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Alisa Darson

@alisa.acros

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book lover, turned casual photographer.
Brand Marketing 📷 @fujifilmx_us
Personal acc: @lisaxngel
📍NJ | NY

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📍Another round of Alaska

I was always the kid who liked looking up. I’d press my face against the car window, craning my neck for hours until I couldn’t any longer. Every funny-shaped cloud or verdant Upstate NY mountain, each night the same swathe of stars peeping down in the dark while remaining a wonder to me. You may be unsurprised to learn: I haven’t changed.

It’s been a month since visiting Alaska. On our ventures the guys were nice enough about indulging me and divided the driving btw/ the two of them (partly because I vehemently refuse to drive big cars - and partly because it meant I could make images while traveling to our next destination). I found myself fixated on looking out (and up) while cruising past sights left and right. I spent so much of those hours twisting this way and that, camera in hand and a ridiculous grin on my face whether we were driving with the sun on our side or through one of many random and frequent downpours of rain.

This set focuses on mountains and clouds, specifically: their enormous presence and gorgeous colors (like someone painted them in oil colors, artfully smudged in their shadows with charcoal). How peaceful the clouds were while passing by (kissing the tops of the peaks or floating lazily in between them), never fully out of reach. I pointed out every mountain like we didn’t just pass another five minutes before - the wonder never ceased.

1st photo: we stopped for lunch while hiking at Denali State Park. The next, a happy accident where at first I was frustrated by the tree blocking my view only to realize later it (along with that dreamlike fluffy haze of clouds) WAS my image. Slides 4-5 were at the dock in Seward. But to be honest, the last image might be my favorite (8-9 expanded, 10 in one slide). Simple, Acros-based (naturally). It was one of those quick snaps taken on a whim while ignoring any co-pilot responsibility I may have had in the passenger seat.

In my head it is called The Endless Road. And it is that particular edge, that gently curving path leading us to the unknown, that I find myself wanting more and more to lean into.

And man, do I hope to keep exploring.

Cheers!
—L taken in Alaska by @alisa.acros

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4 days ago

📍Spire Cove
Sharing another set of photos from Alaska, this time a carousel of views.

While aboard our wildlife cruise with @majormarinetours , I have to say Spire Cove was one of the prettiest things we saw. Felt like a scene out of a movie; something about the calmness of the endless blue water felt so serene (even under a grey sky). We saw orcas among other marine animals, and appreciated Holgate Glacier in all of its massive gorgeous iciness.

Included the stunning mountain views because it was a lovely way to begin our trip. (And yes, I scrambled to get my camera and lens out of my way-too-full backpack, and was v thankful to be placed in the window seat and at the ideal angle to start clicking away.)

Last snap was a quick selfie while on the road, made with the X-E5 I loaned (and fell in love with on my trip.)

More pictures soon!
—L taken in Gulf Of Alaska by @alisa.acros

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23 days ago

As I’m writing this the local time is 11:11 and we’re in Alaska and my mind is still blown at that fact.

📷 About the photos:
I’m surprisingly happy about the images that resulted from our hours of hiking. For some reason, yesterday was all about textures for me. The colors, the fungi, the little details in nature so easily overlooked, resonated. Also, exploring a teeny, tiny portion of📍Denali State Park isn’t crazy, but I was happy to cross it off my ever-growing list.

This may be my favorite set of images in a carousel thus far. Does that mean I’m making progress in my photography journey? I’m not sure, but I’m eager to continue sharing.
All images made with Fujifilm X-E5 and 27mm pancake (this was my challenge to self for the day)

📝A Short Entry:
We’re on a road headed to a clearing that may or may not let us see the lights tonight.

A bit of type 2 fun sustains our hopes of exploring tonight, accompanied by endless tunnels of trees, unlit paths in Fairbanks, and tunes playing in the background.

The trek to Murphy’s Dome welcomes us into the unknown; plunging our rental into the ominous dark with nothing but infinite black sky revealing itself. Alongside the dark is an unpaved road littered with dips and holes and mud, and white fog way too thick to see through. It’s an adventure, alright.

Three travelers waiting to see if cloud cover will dissipate for us to see the lights, or maybe a blanket of stars. Whether tonight is a success remains to be seen, but I’ll say this: the memory of this venture as it is feels enough to make it worth it.

More soon,
—L by @alisa.acros

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a month ago

One of my friends from college is getting married today. These photos are from her gorgeous bridal shower on Tues, brought to life with a shock of vibrant colors, delicious treats, fun crafts, and a whole lot of love.

Her best friend, and event organizer, reached out to ask if I could bring my camera and get some “nice pictures”. I said of course - I had been planning to regardless - but somehow the question made me nervous. Despite the casual nature of the event, it was still pressure of a kind (first time being asked to make images at an event that would be shared).

I was worried I wasn’t going to get the right angles, or I’d fiddle with my film recipes and miss the perfect moment, or I wouldn’t be as social as I typically am, but all of that fades to the background when you’re IN the thick of it. It was a lovely experience.

Honestly I even felt like my father during his years of event photography. Asking women to pose with the bride, snapping candids (as hard as the bride tried to evade me), looking for the smiles and laughs. I’m not posting my images of the bride + attendees out of respect for privacy, but I figured while on the way to the wedding (and stuck in traffic), I’d share some snaps of Tuesday’s colorful decor and overall vibes.

