Life and Work with Aleigh Phillips

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aleigh Phillips.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Aleigh Aileene Photography sort of started in an unusual way you could say… being a college student and taking classes online I ended up spending most of my days at home doing homework and studying, and while that was great (giving me the flexibility of not having a commute and being able to do my course work as soon as I woke up), it did start to take a toll on my mental health especially when you already suffer from things like depression.

Unfortunately, once you get in a rut, it’s pretty hard to get yourself out of it, I think some of you can relate?

So, I knew I had to get myself out of this rut and put my extra time doing something creative and something you can really pour your soul into. I’ve always dreamed of doing photography because I loved the concept of capturing peoples real emotions and real-life moments in one simple click. I picked up a camera and instantly began to recruit my kind and generous friends to let me practice on them and I was instantly in love. Seeing the smiles and happiness coming from my friends and truly seeing how beautiful they felt was such a game changer for me and that’s when I knew this is what I wanted to be doing during this next chapter of my life.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No worthwhile journey is a smooth road in my opinion and mine certainly wasn’t the smoothest but was it worth it? OH YEAH!

There is an overwhelming presence of photographers in Arizona and with that comes comparison, judgment, and a false sense of insecurity. Especially when I started out, I compared myself to EVERY other photographer (even ones who had been doing it for years and years) and became so hard on myself. I was constantly wondering “why isn’t my work as good as theirs?” and putting myself down constantly about my work.

If there’s any advice I can give to any ladies out there wanting to get into photography it’s to go easy on yourself. It’s hard and no, you won’t be perfect when you first start and that is okay. You’ll get some blurry photos even some photos where you’re questioning if you should even be doing this. Remember to take it slow, be kind to yourself, and ASK QUESTIONS or even take a class! Us AZ photographers have to stick together, so if you find yourself having any doubts or troubles with photography, reach out to another photographer and I promise we’ll be more than happy to offer you some kind words and anything else we can do to help!

Please tell us about Aleigh Aileene Photography.
Portraits are the main focus of my business! I love connecting with people one and one and capturing them when they feel the most beautiful or when they’re celebrating something extremely exciting such as graduation! Although, I offer other types of sessions (couples, maternity, and newborn) portraits will always have a special place in my heart and be what I truly love since that’s how I got my start!

There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that a lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
Reach out, reach out, reach out! If there’s someone’s work you love, reach out to them! SO many photographers have mentor sessions or are willing to mentor you if you just ask! I was lucky enough to have Francesca Hernandez from https://www.freelightphotos.com/
take me under her wing! Not only did I gain an amazing friend but I gained so much knowledge and experience from her.

Contact Info:

• Email: aleighaileenephotography@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleighaileenephotography/

Image Credit:
Francesca Hernandez with Free Lights Photos (https://www.freelightphotos.com)

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.