1. Tell me about your background / business.

I grew up in Hendersonville in my younger years and moved to Nashville in my early twenties .  Went to school for Communication and PR only to move into Photography after a brief stint in the Music Industry as an agent at The William Morris Agency .  I also spent time as an agent/manager and I once had to negotiate with Robert Redfords Production Company for one of my artists who was in A River Runs Through It starring Brad Pitt.  (little known fact)  As much as I loved the Music Industry I just wanted to be responsible for myself and really wanted my own thing - that’s when I decided to try photography because I had always loved it and had been doing it since jr high .  I knew early on that people would respond better to pics of others that they recognized so I went back to all the artists that I once repped and did whole photo shoots on a lot of them.  The response was amazing and I have been a commercial photographer ever since.

2. Where are you most excited to expand the franchise?  

Having logged as many miles as I have meeting interesting people , world leaders , actors , and just traveling the world I have so many amazing stories - some of which are actually hard to believe - I think about leading workshops and speaking in front of large crowds about how to be just be the lead character in your life’s story and to encourage so many others to do so.  I have found myself consulting people and companies on how to have not just vision for their company and craft but for their personal lives as well.  I would love to see that expand world wide - and it will.

3. Who are your influences in business / life?

I am a huge fan of those who are interested in risk and hard work .  I was watching Jerry Seinfeld’s new web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee the other day and he was interviewing Jim Gaffigan (whom I’ve worked with and used to be friends with) and Jim asked Jerry “Do you ever consider how lucky you are for the opportunity to do the the thing you enjoy..that’s insane …?”  To which Jerry replied “No…you had a regular job but you left - nobody else left - so why are you so lucky …you did this …not luck…what about your talent …was that just luck ?  What about the gift of being able to work hard ?  When do I (Jerry) get any credit for doing anything then …?”  At this point they both laughed and drove on …but I found this to be true about what I’ve done .  Working hard and all those that do as well -  no matter what walk of life or title.  I absorb everything I can get my hands on -  doesn’t matter where it came from - Poets , Musicians , Other Photographers and sometimes even wisdom written on a bathroom wall.

4. What is your business philosophy? 

Be honest at all costs….even to your own detriment if you have to . And just own what you do and don’t hide from it .

5. How do you maintain good relationships with your employees? 

I try to empower them and trust them at what they do…and pay them - they like that.

Allen has been published in :

The Washington Post, Forbes , The Hindu, Discovery Magazine, Interview Magazine, People, Shape, Time, Wired, Rolling Stone, Mojo, & The Telegraph.

His celebrity clients are quite diverse & include:  Jim Gaffigan, Cal Ripken Jr., Ethan Hawke, President George H. Bush, President George W. Bush, Peyton Manning, Rick Ross, Nicole Kidman, Beyonce, Sir Elton John, Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton), Julian Assange, Shaun White, Sir George Martin, Carmelo Anthony, James Earl Jones, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tiffany, Norah Jones, Justin Timberlake, Tom Brokaw, Tony Hawk, Walter Cronkite, Dave Matthews, Ludacris, Juicy J & Kid President!

His corporate clients include:

Amazon Music, Tanger Outlets, NFL, MLB, Puma, Bailey Hats ,First Bank, Reebok, AARP, Washington Post, The Telegraph, The Hindu, MTV Networks, A&E Networks, Steve Madden, Journey’s Shoe Stores, Jack Daniels, Time/Life, Lifepoint Hospitals, 20th Century Fox, Delta Machinery, Lifeway Publishing, Sony Music Group, NARAS (Grammy’s), Yamaha,Yum Brands Inc.,CVS, Sonic, Wired, HCA Healthcare & Conde Nast.

Contact

allen@allenclarkphotography.com
615.336.9459

Honningsvåg, Norway

July 2020