Ashley West Photography » blog

I have some really exciting news!!! I will be speaking at an event on January 7th called Renew Night. This event is designed for photographers at any stage of their business to connect, chat, and listen to how others started, things that work for them in this industry, and network and make friends!

renewnight2pintopinterest

Karime Photography and Andrew and Chrissy Photography will also be speaking and I am so excited about this!

I got breakfast with Chrissy a couple months ago and she asked if I would be interested in being a speaker at this event she is planning…. my first thought was.. “OMG what will I say!? Will anyone even want to listen!? What do I even have to offer other photographers in the industry!? Am I successful enough to do something like this!?” – I think it would be safe to say panic shot though me. I said I’d think on it. And then with a few text messages and encouraging words from both Chrissy and Kari – I said OKAY what in the world do I have to lose!?

When I started the plans for this business in 2010 this whole “community over competition” movement didn’t exist. I would just email every photographer I knew that inspired me begging for their advice. And most were so kind and helpful and I will never forget their generosity!

In 2012 I went to a seminar in Chicago and saw Jasmine Star speak… Everything in my business changed after that. I left so inspired, so energized. Just hearing her excitement, how she conducts her business, where she started, what success was to her, how to create a cohesive brand… I was HOOKED. I came home, bought a new blog & branding, amongst many other things – toss a lotta passion into that and I felt like everything just fell into place for me.

So I thought, well if Jasmine Star could inspire me (and so many others) that much… Maybe something I say would help someone out there struggling. Maybe just one person would benefit from what I had to say and it would be so worth it.

So, please please come listen to me chat about this crazy amazing wedding photography world! I am going to tell my story on how I started, talk about what success means, offer some tips on things that have worked for me – and offer a little Q&A. I truly hope this is the first of many opportunities for me to meet with other photographers, offer my experience and ideas to help others grow.

Andrew and Chrissy Photography have been busting butt planning this event and I am so grateful they asked me to be a guest speaker. I know you will learn so much from both them and Kari – you won’t regret it!

The event will be held on Thursday January 7th at 6:00 in Pickerington,OH. Our hope is that by sharing stories, words of encouragement, and practical advice, that you can walk away feeling renewed for 2016. Tickets will go on sale THIS Thursday and they are JUST $50!  YES TOMORROW!! (Thursday October 29th!)

This link will be live at 7:00am to reserve your seat.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/renew-night-tickets-19233581159

THANK YOU SO MUCH ALL! Excited to meet some amazing creatives! See you on the 7th!

Send Usa Message Share onFacebook Pin topinterest

Blog Collage-K+M1pintopinterest

Helllllllloooo Kati and Mike! These two booked me almost 16 months before their wedding. I was so excited from the start! I knew their style would be so fun to shoot.

They had their ceremony at Everal Barn in Westerville and Reception at Dock 580 in Downtown Columbus. So fun to integrate a charming Ohio barn and the rustic/industrial elements of downtown! She really got it all. And we stopped in a beautiful pine forest on the way to their reception and got some incredible woodland feeling portraits! LOVE! And their flowers by Sunny Meadows Flower Farm were just to die for.

Their taste is wonderful — but so are their hearts! These two just made me so warm and fuzzy all day. So many tears during their ceremony! And the toasts were so sweet. So much love surrounding these two and I was so glad to be a part of it. Congrats again Kati and Mike!!

Blog Collage-K+M2pintopinterest

Blog Collage-K+M3pintopinterest

Blog Collage-K+M4pintopinterest

Blog Collage-K+M5pintopinterest

Blog Collage-K+M6pintopinterest

Blog Collage-K+M7pintopinterest

Blog Collage-K+M8pintopinterest

Send Usa Message Share onFacebook Pin topinterest

Blog Collage-WallaceWest1pintopinterest

HI EVERYONE!!!!!

We thought it would be fun to create a little post getting to know us!

As most of you know… Ashley West is the owner and founder of the business — started in 2011. In 2012 Ashley Wallace joined the team! She is now my full time associate.

