Life and Work with Alix Lowry

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alix Lowry.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m Alix! My story is pretty long and I guess pretty unique; people are always telling me to write a book! But I don’t like writing so much and I probably wouldn’t read a long book either, so I take pictures!! I imagine if I did any kind of book, it’s going to be a picture book, lol.
So here is the very short version:
I’m a Black Queer Woman currently living in Boulder County, Colorado. Beautiful place, and not always the most diverse…and that’s a big part of my story. I was adopted pretty young into an all white Mormon family, and grew up in Montana…so once again, not super diverse. I never really got to connect with being Black and what that means to me and also means as far as how I would find out I’d be treated differently in some places, nor was it talked about much in my family. There’s a lot I simply don’t remember. There are times that would really get to me. So that has been quite a ride figuring out. Couple that with also being queer, and I’ve had some less than ideal interactions with family and others.

And there’s a lot of good too! Being part of the LGBTQ+ community and being a queer Black woman means seeing the world through a different lens! There’s also so much beauty and expression in this community. Being at local LGBTQ events is where I often spark a creative idea!

I have always been a very visual person. I love imagining how a room can look, looking at different spaces and houses and noticing all
the little ways lighting and simply rearranging some things can change how it looks and feels. Photography lets me do that in a really cool way. I’m also told I naturally put people at ease. So photography has also been a way to give people an amazing experience and to let their inner selves really shine through.

It took me some time to finally step into the role of photographer. I had a sense of security with this full time job, but it was draining the life out of me too. Turns out, I met someone (who I’m now engaged to!!) who didn’t let me off the hook on pursuing this dream. So the rest is history.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I wouldn’t call it smooth, but I’d say it’s been worth all the effort. It was scary at first to be honest. The message I received most of my life was to get any stable job as soon as you can. And that job for me was one of the most stressful parts of my life. There were so many daily interactions and incidents that drained me to my core. And I’d keep showing up, even looking for promotions into positions that meant more stress for a only a little more pay.

It’s really hard to be creative when you’re so drained. I craved doing something different that would let me use my mind in different ways, to connect with people differently.

It took some encouragement and lots of commitment to what it takes to learn something in the non traditional sense; meaning I know I couldn’t afford to go back to school so I was going to watch video after video and just get out there and take pictures with rented equipment. I do have to give myself credit for that and really sticking with it, because I love this work.

Getting out there was the most important. You really have to go meet people and be pretty brave in putting yourself out there. But also just really make genuine connections with people and know who you want to serve. I had people in my life willing to push me and also introduce me to different opportunities. And, when I knew I needed to learn through some guidance beyond tutorials, I found a local photographer who does amazing work and basically said I would do anything to help her out if she could mentor me. And she did! Those relationships are so key.

Please tell us about Alix Lowry Photography.
I specialize In lifestyle branding photography for Female Founders, Women Owned Businesses and femme presenting trans business owners.I really want to leave a legacy in photography that really centers women and femme presenting people who worked there butt off to get were they are now, and have created the pathway for other small kids to see that they can do it as well.

And to think that growing up all those people usually hear the message that they dont deserve the spotlight, it some way or another. It’s such a nonsense message we get from media and also overexposure to narrow ways to see beauty and success. Plus, everything is so photoshopped and staged, you don’t even know what’s real anymore. When it comes down to it, we all have scars, stretch marks, wrinkles, blemishes, different personalities, different interests, and all kinds of things that make us unique. I want to do my part through my work with business owners and make sure they get the love and attention put into every photo as they do with there business as well and showing off who they uniquely are. I also want to put a different kind of stock photography option out there into the world.

Think about when you’re an online business owner and a Qlueer Black Woman looking for stock photos to use in your social media graphics or in your PDFs or courses or whatever. You get like three of the same models and you still don’t feel represented. We need more inclusive stock images of all types of bodies, ages, races, ethnicities, emotions, gender. There are so many more people in the world yet when you are searching for stock images your not getting the full scope, complexity, uniqueness and difference of humanity. I want to change that. Imagine if we had all kinds of people and families represented in more photos that get used in different media !! I’d love it. I think it’s getting better and I want my photography to help fuel that.

There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that a lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
Yes! Connecting with mentors and teachers is so important. And I personally know how hard that is when you don’t have the financial flexibility to just stop working and go spend thousands of dollars on another degree. And even that degree doesn’t always get you the level of attention and care a mentor can provide. And mentorship and coaching costs because I know it’s a lot of work on their part too! So if you can’t afford to pay for it, I highly recommend offering something in return. Offer to assist on their next project. See what you can take off their plate that would also help you learn. Go to meetups! As I mentioned above, I did some research and found Kate Merrill Photo, reached out, and she very generously agreed to show me some things while also letting me ask as many questions and test out equipment as I go. You never know what can happen if you just take that first step.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.alixlowry.com
• Phone: 7208998038
• Email: alix@alixlowry.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alx_low/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlixLowryGraphics

Image Credit:
Alix Lowry Photography

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