Today we’d like to introduce you to Allison Asthana.
Hi Allison, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My interest and career in both music and photography began side by side. I always wanted to document travel, events, and things I found beautiful in my day-to-day life. Playing flute – which is what I ended up studying in college and grad school – and photography both helped me express myself and share creativity with others. While in college, I found photography could be a lucrative side business for musicians, as many need headshots, recital promotion photos, and graduation photos! Throughout the rest of my schooling, photography was always there to varying degrees, and I’m so grateful that I was able to meet so many interesting people through photoshoots! Now, living in the Houston area, I am a professional flutist and work primarily as a private lesson teacher and freelance performer. In addition to this, I run my business, Allison Asthana Photography, specializing in natural light portrait photography.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not always been smooth, but for the most part, I am so thankful I’ve always had supportive family, friends, and mentors along the way. Their support, guidance, and inspiration have been invaluable to being able to weather rejection as a working creative, which is always part of the job! The other challenging part of being self-employed is the unpredictability of your workflow and income. I’ve had to learn how to pitch myself, as inquiries don’t come to your doorstep unless you’re putting in the work to network and publicize yourself. This applies to music and photography equally in my opinion.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As a photographer, I specialize in portraits and headshots for creatives. If you are a musician or artist of any type, I’ve got you covered! I am proud whenever I see one of my photos out in the world as someone’s headshot in a program, website, or press. I not only feel excited to see my work but to know that the person in the photo is achieving so much success in their field! I believe what sets me apart is that I intimately understand the life of a creative, as one myself. I relate to the needs, demands, and hard work it takes to make it because I’m doing it, too!
I also love doing engagement sessions, senior portraits, and event photography. I tend not to over-pose my clients, preferring instead to naturally find a rhythm as we talk and get to know each other. My favorite photos are the moments after a joke or trying something silly – the moments where you think the photo is finished, but I’m still snapping away!
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Attend events that you find fun and interesting, and you will naturally meet people. My favorite activities these days are going to coffee shops, yoga, and concerts (particularly classical music). I have met people through these activities who automatically share an interest, and that is always a great way to form a connection. Many creative fields can actually be extremely isolating – you find yourself stuck in a practice room or editing photos on a computer alone – so making the effort to just be nearby to where more people are living and working makes a huge difference.
Pricing:
- Portrait sessions begin at $300
Contact Info:
- Website: allisonasthanaphoto.com
- Instagram: @allisonasthanaphotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allisonasthanaphotography
- Other: allisonasthana.com
Image Credits
Alexis Gonzalez
Allison Asthana
