We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ashley Wallace. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ashley below.

Ashley , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

I’ve spent countless hours sifting through my family’s old boxes of photographs learning about who they were in their younger days. The photos from the 70s have always been my favorite. The color, clothes, nostalgic film quality – you can step back in time and feel the lives they lived.

I quickly learned the value of holding those old portraits of my great grandpa atop a mountain, my grandma posed on her dirt bike, or my 9 year old dad riding his YZ80, ripping across the southern Ohio holler that’s been in our family for generations. Those photos have always made me feel deeply proud to be a part of their legacy.

I believe the way my parents and grandparents nurtured my creative personality in combination with my interest in those old photographs is what naturally led me to choose a career path in photography.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I shot my first wedding with my cousin Corey back in 2013 and soon after I landed an assistant photography opportunity with a professional wedding photographer (Ashley West Photography). I spent several years associate shooting for her and believe the knowledge she gave me was such a gift. Working with her was a crucial step in becoming the photographer and business owner I am now. That opportunity eventually came to a point where I knew I was producing great work and felt very confident that I could do it on my own. In 2018 Ashley Wallace Photography LLC was born and came in hot with a fully booked first year in business.

Many of my past wedding clients also began hiring me to photograph their new babies and families. I wasn’t necessarily trying to build my business in that area but I quickly fell in love with photographing my couples with their kids! I feel proud that they come back to me to document more milestones in their lives year after year.

The main thing I want new clients to know is that my goal for them is to keep it low stress, be present, and embrace the REAL that comes with a wedding day or having family photos taken. The best and most emotional photographs come from letting things flow naturally. Most importantly I want my clients to reflect back to their session and think “Hey, I had fun with my family. That was a good time!”

Have you ever had to pivot?

In 2023, I got pregnant with my son and my first year of parenthood hit AWP like a freight train.. I had a tough time not being able to apply ALL of my energy to my business. My drive and passion for my career drastically began to fizzle out and I had plans of getting out of weddings. This was a frightening thought as I had worked really hard get to where I was. As I began to see a decline in wedding bookings I had 2 of my busiest years ever with family sessions. I prayed for an answer on the direction I should take my business and it seemed all I needed was time.

My son is now 2 and a bit more independent which has recently allowed my brain more room to start dreaming about AWP again. I feel on fire for weddings and I’m really excited to kick it in gear this year! I have many of my own weddings booked and several second shooting opportunities lined up. I can’t wait to learn from the awesome photographers I’ll be working with this season.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I’ve been in the industry over a decade. I’ve developed relationships with other professionals that have added me to their preferred vendor list. I’ve spent years photographing SO many people, networking, and becoming great friends with other photographers. These are many of the reasons why the majority of my booked work is referral based. I’m pretty proud of that!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ashleywallacephoto.com
• Instagram: @ashleywallacephoto

Image Credits

Headshot of me is by Cait Rose Photography