SO, what’s an associate!? Well, Ashley’s been 2nd shooting weddings with me for awhile now, and doing miscellaneous  business tasks, and doing AMAZING at all of them. She shoots like me. Edits just like me. Thinks like me. Loves like me. We were destined to work together. So, when you contact me, and I’m booked…. And I so sadly cannot shoot your wedding… I send you right over to Ashley Wallace (#2). Someone I can vouch for who is great at what they do. I know she will take wonderful care of you and preserve the most amazing memories for you and your family. And until her schedule is booked, she will be 2nd shooting with me too, so she may even pop up at your upcoming wedding this year.

Well we did these cute head shots this Fall and thought it the perfect opportunity to introduce ourselves… Or re-introduce ourselves to most of you!

So — here are some fun facts about us!! Ready for your West or Wallace!? (We are going to quiz you at the end…) …

Just kidding 🙂

Blog Collage-WallaceWest2pintopinterest

This is Ashley WEST. Brown hair and glasses….

Blog Collage-WallaceWest3pintopinterest

This is Ashley WALLACE. Blonde hair & blue eyed…

Blog Collage-WallaceWest4pintopinterest

Okay — here we go!!

Blog Collage-WallaceWest5pintopinterest

WEST — Dog lover & Vegetarian                                                          WALLACE — Cat lover & Coffee Drinker

Blog Collage-WallaceWest6pintopinterest

WEST — Obsessed with DQ Dip cones & ABC’s The Bachelor       WALLACE — In love with Chickens & has 6+ Tattoos

Blog Collage-WallaceWest7pintopinterest

WEST — Loves to Snowboard and Bake                                             WALLACE — Has a huge family & loves to Crochet/Knit

Blog Collage-WallaceWest8pintopinterest

What about us both!!?! As we were putting together this blog post it was hard for us to come up with things we didn’t have in common!

So how about a little West AND Wallace for ya!!

Blog Collage-WallaceWest9pintopinterest

West & Wallace — First and foremost, Photography. Clearly this is our absolute passion and such a major component of what makes us who we are today. We both have 2 Associate Degrees from Columbus State — One of them being an Associate of Photography Degree. We are total people lovers and hopeless romantics. We literally cry at weddings almost every weekend! This is a dream job for both of us and we are so grateful for all the love and support that constantly surrounds us.

We both love to be outdoors! Sign us up to kayak, hike, explore and take adventures. Both love gardening. We are passionate about eating healthy and cooking (when we have the time!!)

We both got married outdoors in September. And both of our husbands are motorcycle riding, tattoo loving men.

Obsessed with the month of October! Ah, bring on the hot drinks, crisp air, chunky sweaters, boots and fallen leaves!

We love house plants. We love crafting. We love anything DIY. Hellllloooooooo Pinterest.

We shoot with the exact same camera body — The Nikon D3S

Both born and raised in Ohio and have dreams of living out in the country soaking up all that simple kind of life has to offer.

We love to shoot any kind of wedding – variety is so fun! But we’d be lying if we said a good farm/barn wedding didn’t totally knock our socks off.

And of course – we are eternal dreamers. Constantly planning and working towards all that the future has to offer. Always striving for more and working our butts off to make this business and ourselves everything we were destined to be!

We are SO glad you stopped by the blog today to learn a little bit about us! For those of you booked with us, WE LOVE YOU and are so excited for your upcoming events. And if you haven’t booked us just yet… We CANNOT WAIT to meet you and learn all of these fun things about you as well!

Until next time!!

XOX – Ashley #1 & Ashley #2

Send Usa Message Share onFacebook Pin topinterest

Blog Collage-Gina+Matt1pintopinterest

Gina and Matt are the cutest! We truly had so much fun running around German Village at their engagement session. They’re Columbus foodies like Nick and I! And that bike!? So fun. And very them. Loved getting to know them both even better – makes me even more excited for their May 2015 High Line Car House wedding!! Thanks so much for choosing me to document these times in your life — truly so honored!!

XOX

Blog Collage-Gina+Matt2pintopinterest

Blog Collage-Gina+Matt3pintopinterest

Blog Collage-Gina+Matt4pintopinterest

Blog Collage-Gina+Matt5pintopinterest

Send Usa Message Share onFacebook Pin topinterest