May 8, 2017

Meet Alli Combs of Alli Combs Photography in Clear Lake

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alli Combs.

Alli, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
One of the beautiful things about life is that you never know where seemingly unrelated events will lead you to your calling.

I love people, creativity, and nostalgia. To me photography is a perfect medium to capture all three.

What led me into photography was a culmination of the right timing, the right set of circumstances, and following through with trying to identify the void that I believe most feel at some point within their careers. What I found was that the feeling deep down in my heart was due to the lack of creativity day in and day out with my previous line of work as the nature of the work didn’t allow for it. I knew that whatever path I wanted to follow, the purpose had to be bigger than myself, and the reward had to come in the form of bringing families and communities closer together.

I firmly believe that the worst spot someone can find oneself in is when they are just going through the motions day in and day out. A life without passion is not worth pursuing, and when my passion can either capture the precious moments that individuals, friends, and family members share with one another, or precise moments or things that are often overlooked in nature or all around us in Houston, it’s a beautiful thing.

If I can help put a smile on a grandchild’s face 30 years from now when they look at their Grandparents Wedding Album, capture an important moment or milestone in a family’s life, or lead someone to finding themselves or their calling by traveling off the beaten path and exploring the parts of the world I’ve captured, then I feel like I have served my purpose.

I am where I am today because of God, my amazing clients, husband, children, family, and friends who have believed in me from the very beginning, as well as the tight knit group of photographers I have befriended from the Houston area. Those who While many of the techniques I have learned have been self-taught, I have also experienced the grace and kindness other photographers have provided by showing me what works best for them.

If you come from the security of the corporate world or having a steady 9-5 job, it can be extremely difficult to take the leap of faith necessary in order to pursue starting and sustaining your own business. My advice to anyone who feels the same void I felt is to evaluate the pros and cons of their current job against what you’d like to pursue, and then ask yourself “what’s the worst that can happen?” Naturally some will be open to risking more than others, but at the end of the day, I personally feel that life is too short and unpredictable to be stuck going through the motions.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
While it’s certainly a rarity for any entrepreneur or business owner to say that things have always been smooth sailing, I consider myself one of the lucky ones. I have been profitable every year since making the jump, and the struggles I have had aren’t unique to my experience. I think some of the more difficult challenges any budding photographer faces include knowing what to charge, where to setup photoshoots, what type of equipment or technique works best for any given situation, dealing with not knowing what you don’t know, and building your network. As far as my local network is concerned, I feel very fortunate that I am a native Houstonian, and so is my husband. Being able to tap into the personal and professional networks of our family members and friends has been priceless in the growth of my company. In a city like Houston it certainly helps to know people from all over the area as well as knowing about some of the hidden gems as far as knowing where to shoot.

Being a photographer is certainly a calling that can be emotionally taxing. If done right, you feel the joy, pain, insecurities, and whatever else is present in the memories you capture. I have had the honor of being asked to capture very difficult moments for some of my clients which led to both my husband and I mourning as if we were the subjects in the shoot, but those were also some of the most rewarding moments I have had personally.

Another struggle that is universal amongst many entrepreneurs is building up enough confidence in yourself or your abilities to handle new experiences, and to realize your true worth as a service provider. As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. One thing that most don’t realize is that the real work begins once the shoot is over as it takes time editing hundreds and in some cases thousands of pictures to get the very best ones.

Please tell us about Alli Combs Photography.
I specialize in capturing life’s most precious, significant, and beautiful moments. Whether it’s a gorgeous couple making the decision to commit to spending the rest of their lives with one another, chronicling the first days of a newborn’s life, shooting a fun High School Senior session, or capturing the simple things in nature that are constantly amongst our presence, but are often overlooked. I just so happen to be a photographer.

What I am proud of as a company is that my company is a direct reflection of who I am personally, and I haven’t had to compromise who I am, or my integrity in order to serve my clients.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I’d like to say that I would’ve started sooner, but I have no regrets as I believe everything happens for a reason. We are all byproducts of our past, and I’m grateful for the experiences which led me into pursuing a career in photography as they helped mold me into who I am today.

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