By Meredith Knight
You may not know Dallas McNeal, but there’s a good chance you’ve seen her hands in an advertisement or two. As a successful hand model, Dallas has spent decades in front of the camera. She’s also worked as a makeup artist helping others take unforgettable portraits. But even as a child, she also loved spending time behind the lens capturing the moments that were important to her, her friends, and her family.
Then in the fall of 2017, God put it on Dallas’ heart to begin sharing her images with others. She stepped out of her comfort zone and booked a portrait session at a local private school photographing students from kindergarten through seniors. Parents she knew were surprised and said, “I didn’t know you were a photographer.”
“I told them, ‘I didn’t either,’” Dallas laughed.
But she soon learned she loved photographing high school seniors, families, sports teams, events, and really enjoyed serving her clients. “I like to spend time getting to know a client, maybe meeting them for coffee or lunch beforehand, learning their personality and what’s important to them. Then, when we meet for their portrait session, they’re already comfortable with me and their photographs will show it.”
With each session, Dallas asks herself, “How can I make this client feel special? How can I serve them?” For her it’s all about using this new ministry God has laid before her to love on people. “There’s something about presenting a client with a beautiful album or wall art and seeing their expression that makes it all worthwhile,” Dallas said. “The whole time I’m editing a client’s portraits, I’m smiling remembering the time we spent together, knowing their children and grandchildren will look back on these portraits and catch a glimpse at who they were at this age. It’s heirloom remembrance.”
As her Instagram attests, word is out, and Dallas is receiving lots of referral business from friends and family of clients. But she’s also embarking on a new photography adventure — working with small business owners to showcase their company. “It’s rewarding to help promote a small business in this competitive world,” she said. “I see it as my service to the community.”
Dallas likes to begin each session with a moment of prayer asking God to help her portray the business or individuals the very best she can. “I love taking care of these clients, making the session as pleasant as possible and telling as much of their story as I can through photographs,” she said. “My husband also uses his drone to help me capture aerial photographs for my clients as well.”
When not on the job making clients’ dreams come true, Dallas is a wife and mother of three daughters. She and her husband are looking forward to the next chapter of life as their youngest daughter just graduated from high school. The two also love to travel. “Wherever we go, you can bet I have my camera in my hand capturing the memories,” Dallas said. “I can’t wait to see where God takes us next.”
