Meet Alison Kamishiro Parsons of Long Beach, CA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alison Kamishiro Parsons.

Hi Alison, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
AKP Photography officially became to fruition amidst the pandemic in Spring of 2020. I received my first camera when I was in high school and I would love taking photos that could convey a story, a feeling, or just pictures of my friends and I hanging out. I remember going through my artsy Tumblr girl phase where I’d take photos, upload them to my iPad, and use like 3 different apps to edit them- shout out to Superimpose, VSCO, and Airbrush. Once I had moved out of that phase, I would just take photos of friends mainly because one of fears in life is memory loss. I feel like I struggle remembering things on a daily basis, so photos help me remember what that moment looked like, felt like, etc. So, good luck to my future kids on figuring out what to do with all my prints when I’m dead! During the latter half of college I started offering to take peoples headshots here and there, picked up shooting film, and re-explored shooting creatively. I started receiving more booking requests from people and right as the pandemic hit I launched AKP Photography! It’s been a little over a year and half and I’ve learned a lot, but I still have SO much to learn. Every shoot I take, I’m already thinking of how to make the next one better. It’s crazy to look back at some photos and cringe at where I started, but also proud of myself for even making the attempt. I’m proud of how far I’ve come and photography has been such a great outlet to explore as an artist. This past August my friend Cassie Chang, who is another GREAT photographer, and I collaborated on a shoot to submit for the BXD Collectives first in person art exhibition. It was such an amazing experience, I would definitely classify it as a high point in my life/career. Seeing people look at our photos on display and having conversations about them was an indescribable feeling. Not to mention all the other incredible artists that I was able to share this moment with. I felt overjoyed with all the love and support from my friends and family, and everyday I truly feel so incredibly lucky to do what I do.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
What road doesn’t have it bumps, ya know? Since I’ve taught myself everything I know through my own research/YouTube University sometimes I tend to feel a bit inadequate. I’ll beat myself up over little mistakes, correct myself, but then find myself facing another completely different mistake. It’s a frustrating process, but I’ve also come to realize I that I think it’s just me telling myself I can do better. I’ve found that beating yourself up over something small isn’t going to change anything, but changing the rhetoric about how you handle it can lead you closer to where you want to be. So, figuring that out for myself has been a big bump, but ultimately all for the better.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
So, I mainly specialize in headshot and creative photoshoots. Headshots are a bit more tedious because lighting is everything. I love using a lot of natural light during my headshot sessions. Being in a controlled space, I have to focus on what kind of light compliments different skin tones, I make sure there’s no weird shadows being cast on their face, I help direct clients into my go-to headshot posing, etc. For creative shoots, I find myself shooting outdoors a lot more. Shooting in a space where you can control all the light versus being outdoors where you have to work around the light both presents different challenges. Creative shoots are always so fun because of the all the endless opportunities for play. My process for creative shoots starts with creating a mood board, gathering props and costumes that fit the vibe of what I’m going for. When you see the photo, you get what you take from it. I believe that art is for everyone and it cannot be controlled. There is no right or wrong, so if you are able to resonate with it, are inspired by it, or just think it’s a cool photo- great!

There are two things that I’m most proud of- probably the Kabuki photos that appeared at BXD collective, and this one shoot I did with my friends/amazing sister duo- Beylul and Rishan Ephrem. For the Kabuki photos, I came to Cassie and asked if they could help me bring this concept that I had to life for the art exhibition. This originally started as a concept for a photo shoot, then an installation piece, then for a short 12 hours we decided that it was going to be short film, eventually, we realized rushing a short film in 10 days was definitely not ideal, and so we finally came back to the idea of committing to a photoshoot. We shot it, edited it, and sent it out by the deadline. It was a longer process than I had thought it would be, but it’s because I wanted to do this concept justice since it’s one that is personal to me and my identity. I come in with ideas but not expectations because if I have the right tools and idea then the art will follow. My shoot with Beylul and Rishan was another proud moment for me because it was also a shoot that I took the time to prep for, and it felt like I had found my signature style. I shot both film and digital and I was very proud at how both of them turned out.

I think something that sets me apart from others is that not only am I a photographer but I am also your #1 hype man. One of my main goals is to make sure my client feels comfortable, confident, and that they can rely on me to give them direction when needed. Sometimes photographers are silent taking photos and give little direction, thus making the client feel a bit awkward like, “am I doing this right?”. I will literally be screaming at how you’re killing it and show you the photos along the way so you can see for yourself how hot you look!!

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Prioritizing people’s comfortability and safety-always. Since my business started during COVID, that was a priority from the start and has stayed since then. I mean comfortability in regards to the photo taking process, as well as any health and safety concerns. As I mentioned I like to shoot outdoors a lot and so that allowed us to social distance while shooting.

Pricing:

• Headshots- 1 look starts at $150
• Creative- Base rate $175

Contact Info:

• Email: akparsonsphotography@gmail.com
• Website: https://www.akparsonsphoto.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/akparsonsphoto/

Image Credits:
Image 1: Model- Rishan Ephrem Image 2: Model- Noah Michal Image 3: Model- Miles Gutierrez-Riley Image 4: Model- Helen McCormick Image 5: Model- Beylul Ephrem Image 6/7: Model- Seann Altman Image 8: Model- Alison K. Parsons Image 9: Model- Beylul Ephrem