My Story

Photography has always had a special place in my heart.  There is something so very magical about the art of taking a photograph, capturing life, and holding that moment still… forever. My love for photography started when I was very young… it was a time where so many wonderful memories and friendships were made that I still have boxes and boxes of pictures in my closet. While growing up, I was the girl in middle school and high school snapping hundreds and hundreds (OK, thousands and thousands!) of pictures with my point-and-shoot camera. It didn’t matter where I was going or what I was doing… I always had a camera with me.

Fast forward to my junior year in college at Virginia Tech. This was the first time I splurged and bought my first DSLR camera. I’m a gadget Queen so I instantly fell in love with the complexity of my camera and the freedom it gave me with my images.

In 2013, one of my New Year’s resolutions, was to “find my passion”. Time would go by and I was frustrated that I thought I hadn’t found it yet when all the while it was right in front of me… photography. So, I gathered some of my favorite pictures that I had taken and shared them on Facebook and it wasn’t long before friends and followers were reaching out to me to photograph their maternity session, their newborn, or their wedding! I was ecstatic! I knew I needed to re-focus my photography business and start fresh! Shortly after that… Allison Shumate Photography was born. What started as a way to preserve my own memories, blossomed into a passion to capture and share in other’s love stories and lifetime milestones.

In order to be successful as a small business photography owner… I knew that not only do I have to master the photography techniques… I also need to have good business skills. I got my degree at Virginia Tech in Psychology but always thought that I had a niche for Business. Since I was a little girl, I’ve always been an innovative thinker, a leader, and a go-getter that goes full-speed ahead once I set my mind on something (I’m unstoppable!)… I literally went through a phase in middle school where I was convinced that I could make my bicycle fly (duct tapped 2×4 wood to my handle bars as wings and stapled cereal boxes to use as flaps, yes… I was convinced it would work!). I was always starting little businesses of my own to make some extra cashola (probably just to waste it all on buying Beanie Babies at the time!)… whether it was washing cars in the neighborhood, bake sales, lemonade stands… (I’m that little girl, Susie, in the Verizon commercial!). Back to what I was saying… I love the business side of my business! I get really excited about templates (LOL!). I love working on my website, my brand, updating my contracts, scheduling shoots, creating content to better educate my clients and other growing photographers in the industry.

Before a photographer… I am a wife who is madly in love with her husband — he owns my heart and is my rock. I am a daughter to two incredible parents that I’m extremely close with and have the privilege of living right down the street from, I’m a sister to an older brother that lives in NYC with his beautiful wife, and I’m a mother to a furry, lovable, goofball, black lab (Jackson!) who fills my heart with so much joy.

I’m blessed to have my husband, my family, friends, and followers that continue to support me and give me the motivation to grow. It’s going to be an unforgettable journey!