An Introduction

This first post probably won't be very long, and that's okay. I just want to come on here and introduce myself and my goal with why I've even started posting here. My name is Ashley, and I'm a 25 year old (well 25 years as I write this today) photographer who lives in Denver, CO. Not only am I a Colorado native, but I think my whole personality revolves around this place. I love the outdoors, and I always have. As a result, I think that is something that is directly reflected in my photography style. While I love capturing your story as a couple, business, or person, I also love to share how your story fits into a larger one. Whether that's in Colorado or elsewhere, it's all something.

I live with my fiancé and our two cats, and they are my whole world! He is so ridiculously supportive of me snd my dreams, that I know I wouldn't be here without him. Each stressful day, moment of doubt, he has stood by my side, and anytime I tell him something good, he never acts surprised because he believes in me always. It's one of the first things I always tell people whenever they ask how I do this. I think it's easy to say that we all thrive from community, but especially when you're stepping in to the world of freelance, it is so crucial that you have someone in your corner. My fiancé serves as my reminder that I'm exactly where God has designed me to be, and when I'm caught in my own head of self-doubt, he reminds me that I am so loved  and supported not only by the people here on Earth, but by the One who created it all.

I'm a certified overthinker, so it's so important to me to have someone by my side, even if he doesn't really know anything about photography. Which speaking of knowing photography, I have been working on my craft for YEARS. I got my first camera at 13 years-old, and even before then I would take my mom's iPhone and go on the trail behind my parents house to take photos with my best friend. Shoutout my rebel t5 (at least I think that's what I had) because everything changed when I got that camera. The amount of cringey photoshoots I conducted, all in an effort to be a Pinterest girl or to edit photos like Brandon Woelfel (which is incredibly hard to do with limited skills and a jpeg file). That being said, I did eventually start learning some more technical skills for photographer in high school. It took me a second to get to a photo class (one things about me is I had a lot of interests: I played clarinet, tried ceramics, film and broadcast, and even spent a couple years drawing and painting) but once I did I learned the basics to help me excel.

My first photo class helped me feel so much more comfortable with all my camera settings: I switched to manual and I don't know if I've ever switched back. I had the opportunity to explore different techniques and sources of inspiration, and even started to learn film photography. My first film camera was a gift from my Grandpa: no automatic settings so I learned a lot. We also had a dark room, so I was able to develop and scan and enlarge black and white photos. We didn't have the chemicals for color, so I started going to film labs for that. I am forever grateful for the space to explore mediums and techniques at such a young age because it kept me curious and created a safe space for me as I navigated the turmoil and emotions that are pretty typical for your average teenager.

It was in this safe space, I was encouraged to pursue some pretty big projects. My first (and favorite from this time) was a photojournalistic project I did where I went out in the community and interviewed random people. The focus was to highlight the beauty of each person's unique story, and it was so terrifying having to talk to strangers as a 16 year old. However, that them remained one of mine that is still present in my life. I continue to focus on the different stories around me, and I really enjoy capturing them. I think that's why I love weddings so much to this day. Not only do I get to think about your story as a couple, but I get to focus on the story of your wedding day (which yes!! is a story in and of itself).

I kept photography as a hobby in college, but to be honest, my only real focus was making fun memories and getting better at volleyball. I played Division 1 volleyball at Duquesne University, and that was a big part of my life and also why I love sports. Towards the end of college, I started shooting on my film camera more, and just overall exploring more with the arts again. I had a video production internship with a company here in Denver. I then did a semester long video internship with the Pittsburgh Penguins which was so incredibly cool. However, I still missed photography, so once I graduated, I did a summer photo internship with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. From there, I moved back home and started as a social media internship with Fresh Tape Media, who at the time was still very heavily involved with sports. It was super fun to follow them through various projects, and because I shot on film, I was able to bring my camera to shoots occasionally to get content for social media. All my internships were so incredibly cool and fun, and I learned so much, but I still had no plan for myself.

Even after my last internship ended in 2024, I had no idea what God had planned for me. I had so much experience, but there wasn't a distinct vision in my head for myself. As a result, I just focused on one step at a time and let my feet take me where I needed to go. My first 7-12 months of freelance were all over the place. I was still working retail, and had no idea what I wanted to do. I was still doing sports, a tried concerts, and even helped shoot my first wedding. I also started bring my camera skiing, and found a passion for that as well. All this to say, I still had no direction.

It wasn't until June 2025 that I decided to join a wedding company here in Denver to book more weddings. I then connected with other photographers to second shoot, and those two decisions have lead me to this moment, right here right now. I still do misc sports things on the side, but right now my main focus is weddings. I absolutely love them. I love the high adrenaline environment, but also that I get to be in charge and slow down moments to give couples the space to be intentional about each moment. From 2025-2026, I've been working to shoot as many weddings as humanly possible. While I am currently struggling with feeling burnt out (which I expected, I am so busy) it is something that I am dialing back moving forward. Not because I am stepping back form weddings, but by doing less weddings each month, I can be so much more intentional with what I am doing with each couple. I've now shot 50 weddings, and lead almost 30 (28 as of today), and I feel that that has taught me so much. While I still have much to learn, and I know that will never stop, I recognize that I am not a beginner. I don't need to build a portfolio, instead I need to continue to refine mine so that it best reflects what I can do.

I am so excited for what God has in store for me and my business, and I am so excited to support the community around me. I am so excited to continue to lift others around me of all backgrounds and beliefs, especially as I document their stories.

This is just a glimpse into mine, and I cannot wait to see what comes my way!