Rising Stars: Meet Allison Eding of Wilmington

Today we’d like to introduce you to Allison Eding.

Hi Allison, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started my photography business in Ohio in 2013, after graduating with my fine art degree in 2010 and working under other photographers for a few years. I did all kinds of photography jobs that you can think of. I photographed school pictures, families, I did my first wedding while I was still in college and I charged $100. I assisted multiple wedding photographers and realized I loved working weddings, so I started focusing on that. I grew it to be full time in about three years, and then I moved my business to Wilmington in 2016 after realizing the beach was calling to me. I’ve always loved photographing beautiful places, but moving to Wilmington really changed the game for me. Now I get to work in movie-worthy places and document the biggest days of people’s lives here.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Of course not! Working for yourself and making enough money to provide for yourself completely? In the art world, that’s hard! I bartended for about 6 years growing my company so I could afford my bills. And now that I’ve been full time with photography, it’s STILL hard! Every year, you worry about whether or not you will make enough money next year, or the year after that. What if I’m too expensive? Not expensive enough? Did I pay my taxes on time? Am I taking enough sales tax out? Being a one-woman show is challenging, but also so rewarding.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a full time photographer, specializing in weddings. I think I’m known for my work with 35mm film, as well. That was my major in college, I worked in a dark room for 4 years. So offering film in my work now, brings me back to my roots and I LOVE the vintage style. It will hold up forever. I think what sets me apart from others is just my personality. Photography is such a personal job, when you’re working with people on their wedding day. You have to be able to be professional, but fun, be able to follow a schedule and keep it on track, as well as going with the flow because a wedding day never goes as planned. Understanding how to work with light of every kind, work with people from every different background. I lead a wedding day with a lot of laughter and light heartedness, and I think that’s a really important quality on what can be a very stressful day.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Just keep going. Keep learning, keep getting better. Experiment with gear, with light, with editing styles. Find what makes you YOU, and what makes you different than everyone else. It’s going to feel really challenging, but it is worth it in the end.

Pricing:

• My wedding packages begin at $4900
• Elopements are $800 per hour

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lightbloomphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightbloomphoto
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lightbloomphotography