IN THE PHOTO: Kamloops photographer Alison Francis had her work featured at the annual New York Fashion Week.
Google led to Alison Francis flying to New York City.
Someone at the Stefan Beckman studio there went online looking for something specific — the keywords used included rural, minimalist and photography.
And, the venture led them right to her website, said Alison Francis.
The Kamloops photographer was soon winging her way to the Big Apple, where three of her photographs would become even bigger, blow up to 15 feet tall and wrapped together to create a set for the show Coach was presenting for the annual Fashion Week there.
“It was pretty neat to see,” said Francis, who works at River City Rock and spends her non-working time doing things like going to Knutsford on a foggy winter day and walking back into the bush to take the kind of rustic, minimalist photographs that resonated with the New Yorkers and were chosen for the set.
It was a surreal experience, Francis said of the trip that had her at the site of the show and surrounded by people who were all generous and friendly.
“They were all very open and gave me information and advice about the industry,” Francis said — and plenty of contacts for possible future work.
Francis came to photography about a decade ago when she took a course with Eileen Leier and Ernie Kroeger at what was then University College of the Cariboo. Once she headed out on her own with a camera, she started getting excited about it.
A couple of years away from Kamloops to study at the Emily Carr University of Design and Art cemented her relationship with her camera, but also made her long for the River City again.
“Sometimes you have to go away to realize how neat the place is,” she said.
“With its semi-desert and rich ranching cultures. It’s inspiring.”
Francis tried a few summers shooting weddings, but realized that isn’t the kind of art she wants to make.
Instead, she’s more likely to head down Highway 5 toward Stump Lake and wander through the area between it and Quilchena, recording the journey photographically.
Francis has sold some of her work through her online store, alisonfrancisphotography.com, but is still trying to figure out who her target market is.
“I have more success online with people looking for a particular type of work,” she said — the kind that can even be found with a few words in a search engine.
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