4 minute read
CAPTURING MEMORABLE MOMENTS Allie Silvernale steps into her calling
from 618 Hometown Magazine, February 2020
by Princeton Daily Clarion, The Hometown Register, Warrick Standard
CAPTURING MEMORABLE MOMENTS
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Silvernale Photography owner Allie Silvernale, seated, with interns Alexa Price, Kaleigh Fisher and Madilyn Piper at her studio west of Mount Carmel.
Silvernale steps into her calling
WRITER: ANDREA HOWE PHOTOS: ANDREA HOWE & SILVERNALE PHOTOGRAPHY
We keep mental images of those memorable life moments — the look on someone’s face — the sunset or the clear blue sky. Allie Silvernale captures the moments and preserves them. And sometimes it’s easier said than done. A beautiful outdoor wedding venue can be a disaster if the weather doesn’t cooperate. But the Silvernale Photography owner makes those moments some of the most beautiful a bride could wish for.
Her studio on Maud Road near Mount Carmel is dotted with canvas portraits of some of those memorable moments. Engagements. Weddings. Graduations. Anniversaries. Children. All those moments where people can see what love looks like in color. Or black and white, if you prefer.
Silver nale does her par t to make the moments spontaneous. “Sometimes I give a guy a code word to tickle her to get her to relax,” she grins. “I try to find a couple’s natural ability to fall into one another.”
Making the photo subjects feel at ease is the key. “I let them see the photos as I’m shooting,” she said. “I talk to them and ask them to tell me about how they fell in love. Some people can be very timid at first, but I work to make it easy and quick and fun, to get them to relax and be in their element.”
Capturing special moments wasn’t her original career plan. “I’ve been taking photos since high school,” she said. But she earned double bachelor degrees at Southern Illinois University in fine arts/communication design and in speech communications/ public relations.
In her senior year at SIU, as she worked on a thesis project that involved photography, a professor saw some of her work and asked her, “Why are you not doing photography?”
Silvernale took the professor’s advice bought a Canon Rebel camera as a graduation gift to herself. She played around with
photography, doing free headshots for a friend who wound up winning a modeling gig and commercials.
“I’m self-taught,” she said, explaining how she learned photography and photo editing skills.
While her skills were growing, she was still determined to have a career in the field for which she earned a degree. She worked in marketing and other jobs.
And then, after her fiance was injured just before she got married — she stepped out in faith. “I put it all on God. He gave me a natural talent and pretty much said, ‘Do it.’” she smiled. Starting her own small business was more than a little nerve-wracking, she admitted.
Her business has grown and she’s teaching her skills to interns who go on assignment for practice shots with her, capture behind-the-scenes shots and promote Silvernale Photography’s social media presence.
Silver nale’s assignments are planned, but she’s open to the moment — to capture those moments. “I wing it a lot,” she laughed. She’s shot after having surgery, handled rainy outdoor weddings, New Year’s Eve “surprise” nuptials and just about any other assignment ranging from senior photo sessions to engagements, weddings, family and artistic whimsy work.
The nature of the work means lots of scheduling and communications with clients, booked weekends behind the lens, traveling and then hours and hours in the studio, editing hundreds of images. Silvernale said she’s pleased that clients have the confidence in her skills to know what she can do in the moment and in the editing process preserve their most memorable moments.
Her work and business contact info is featured at https://www. silvernalephotography.com
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