We were lucky to catch up with Allyson Garcia recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Allyson thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

Happiness as a business owner looks different in every season – and right now, I’m in a really complex one.

I recently moved from California to Utah, and even though I’ve been a full-time photographer for years and am still fully booked back in California, it truly feels like I’m starting over. I spend a lot of time traveling back and forth—shooting weddings, sessions, and serving the clients who have grown with me and trusted me for so long. California is still a huge part of my business. But being in Utah now, I’m back to that vulnerable beginning stage—networking from scratch, getting my name out there, and trying to replant roots while still maintaining everything I’ve built in another state.
It’s exhausting sometimes. There are definitely days where I wonder what it would be like to have a “real job”—a 9–5 with predictable paychecks, paid time off, and the ability to actually rest on weekends. A job where I don’t have to constantly market myself or wear all the hats. When I’m sitting in an airport editing photos between flights, or responding to emails at midnight after a full wedding day, it crosses my mind.

But I always come back to this: I’ve never felt more alive, more aligned, or more proud of the work I do. Photographing weddings and couples—telling real stories, preserving fleeting moments, building genuine relationships with my clients—that gives me purpose. The freedom to create, to connect, to run my business on my terms… that’s something no “real job” has ever been able to offer me.

This season is hard. It’s lonely sometimes, and full of growing pains. But I’m happy because I believe in what I’m building. I’ve built it before, and I know I can build it again. The foundation is still strong—I just have a new backdrop.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Hi! I’m Allyson Garcia, the photographer behind Allyson Kristine Photography. I’m currently based between Southern California and Utah, and I specialize in capturing weddings, elopements, and couples. I photograph love stories that are raw, emotional, and timeless—and I do it with intention, heart, and a fine-art approach.

Photography came into my life in a pretty unexpected way. One day, I pulled out a Nikon camera that had been collecting dust in my closet. I had no real plan—I just knew I felt drawn to create something. I started offering free sessions to anyone who’d let me take their photo so I could build a portfolio. And from there, things grew faster than I ever imagined.

A huge part of my journey was my next-door neighbor at the time, Sadi, who happened to be a well-established luxury wedding photographer. She took me under her wing, mentored me, and brought me along as her second shooter. Over time, I became her right hand. When she eventually moved to Colorado, one of the venues she was contracted with offered me the opportunity to step in and take over the contract. That moment really launched my business in a serious way—and I’ve been all in ever since.

Today, I serve clients across California and Utah, and regularly travel back and forth for weddings and sessions. I’m in a season of transition—rebuilding my presence in Utah while continuing to serve my loyal California clients. It’s not easy juggling both markets, but I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve built and how it continues to evolve.

What makes my work unique is the way I combine emotional storytelling with a clean, artful style. My clients know that I’m fully invested in them—not just on the wedding day, but throughout the whole experience. I help with timeline planning, gentle posing that feels like you, and the in-between moments you didn’t know you’d want to remember. I truly care about your story, and I want you to feel seen, supported, and celebrated.

What I’m most proud of is the trust my clients place in me. They let me into some of the most important, emotional moments of their lives—and I never take that for granted. Whether we’re documenting a joyful wedding in wine country or an intimate elopement in the Utah mountains, I want your photos to feel like home.

More than anything, I want potential clients and followers to know that this isn’t just a job for me—it’s a calling. I’m not just here to show up and snap pretty pictures. I’m here to preserve the way your love feels, in a way that will still move you 10, 20, 50 years from now.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of new clients for me has honestly been a mix of word-of-mouth referrals and Instagram. My business has grown so organically through past clients sharing their photos, tagging me, and genuinely hyping me up to their friends and family. There’s something so powerful about personal recommendations—when a bride texts her engaged best friend and says, “You have to book Allyson,” that means more to me than any ad ever could.

Instagram has also been a huge tool for growth. I treat it like an extension of my brand, not just a portfolio. I share behind-the-scenes moments, travel updates, snippets from galleries, and personal glimpses of my life—which helps people feel connected before they even inquire. A lot of my bookings start with a message like, “I’ve been following you for a while and I just love your vibe.”

I also owe a big part of my early growth to second shooting with my mentor Sadi. That opened so many doors and helped me build relationships with vendors and venues that continue to refer me even now.

At the end of the day, the best clients have always come through connection—whether that’s in-person or online. I pour my heart into every session and every gallery, and I think that energy naturally finds its way back to me.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

When I first started my business, I honestly had no idea how to use social media for marketing. I wasn’t thinking about “strategy”—I just knew I had a camera, a growing passion, and a desire to connect with people. I started posting my free sessions, sharing behind-the-scenes moments, and talking about the heart behind my work. And I think that’s what helped me build an audience: I showed up as myself.

Instead of focusing on going viral, I focused on being valuable. I posted tips for brides, my favorite photo locations, things I wish couples knew, and snippets from real sessions. I talked to my followers like they were friends. I didn’t just post a pretty photo and disappear—I interacted. I replied to DMs. I hyped up other photographers. I engaged with the community I was trying to grow.

The more I leaned into storytelling—both visual and written—the more my audience grew. It wasn’t overnight. But it was real. And that’s made all the difference.

My biggest advice to anyone starting their social media journey is this:

Don’t wait until it’s “perfect” to post. Share the journey, not just the highlight reel.
Talk like a human, not a brand. People connect with personality way more than polish.
Stay consistent and give more than you sell. Education, value, connection—those things build trust.
Be patient. An engaged audience takes time to build, but it’s worth it.
You don’t need a massive following to be successful. You need a loyal one. And that comes from showing up with heart, again and again.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://allysonkristinephotography.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/allysonkristinephotography?igshid=ZWIzMWE5ZmU3Zg==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allyson.garcia.739?mibextid=LQQJ4d