Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Allen.
Christopher, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I can start at the beginning of my photography career but I would much rather start the fall of 2017. In the fall of 2017, I was exhausted, tired, and burned out from doing photography. Not only did I have an illustrious photography career filled with shooting with some of the biggest influencers in the entertainment industry, but I felt like I had done everything I could possibly do as an event photographer. At that point, I made up my mind to retire and go back to the 9-5 work model. It was no longer fun to me and my bank account was starving for attention. Before I could make it to photography retirement (As if there is a retirement for a photographer lol) I was invited to join my comedian friend and client Eddie B in Las Vegas for the “Teacher’s Only” comedy tour. Well, that one tour date quickly turned into me traveling the country as the official tour photographer hitting over 60 cities and venues throughout the country.
Throughout the tour, I discovered a new passion for helping people take better mobile phone photos. We now call it mobile photography. I also discovered that I used my phone for over 95% of my traveling, documenting, and covering the tour. in the March of 2019, I decided to step out on faith and create Shoot Your Shot “The C. Allen Experience as a way to teach adults how to use their smartphones to take dope photos, capture amazing videos, and to connect with like-minded people all while having the best time of their life. My logic is that if I can do it, they can too. My iPhone has allow me to navigate and perform in cities all over the country garnering over 100s of 1000s of impressions for my clients.
When most people see a problem, I see an opportunity. With our smartphones becoming better and better in camera quality, there is a great need for more photography education. My new passion is teaching people from all different backgrounds how to take advantage of their smartphones. Sharing my love for photography through my Shoot Your Shot experience and by teaching my peers how to be dope mobile photographers has been very rewarding.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I let out the biggest laugh. It has definitely not been a smooth road. Making the switch from event photographer to the ringmaster of an event like Shoot Your Shot has been a challenge. Managing relationships and communicating ideas effectively has been one of my biggest obstacles this year. I continue to bump my head as I change the way the world experiences photography. God created me a visionary but it’s up to me to convey those visions to my team in a clear and concise way. I work with a talented group of people who help me execute my interactive mobile photography experience (Shoot Your Shot). Funding is a second challenge. Having a great idea is like having a really cool car but doesn’t work without gas money. It’s no secret in business that money is needed to fund those big dreams and ideas. Traveling by faith means taking action even when you don’t feel good, or have all the funds you need at the time. Knowing your efforts will be a success is key to experiencing the results you desire.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Shoot Your Shot “The C. Allen Experience” story. Tell us more about the business.
In March 2019, I launched Shoot Your Shot “The C. Allen Experience.” Shoot Your Shot is my interactive mobile photography experience where I teach attendees how to be better mobile photographers. What makes Shoot Your Shot unique is that we have an entire production team that includes photographers, our talented Dj Dj TNT, and a host of creatives to ensure people have the best experience they can have. I call my interactive event like Shoot Your Shot “Photography Entertainment”. The mission is to show the world a different way to experience photography while learning how to be dope photographers themselves. I’m known for being on Team iPhone. I’m also known for using my iPhone to film, shoot, and capture exclusive content for my clients. I can honestly say that since launching Shoot Your Shot “The C. Allen Experience” is that we have successfully completed 3 Shoot Your Shots and currently working on a fourth event before Christmas. We are set apart because we empower the people. We aren’t claiming to be better than our attendees because we specialize in photography. We are simply asking our attendees to join us and learn how fun photography can be.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t believe in good luck or bad luck. I do believe in divine intervention and life experience. I am here because I am following my heart. I am taking steps even before I can clearly see my next footstep. It hasn’t fail me yet. I would rather believe good luck happens to me everyday because I am expecting it.
Pricing:
- Admission to our Shoot Your Shot experiences are $35
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shootyourshottx.com
- Phone: 713-855-0436
- Email: info@shootyourshottx.com
- Instagram: @shootyourshottx
- Facebook: facebook.com/CAllenMedia
Image Credit:
Darius Wiggins, Artistik Rebel, Steve Freeman
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