Rising Stars: Meet Ali (Tso) Longo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ali (Tso) Longo

Hi Ali, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Yes! The funny thing is I didn’t even pick up my first camera until after college. I grew up doing gymnastics competitively and competed all the way through college. I was very focused on school and to be honest, gymnastics consumed so much of my life. I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Psychology, and then went on to pursue my Master’s degree in sports psychology. But I had this urge to create and I never had a chance to really explore that. So during my time in graduate school, I began playing with photography as this creative outlet. I had no idea that I was creative at the time! That’s when I truly fell in love with photography and have been obsessed with it ever since!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It was definitely not a smooth road to launching my career as a photographer. I pretty much did a 180 turn! Once I decided that I wanted to pursue a life as an artist and creative, I could feel a lot of doubt and confusion from my peers around me. I was on this clear trajectory towards a career in psychology, but I wanted something different for my life. I wanted to take a risk and truly build a life that I was passionate about. If there was any time to do it, it was right then. So I left my graduate program in Colorado and moved back to Arizona, where I grew up. I got a serving job, a chiropractic assistant job, and began building my portfolio from the ground up. It was a lot of work and pretty stressful! I struggled with the doubts and fears of my life choices, wondering if I made a mistake. But looking back, I can now see how special that time was. It was a time of healing and surrendering and starting all over. I could not have done any of it without giving my life to God. I feel so proud to be where I am now! I’m a full-time portrait photographer and I love what I do!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in creative portraiture, with a passion for fashion! When I look at my work, I see a lot of color and beauty. I love capturing movement and emotions. I think it’s so fun to play with styling and working with a variety of models. I like to play with light and shadows, and there’s a subtle softness throughout my imagery. I love that moment when I click my camera and I KNOW that I got the shot!
I also think that my background in gymnastics and psychology play a role in my photography. I didn’t realize this until somebody pointed it out to me, but my eye is trained to see precision in movement and leading lines just from my life experience as a gymnast. Then my psychology background helps me understand my subject and communicate in a way that makes them feel very comfortable and at ease while I’m photographing them. I think it all became very intuitive to me. Plus, I’d say people would describe me as bubbly and enthusiastic during my shoots! I want people to have fun and truly enjoy the experience.

How do you define success?
I think so many of us are driven by the label of “success.” People are wired to continue to chase and never be satisfied. Being someone who is very driven, I often wrestle with the desire to be further along than I am. So I’ve actually thought quite a bit about this topic! Here’s what I’ve concluded:

I would say most people define success as being influential, financially free, or highly respected. But I have to remember that God defines success for us and very different from our world view. God’s measure of success is your faithfulness, not your influence. Faithfulness is being consistent with the right motives and attitude. It’s a healthy heart posture and walking with integrity. I’m more focused on who I am becoming than what I possess. I think success is much more about your character than anything else. Am I loving? Am I generous? Am I speaking truth with kindness? Do I motivate others to do the same? If the answer is yes, then I am walking in success!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alitsophoto.com
• Instagram: @alitsophoto
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alitsophoto

Image Credits
Ali Tso Photography, LLC