Happy Friday! —L❤️ by @alisa.acros

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5

3 months ago

What a dream to play around in the studio ✨

📸 : @alisa.acros

🖤🖤🖤 @femmefoto.co by @alisa.acros

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4 months ago

📍NJ Botanical Garden
📷: Fujifilm X-T50 w/ 15-45mm lens

Experimenting with my carousel format to make her artsy & match the whimsical mood I was in while making these images! Exploring with good friends yesterday was lovely. A trek in nature will always be a great way to fall back in love with life.

GOAL: Immerse myself in nature more. I get so caught up in the wfh lifestyle vs going out to see friends or daily to do’s that I often forget to take a beat and slow down. I think I need to add a macro lens to my kit soon…

On another note, I’ve been busy! w/ different types of journaling. Doodling, writing, self-expression. I even started a Substack! Will hopefully post bits of writing/poetry soon. And I will call the newest entry “blooming, still”
—L taken in New Jersey Botanical Garden by @alisa.acros

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5 months ago

Images made in Arizona, November 2025. Posting in February, 2026.

I remember returning home from this scenic trip excited about all the new memories we collected. We went for Daniel’s sister’s wedding, and stayed the week to explore the beauty of AZ.

Attempting to memorialize the most stunning landscapes in a photograph is difficult, but I had fun trying. Here are a couple of snaps from Antelope Canyon, views from Horseshoe Bend, an incredible sunset from Hole in the Rock in Phoenix (and that one giant 🌵in the Desert Botanical Garden). I will say that the canyon + the landscapes from our walks were truly my favorite. I have more to share, but it’s been months since my last post so let’s ease back into it.

Happy February!
—L taken in Arizona, USA by @alisa.acros

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8 months ago

📷: X-T50. Most of these are straight out of camera, with a film recipe.

April 2025: We were at a gorgeous villa in Rome.

Surrounded by all their loved ones, Daniel’s cousin (my cousin-in-law?) got married to the love of her life. The weather was stunning. The bride and groom, dressed like royals. And there was more than one language spoken during the ceremony, which made it all the more special. Love is universal, after all. I’m sharing these because of the pure joy in them. A novice’s try at finding those moments to savor later.

We’re going to another wedding this weekend. I guess that’s also why I’m sharing these.. excited to experience more of this joy, and celebration.

I hope moments like these keep us warm as we embrace autumn’s chill.

Love, —A by @alisa.acros

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3

a year ago

📷 Fujifilm X-T50 w/ 16-50mm and 80mm Macro lenses on a photowalk in 📍Minneapolis

Last weekend, Fujifilm hosted the annual “Create With Us” event in MN. This was my first year going.

During one of the CWU workshops, I was on an extended photowalk. I had fun trying my hand at loaner lenses (the 80mm macro lens in particular.) Here are my favorites—all floral and bee pics and that one wedding I spied on was with the macro. I really enjoyed looking for interesting textures and pops of color while we explored the city.

(But also, happy 1st of spooktober) taken in Walker Art Center by @alisa.acros

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9

a year ago

happy world photography day 🫶🏽
sharing some of my favorites made with 📷 @fujifilmx_us X half
Thankful for all the new friends and incredible inspiration I’ve encountered along this journey! I can’t wait to keep on growing. by @alisa.acros

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a year ago

Golden hour in the city last Tuesday. 🌅
My friend Glor and I decided to spend the afternoon walking the High Line while we chatted and sought a cozy nook to inconspicuously sip some soju.
Along the way warm sunlight made subjects glow with potential—namely, the subject always ready to make art with me. I’ve been learning how deeply I appreciate the friends who let me pursue interests / passions. While this one might be newer than others, it beams just as brightly. These are my favorite images of all the ones I’ve made of Glor so far, and I can’t wait to keep making more.

Note: The pictures of Glor walking ahead were made with a Classic Neg film recipe, magnified by sunlight hitting reflective windows of the nearby building. And the ones by the rail? Those were made with magic, little shifts in post—and, of course, a fantastic subject.

📸: @fujifilmx_us X-T50
💃🏻: @glaphyraaa by @alisa.acros

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14

a year ago

Sometimes all you need is good conversation with a good friend—and perhaps a casual stroll full of blooms and whimsy on a warm summer day. 📷: X-T50

I haven’t called myself a photographer, not really, because I haven’t been making images for that long. It’s been over six months, but not yet a year—the in-between period. I know it’s not all about the years of experience or having ‘the eye’, but a combination of both alongside the passion to pursue it. Or perhaps, the curiosity. And yet, I hesitate to identify as a creator, even though I have spent so much of my life creating, whether through doodles or painting or words. And now, images!

So it was a pleasant surprise that a compliment from my friend watching me make images on Sun made me feel so seen. My beginner’s craft felt acknowledged in the sweet and simple way only sincerity can deliver. I think bright florals and buttery warmth really brings out what summer feels like to me. I’m glad we went exploring in Ridgewood together.

This makes me wonder how much more I could grow if I keep at it— keep answering the call to create. Finding beauty or solace or loneliness, or whatever beckons to me in the moment, and slowing down instead of rushing past it. What would happen if I took that time to say to myself “yes, and?”

Just food for thought/a reminder to self. Happy Monday,
—A by @alisa.acros

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7

a year ago