Photographer captures moments for those with busy lives to enjoy
For a 19-year-old, Alan Plemmons Jr. is quite mature in a laid-back kind of way.
He married just over seven months ago, his wife has a child on the way, and he’s settled comfortably in a home on his parents’ property in Spokane Valley. The views from his place are lovely and include a pond, natural growth and wide-open space – perfect subjects for a photographer’s eye.
Plemmons is a photographer and a convincing one at that; he has a calling card for his business “iMAGINE Photography,” duffel bags filled with backdrops and lights, and a growing portfolio. This young man is well on his way to being what he wants to be. “Whether I succeed or not, I’ll be doing it my whole life,” he said. His mind is set and he’s taking the necessary steps.
He caught the bug when he was 8. “My dad and I were cleaning out the garage and we found a 35 mm camera.” It was on its last legs but Plemmons managed to snap a few rolls before it broke. “I took close-ups of roses and trees and things,” he said.
Plemmons again picked up a camera when he was 15, and took up where he left off. He has been snapping photos ever since. “People have told me that I have a good eye,” he said, “A photo I took when I was 15 is on my dad’s computer as a screen saver. I took it from underneath yellow tulips, looking up toward the sky.”
He began displaying his nature shots at Art, Music and More at Spokane Valley Mall about six months ago and has sold at least 20 images, including roses, water formations and animals – including black-and-white puppies that fit in a human hand. He will soon be snapping that same pose with a baby.
He gets much of his work by word of mouth and has done senior portraits, wedding pictures and family Christmas cards. His portraits are edgy and filled with youthful imagination.
Plemmons was home-schooled and is continuing that tradition by taking home courses through the New York Institute of Photography. Upon completion, he will earn a certificate.
When asked if his parents are creative, it took him a while to answer. “No. Wait a minute, yes. My dad plays the guitar and my mom sews and makes beautiful porcelain dolls. My dad also used to restore cars, now that’s an art. He renovates homes, too, and that takes a good eye.”
Wherever Plemmons got his good eye, he’s not letting it go to waste and he’s sharing it with others. “The perfect sunset, filled with purple, pink and orange, fresh spring raindrops on the just-opened petals of a deep-red rose, these are the things that make my heart stop,” he said. “The sky, rivers, mountains, oceans … in the hustle and bustle of all our busy daily life schedules, we can’t just stop and look. That is one of the reasons I do these things, so people can have a piece of these great creations to contemplate on and, in a way, spiritually go to.”