. I want to hear your favorite things about each medium. Let's start with film.

Allison: Aw, film. What can I start with? There are so many great things about film. One of the biggest things I love about it is, I don't have to do much post work and they always look fabulous (straight out of camera). I don't like to spend hours on end on the computer, so it's great that I can use 99.9% of my shots and not have to edit them much. The depth, saturation, and color is really unbeatable. Also, I like that it's tangible, something I can see and feel (weird, I know.. but I just like that about it). Film is just classic; it will never go out of style.

ME: Ok, now what about digital?
Allison: I have to admit that I love my digital camera. I love the instant gratification of seeing my images right away. It's so fun and easy. I also (sometimes) like to play around with my images in photoshop and see what I can come up with. It's just fun. There are definitely advantages for using digital -- it's cheaper! I use my digital camera around the house a lot photographing my daughter. It's very handy :) I also use it for weddings/bridals/ and pretty much everything as a secondary camera.

ME: Tell me about your lens selection. Which lens can't you live without? Why?
Allison: I actually don't have a huge lens selection. I'm a pretty simple gal. I don't have oodles of equipment.
ME: I'm glad you brought that up. I wish more beginning photographers would realize that they really don't NEED a whole lot of equipment to get rockin' images. I've never shot with more than 2 lenses at any given time. I'm planning on buying a third here pretty soon, however it's not a necessity, just a perk . . . anyway, so tell me about your extra gear.

Allison: I totally agree. I have:

• Contax: I only have one lens for my contax 645 which is the 80mm f2.0 that I've had for years. I love this lens. I have gotten great shots with this lens time after time and been so happy with it.
• 5D: For my 5D I just have two lenses. The 24-70mm f2.8 and the 85mm f1.8. These two lenses are really all I need for now. I love the versatility of the 24-70. since it's my only wider angle lens, I use it for everything. So, to answer your question... I guess I can't live without any of these lenses since they're all I have at the moment!
  

ME: Any other camera toys you dig?

Allison: Yes, the Holga. I've had my beat up Holga since my first year of college and I absolutely love it. I recently purchased the 'diana' -- which I'm growing to love more and more. These cameras are so unpredictable and lovely.
ME: Because of you, Jonathan and Leo, I've really become a fan of the Holga. I'm buying one next week in fact!

ME: What else do you bring to every shoot?
Allison: I don't leave the house without my light meter. I'm not the most technical person, but I've learned that this little tool is a must have if I am to get good results using film.

ME: What's the best piece of advice you ever received about photography?
Allison: It would probably be something along the lines of -- shoot what makes you happy and what keeps you inspired.
ME: That's GREAT! I couldn't agree more! I wish more photographers would keep that in mind. That advice is worth its weight in gold.

Be sure to check out Allison's blogs: old and new alike.

Allison,

Thank you so much for sharing with us!
You are a bright light in the world of photography
as well as a great friend
I'm so glad to have rediscovered!
May everything that's wonderful be yours!

xoxo,
Nat

Don't miss previous issues of What's in YOUR Bag? So far we've heard from:

Jasmine Star
Michael and Anna Costa
Ed Pingol

Check out the interviews here.