We recently connected with Isaiah Mcallister and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Isaiah thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with a fun one – what’s something you believe that most people in your industry (or in general) disagree with?

That people care about your work. That your work matters. We all want to create something that resonates throughout all of history. But for 99% that live through the zero attention span, doom scrolling afflicted culture of the present… we simply will not. I am a wedding photographer as well as a landscape and wildlife photographer, so I know that my wedding photos will hopefully have a direct resonance with a small group of people such as the couple and or their friends and family. But in terms of landscape and wildlife photography, people scroll past hundreds of beautiful images each day without giving them a second thought. If thousands of painters during the Renaissance painted a variation of The Mona Lisa, it wouldn’t be hanging in The Louvre.

I take photos because I enjoy photography. My wall is not some two toned theme just to help feed the algorithm, I post what I enjoy photographing with no rhyme or reason.

Isaiah, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I have always been creative. For my entire childhood, I had always dreamed of being a cartoonist and creating the next Far Side or Calvin & Hobbes, however… that didn’t quite work out. During COVID, I was laid off from a job I put 15 years into and realized I needed to do something creative again. So like everyone else who was laid off or stuck at home during COVID, I started a photography business. And if you don’t believe me, ask for photographer recommendations on a Facebook group.

Since then I have had the opportunity to capture weddings and special events for some incredible people.

Photography is relaxing for me. Even when photographing something like a wedding, I’m still pretty zen about it. Weddings are stressful enough for everyone, the last thing they need is a middle aged bearded photographer yelling at them all day as while taking their photos. Because I can assure you, no matter how beautiful your images turn out, the only thing anyone will remember is your interactions with them throughout the day.

And while we are on the subject, I’ve noticed more and more while shooting weddings is that instead of all of the vendors working together to give the couples the best overall wedding experience, they make the days about themselves. I want the couple to have a good wedding video as well as photos, so sneaking off at sunset to take couples photos without letting the videographer know, or vice versa just shows insecurity about your work.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I think with photography, it’s easy to get caught up in gear purchases and I am a victim of that myself. You think you need all sorts of different lenses and then you realize you can shoot an entire wedding with just a 50mm lens and wonder why you brought 6 other lenses with you.

But stuff like that is not easy to realize at first, so you get caught up in purchasing this gear that just collects dust.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I think being creative is the easy part for creative people. The hard part is taking that creativity and fostering it in some way to make some successful financial venture out of it, if that is your goal.

But when it does become successful (positive thoughts) the love and passion need to go beyond money or burnout will come. I have witnessed it with others.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mcallisterimagery.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcallisterimagery/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/McAllisterImagery
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@IsaiahMcAllisterImagery