Dedicated, passionate — sometimes to a fault — photographer Aly Darin Johnson-Hill goes to great lengths to show the world what needs to be seen.
Known professionally as Aly Darin, owner of Aly Darin Photography in Franklin (and the creator of the stunning images in “Spellbound” and “Rise & Shine” in this issue), Darin has worked hard to not only earn this reputation, but to understand that working with others is what thrills her.
Focusing primarily on branding and corporate photography, Darin brainstorms and strategizes with clients — from independent boutique businesses to international corporations — about how best to convey their message.
Darin always wanted a career with a creative focus and “fell in love with black-and-white film and processing film in the darkroom,” she says. Her passion for everything photography-related blossomed from there.
While earning a BFA in photography from Central Michigan University, Darin focused on fine art with alternative processes and darkroom manipulation. She also took on various summer internships; post-graduation, she moved to Detroit to immerse herself in work.
“It was a process,” she says. “When I was in college, I focused mainly on photographing nature and abstract things because photographing people intimidated me."
She began working in professional photography studios, assisting in photographing high-school seniors, weddings and professional portraiture.
“After seeing how photographers worked with other people, and the ways they would relate to people and pose them, I began to feel at ease with the idea of shifting to portraiture.”
Darin joined the team at a local boutique gift shop, then moved to the marketing department of a local clothing company and on to an experiential marketing firm. “All of the people I’ve worked with and learned from, from bosses to co-workers to customers, helped me understand the nuances of communication, how to interact with and how to treat people,” she says. “They’ve had a huge impact on my life and my career.”
For example, Darin says, “My former boss, Ameen, really taught me how to get people to light up — he was amazing to watch. We would drive around, and he’d see people on the side of the road, pull over and ask if he could take their picture,” she says. “By the end of talking to him, they’d be posing and engaging with him and his camera. I don’t even know how to describe it. Being around him and seeing how he worked inside and outside of his studio — it was so uplifting.”
Even while soaking in master classes from generous mentors and colleagues, Darin had a glimmer of a calling. “I’d always wanted to start my own business,” she says. “It was scary, but I felt like the time was right to do what I have always been passionate about.”
Darin launched Aly Darin Photography (alydarinphotography.com) in 2006, and soon after, she joined a networking group in Birmingham. “I met a great group of people who were invested in me as a new business owner and wanted to see me excel,” she says. “They worked with me and referred me to their networks.”
To start, Darin served all of her clients’ needs, including headshots, family portraits, weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs and corporate events.
“It was good to start wide,” Darin says. “It exposed me to great experiences and helped me figure out where I find the most inspiration.”
Over the years, Darin has winnowed to a focus on branding and corporate work, helping clients to create a distinct identity and personality for their business, whether through a headshot or an entire branding campaign. “It's not just creating an eye-catching photo, but sending a message to your customer or client,” Darin says. “‘Branding’ is a professional buzzword right now, but it's essential to understand how to help your client define their experience with their client.”
Darin works with clientele ranging from large financial firms, law offices, marketing and creative agencies and web designers to smaller-scale medical offices, stylists and organization companies. She also works with manufacturing companies that perform CNC bending, stamping and welding, traveling around the world to their distribution plants and shooting, literally, the nuts and bolts as they are made — a rare specialty for photographers, especially women.
“Branding can mean many things,” Darin says. “A client may need to start with professional headshots, or they may need a refresh or a complete change to their entire marketing vision. These types of sessions are unique to each individual, firm, client and business, and I love to ask the questions, to learn everything I can to help create the perfect images for them.
"I will meet with a client to brainstorm the story they want to tell and plan for it so that we have a specific shot list, location ideas, props, setting, attire, hair and makeup. Do they need a more formal or traditional look at their desk, or a relaxed professional image? Do we want to capture an editorial style?” Darin says. “I want to plan everything that can go into making the shoot as efficient, successful and stress-free as possible. I want my client to know we're all buttoned-up and good to go, so they can feel fully prepared — but also have fun.’”
One client of Darin’s is a large law firm. “I meet with them to photograph their new team members, but we’ve also worked together on various projects as they were rebranding and building a new website,” she says. “For example, we’ve created custom ‘stock photography’ by planning imagery and poses using their actual employees. This way, their website featured images with their own team versus a mix of purchased stock photography.”
Darin is proud to have many repeat clients, some of whom have brought her into every aspect of their lives. “I have special clients, a couple, who hired me to capture their engagement photos,” she says. “Then they booked me for their wedding, and their family photos when their daughter arrived. We have worked together every year since as their family grew, along with capturing their professional headshots and also corporate imagery for her team. I’m so grateful they trust me with all of this — this relationship and legacy means the world to me.”
She also works with a creative firm that, “after working together for so long, has been able to collaborate to plan photography sessions for their clients both locally and internationally,” she says. “We work closely to create and deliver exactly what their clients need, based on the designs and branding work already created by the firm. It’s a very symbiotic relationship and being able to brainstorm along with them is always exciting.”
Despite once feeling that easy photographer-client relationship was a skill she needed to learn, she actually comes by it quite naturally. Darin is a force — easy-going but in control, warm, friendly, engaging and whip-smart. Her working style is effortless, which belies the detailed thought and intentionality she puts into each conversation, pose, and, ultimately, the tenor of each shot.
“I think I'm able to meet people where they’re at and help them feel comfortable, so they can relax into the session,” she says. “I focus on all the details, all the time — how is my client feeling, what can I do to help them feel at ease, does their hair or tie need to be fixed, are they comfortable in the pose, are they holding their breath? These little things can really help them understand that I’m taking it all in and there to support.
“For me, it’s about building a relationship,” she says. “I want to relate to them and know what makes them comfortable. Having your photo taken can be a vulnerable thing and I'm here to support however I can, so they can show up fully and enjoy being photographed.”
What Darin loves most is “the people,” she says. “I’ve met so many inspiring individuals, and learning about their businesses, what they create and how they function is so exciting. I love recognizing their unique interests and personalities — then creating imagery so they can see themselves and their businesses in a way they never would’ve expected.
“Most people do not get excited about stepping in front of a camera. I think they expect to sit-and-grin uncomfortably in a quiet room,” Darin says. “When a client shares that their experience was the opposite of what they expected, it truly makes my day.”
CALLOUT 1:
"All of the people I’ve worked with and learned from, from bosses to co-workers to customers, helped me understand the nuances of communication, how to interact with, and how to treat people.” — Aly Darin
CALLOUT 2:
“I think I'm able to meet people where they’re at and help them feel comfortable, so they can relax into the session.” — Aly Darin