Some people stumble into their purpose. Others grow into it. For Alyssa Rae Tootle, owner and creative mind behind A.R.T Photography, her passion for capturing life’s rawest, most unfiltered moments was planted early and bloomed naturally into the career for which she was destined.

Born and raised in Statesboro, Alyssa’s love for photography started at home. Her mother was rarely seen without a camera in hand, always ready to capture even the simplest of moments. Whether it was a family trip to Savannah or a quiet afternoon in the backyard, Alyssa learned that every moment had value and every detail mattered. When she was gifted her first point-and-shoot camera at just 12 years old, her world shifted. Suddenly, everything became an adventure worth documenting.

But Alyssa didn’t just see beauty in the obvious. She was drawn to places and scenes most people overlooked. Abandoned buildings, grungy alleyways, hidden fields and hole-in-the-wall corners of town spoke to her spirit. Where others saw ordinary, Alyssa saw art. These hidden gems would become the foundation of her style — proof that beauty exists everywhere if you’re willing to look closely enough.

“I’ve always been drawn to the raw and real,” Alyssa said. “The beauty that surrounds us often goes unnoticed, but it’s there. I thrive on finding it.”

As she grew older, her natural curiosity and love for people were woven into her art. Every job she took — waitressing, bartending, working in offices — was people-oriented, and she thrived on those connections. Photography became the perfect marriage between her adventurous spirit and her gift of making others feel seen, and what once was a passion project gradually turned into something much bigger: a career rooted in storytelling and service.

The name A.R.T Photography is more than just her initials; it’s her philosophy. Every session is a chance to infuse artistry into real life, to capture a fleeting moment and turn it into something timeless. Alyssa describes her style in three words: raw, real moments. Whether it’s a champagne picnic on top of a parking garage or a couple sharing pizza in the bed of their truck outside a Planet Fitness, Alyssa leans into spontaneity and encourages her clients to do the same, promising to create an atmosphere where they can be their truest selves.

“I’ll always be your personal hype girl,” she said. 

Still, no journey is without challenges. For Alyssa, the hardest part of becoming a photographer wasn’t the art itself but balancing creativity with entrepreneurship. 

“There are days where you just have to weigh the pros and cons of a situation and go with the flow,” she said. 

But her guiding mantra, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all,” reminds her that every obstacle is part of the bigger picture. 

Through it all, Alyssa measures her greatest success not by business milestones, but by people, and she’s careful not to take for granted the gift of every session, each one a memory, an experience, a chapter in someone’s life that she has the privilege of preserving.

“I truly feel my greatest accomplishment is all of the amazing people I’ve met and the stories I’ve been able to tell through my lens,” she said. 

Looking ahead, Alyssa envisions A.R.T Photography becoming even more established as a trusted local brand in Statesboro and beyond. She hopes to partner with businesses, organizations and community projects that bring people together and give back to the city that raised her. But more than anything, she wants her work to continue to inspire others to slow down and notice the subtle beauty in their own lives, passions and paths — those hidden gems that are so often overlooked. 

“If my camera could talk, it would probably say I’m obsessed with capturing every single detail and emotion of every session I’m blessed to shoot,” she said.