Alison Conclin is a Fujifilm manufacturer who has spent more than two decades in capturing emotional, clear imagination for weddings, engagement, families and editorial customers, Martha Stewart Weddings, KnotAnd Bride’sShe tells us what gear is unavoidable, what she learned from Linda Mekartney, and why instinct is at the top of technical skills.
What should always happen in your bag?
Always in my bag: mine Fujifilm gfx100s II And X-T5With GF 110 mm, GF 85 mm, GF 55 mm, GF 30 mmAnd this XF 23 mm for good measure. I never leave my home without my Profoto Flash, a ridiculous number of additional batteries, protein bars to keep me straight, and – because I am a heart transplant recipient – my med is required as my lens.
Which photographers inspired you? What inspired you about their work?
I remember that Linda stumbled at the work of Linda Mekartney at a high school at a local art museum, and it stopped me in its track. This was easy, biological quality for her images – as she was not just taking pictures, she was looking at something real and beautifully. His work felt personal and unexpected in the best way, and I fell in love with that kind of story. This made me realize that photography should not be perfect to be powerful – it was just to be honest.
What art books should every photographer have?
Okay, listen to me-one of my biggest sources of presence always old school. Crew catalogs have been directed and fantasy. I know that may seem unexpected, but there was so much editorial and natural about them. Prakash, Rachna, the way they captured real life with Polish, but without pretending – it got stuck with me. When they released Forty years of American styleHis coffee table book, I immediately added it to my car. It is a reminder that inspiration can come from everyday and that great photography does not always shout to be memorable.
What do you do to refine your skills?
Working in both weddings and editorial photography has given me a very different shape -but equally valuable -desert. Weddings taught me how to think on my feet, adapt quickly, and as soon as they are, chase them. On the other hand, editorial work taught me how to plan with intentions, shoot for print, and direct art with purpose.
Launch Bonus dayA print magazine that I made after my heart transplant, has put me even further. As the editor-in-chief, photographer and creative director, I have to think about every image from many angles-how it tells a story, how it fits into a layout, and how it will connect with a reader. It is taught me to see photography not only as a frame, but also as part of a large experience.
Now, I walk with a deep understanding in every assignment of how images live beyond the camera. For me, refining my skills continues to grow, growing, and never rely on that one great photo from last year to define me.
Do you have anything that is a daily practice or habit?
After more than two decades as a professional photographer – and now as a heart transplant recipient – I have learned to take care of my mental and physical health first. Every morning, I wake up early and walk for five miles after the day starts. It is a cool ritual that cleanses my brain, enhances my creativity, and helps me to show it completely to my customers. Bonus dayAnd for myself. The daily reset is how I remain balanced in a life that moves fast and asks a lot.
What would you advise a photographer to start now?
Your voice, your vision, and your perspective is uniquely yours – trust them. The most powerful images come only from stories that you can tell. Do not worry about chasing trends or trying to repeat someone else’s style. Be curious, be kind, and keep showing. Magic occurs when you bend from that place and take photos from that place.
How do you know when a picture is a success?
I usually know that a picture is a success when I can’t stop thinking about it after the shoot. If I am still deciding on it at the end of a long day, I know it has hit something. For me, a great image is to make me feel something – and often, I can tell in that moment I am making it. An innings is a spark, something that just looks different. This is the photo that lives with me.
What is the lowest photo skills?
Honestly, these are our words. One of the lowest skills in photography is how we communicate – what we say, how we say it, and how we feel people. When you are taking photos to people, especially in weak moments, your energy and your words can completely change how they appear in front of the camera. It is as important as light or composition to feel comfortable, seen, and safe. It is a very large part that makes an image successful.
What does success mean to you? Are there related to artistic success and financial success, or are independent of each other?
Success, for me, is time with my husband and adult sons. Before I fell into surgery for my heart transplant, I was not thinking about the magazine cover or how many weddings I shot – I was thinking about the people I love the most in the world. That moment gave me a complete clarity.
Post-transplant, I see every day as a bonus day. I am here only because of the unimaginable generosity of an organ donor and his family. That perspective has shaped how I define success: it is not about numbers or praise – it is leading with mercy, showing with intentions, and is to ensure that I have every conversation lies in gratitude.
How do you know when to let a concept go, or switch to the fly?
At the beginning of my career, I will show weddings with a list of Go-to Pose, wondering whether there is a successful shoot. But over time, I learned to rely on my intuition. Each pair is different, and the one that works for one can feel completely closed for the other. I have let the harsh concepts go and bend in the energy of the day instead – their chemistry, their personality, short unwanted moments that make their story.
Of course, we still take the expected photos – “A” and “B” shots all need – but the real story tells how we reach from one to another. It is in the middle. The place is the place where there is a connection, and thinking on the fly is not just a skill – this is something that I yearn.
After more than two decades behind the camera, I have learned that flexibility and instincts are the same as preparations. They are how real stories are told.
Alison Conclin is a Fuzifilm manufacturer and founder of Alison Conclin photography. After receiving a heart transplant in 2022, Alison launched Bonus dayA national print magazine celebrates life after transplantation and chronic illness. Through both her photography and the story, Alison is emotional about beauty in flexibility and most important in everyday moments.
Top ten There is a recurring feature in which we give remarkable photographers a list of questions from which they select their favorite 10 to answer. Answer can be edited for length and clarity.
