Daily Inspiration: Meet Ashley Rose

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Rose.

Hi Ashley, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstory.
My photography journey started at the age of seven when I received my film camera for Christmas from my Paw Paw. From that moment, when I took pictures only to know what they looked like once they were developed, photography captivated me. I would travel with my camera and my family to different National Parks around the U.S. and take photos to be placed in a photo album. Fast forward to the present day, I am still the family photographer, capturing all the special moments as I travel with my family around the U.S. Now. However, I can use my Canon DSLR to see what my photo will look like before even snapping the shot. How times have changed! Photography was already my passion, and I wanted to make it my hobby and one day a business, so Ashley Rose Photography was born!

My business started in a very unconventional way with a trip with my husband to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for our fifth anniversary. We were shopping around in the local art stores, doing our best to support local artists and photographers, when I noticed a gorgeous photo of the T.A. Moulton Barn on Mormon Row, but the price tag blew me away at $1,500. Of course, it was worth every penny. I understand and value a photographer’s worth. It was a huge photo with a custom frame. However, I thought to myself, “I can do that.” I found out where the barn was located. The next day, we traveled out to where the road ended due to the snow, and my husband and I hiked a mile and a half in snow and slush to capture a photo of this barn. Which incidentally is the most photographed barn in America. I was having trouble with the shadows on the barn, but nothing a little touch-up in Lightroom could fix. I was proud of my end product, so I posted it to a Wyoming Facebook page, expecting a couple of likes.

However, within a day, I had hundreds of likes and a few requests to purchase. The response blew me away. I sold a few copies but made no profit because I had no business plan then, so I printed and shipped them at cost. From that moment, I designed and launched a website where my photos would be organized, and my customers could shop at leisure. Since the start of my photography journey leading up to even now, my photos have been from my experiences and vacations with my family. Therefore, every image captured is a part of my family experience, making my customers a part of my family when they purchase from me.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My journey has only sometimes been a smooth road. It’s occasionally been so bumpy I’ve considered giving it all up and selling my equipment. I have worked extremely hard to be where I am today, with photography classes, extensive YouTube training on using editing software effectively, and real-world experiences educating myself on getting my settings right on my camera. From shooting in a dark concert venue without a flash to the brightest daylight with the harshest shadows, there’s much to consider when capturing the image. I’ve caught the Milky Way, graduation photos, concerts, weddings, couples, and the most amazing natural wonders of America, and each requires a different photography skill set. I am not the perfect photographer and am not even at the level I want to be. Every art form is different, every artist is different, and every photograph is different.  I have had to overcome criticism and now realize that I cannot and will not please everyone, and I have had to rewire myself to be okay with that. It’s sometimes tough to let the negativity fade without allowing it to access a part of you. However, my message to every new photographer out there is never to give up, even when it would be the easy thing to do. Know your worth, know your style, and set the bar high. Remember the reason you started your journey, and stay true to that.

I appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a landscape and nature photographer. I specialize in southwest photography, with my broadest photography base of photos and fans in and from Arizona stretching across the United States. Some of my favorite subjects to shoot are the southwestern landscapes from the tip of Utah, the vast Arizona deserts, and the grand mountains of Wyoming. I also love astrophotography! I have always been intrigued with outer space and all things NASA, so I set my sights on photographing the Milky Way. With much research in books and online, I learned how to capture our vast, mysterious, amazing galaxy. It took a lot of trial and error, standing outside waiting on the shutter to capture all the galaxy’s light in the darkness of night. I once went out in November looking for the Milky Way at 10 p.m., only to realize it was on the other side of the world then. Easy mistake, right? However, because of my drive and ambition to learn something new, my astrophotography photos are the ones I am most proud of as a photographer.

What sets me apart from others is my panoramic photography. Over the years, I have learned how to stitch multiple shots together to create a panoramic scene of the landscape. Depending on the image, I crop the pictures at a 1:3 ratio or sometimes a 2:4. I love my panoramic shots; that scene makes you feel a part of the landscape, which is the purpose of my photography. I want you to feel the image and feel like you were a part of the moment like I was.

Before we go, can you talk to us about how people can work, collaborate, or support you?
I would love to collaborate and work with anyone who shares the same passion as I do. Shop online at ashleyrosephotos.com if you’d like to support me and my work. All the proceeds I receive go back into my photography business. It’s my passion and dream to sell my prints in a shop in Arizona since most of my photography is Arizona-based. Connect with me at artphotography4@gmail.com if you’d like to collaborate on a project! I love connecting with new people from around the world and trying new things in the world of photography!

Contact Info:

• Website: ashleyrosephotos.com
• Instagram: artphotography4
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN3eTxAD3C68c8yxVipCy9w

Image Credits
Ashley Rose