After falling in love with photography at age 30, artist Allan Ali has partnered with NoName Gallery, at 8127 Germantown Ave., to showcase his project “Alone, But Not By Myself.” It features all black and white photos, capturing people in unexpected and raw interactions.

Ali works as a climate culture coach for the School District of Philadelphia but fell in love with photography nearly seven years ago. He explains that he uses his photography to unravel the deep human connection that can be visualized through small moments.

“I think initially picking up a camera, I was very open-minded to whatever,” Ali said. “... I just thought it was beautiful, so I pretty much follow my heart and shoot whatever I believe is beautiful.”

Ali’s artistic passion has led him to host his second photography workshop and walk through Chestnut Hill. The event will take place at NoName Gallery on June 20 from 2 to 5 p.m. These workshops allow Ali to work closely with people to teach technical skills as well as some tips and tricks he’s picked up over the years.

“It’s just a beautiful, intimate experience where people come together, learn and grow, and hopefully make a truly beautiful memory out of the day,” Ali said.

During his first workshop on May 16, he mentored three students, teaching them about proper lighting, direct subjects, and how to develop their own creative voice through photos.

The event starts with a 90-minute, interactive class and ends in a 90-minute photo walk, in which the photographers can try out the new skills they learned during the workshop. The workshops are geared toward beginners, aspiring photographers, content creators, and anyone interested in picking up photography. Ali is hoping to continue these workshops in the future as well as expand them to larger groups.

“It’s always important to me to see things as an art form, as something that you practice with diligence, and that you grow at,” Ali said. “... I would say my overall goal is that same spark that I got when someone put a camera in my hand. I hope I can share that.

“I was a double major in anthropology and sociology, so it was like I always loved people interacting with each other and their environments, and this idea of home. I’ve always loved it, and the work has just gotten deeper and deeper and deeper into what my interests are.”

With Ali’s project spending its last few weeks at NoName Gallery, he encourages anyone interested in the arts to come and check out his work. He hopes to inspire other artists to keep creating what they love, and to use his work to show the beauty of black and white photography.

“If you like spending time with your mind and your brain, and thinking a little bit deeper, I think that black and white photography gives us an amazing opportunity to do that,” Ali said. “So I encourage anybody who’s into that type of stuff to come out and check it out.”