We were lucky to catch up with Ashley Thomas recently and have shared our conversation below.
Ashley, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
How did you learn to do what you do? I began teaching myself photography by studying various books and watching tutorial videos on YouTube. I started out very basic with an understanding of the exposure triangle and later progressed to various complex concepts.
Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process?
I would have definitely invested in a mentor earlier. Doing so helped me to shift the way I look at photography from being a hobby/side hustle to an actual business thus increasing my online presence and revenue.
What skills do you think were most essential?
In addition to the professional aspect, definitely the technical skills that come with photography. Anybody can press a button and take a picture but in order to take the quality to the next level, you definitely need to understand concepts such as composition, exposure, etc.
What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
Self confidence. I didn’t believe in myself at first but my support squad has been amazing.
Ashley, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I got started with photography in high school. Senior year I took my Kodak Easyshare camera with me to school every day, hoping to capturing random moments that my friends and I could look back on years later and reminisce about. After completing basic training, I came back home and decided to take photography seriously, so I invested in a DSLR and began asking people to allow me to take photos for them to perfect my craft.
I am a portrait photographer. I help people capture memories and moments that matter. Since no two sessions are alike, I always give my clients a consultation call to discuss the vision for their shoot and then I provide my expert guidance to enhance what they’re looking for.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is to be free to express my ideas without restraints. It’s very rewarding when clients trust me with the creative concepts for their photoshoot.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
My greatest resource has been the power of community. As a creative, there are times where we can be extremely critical of our work which can sometimes lead to analysis paralysis. My Deeper Than The Brand community has been there to not only support, encourage, keep me motivated but to not allow me to waste my potential. I can honestly say if it wasn’t for the connections that I’ve made with them, I would not be where I am on my journey with an even greater vision down the road.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://zuriamanivisuals.mypixieset.com/links
- Instagram: @zuri_amani_visuals
- Facebook: Zuri Amani Visuals, LLC
- Other: https://calendly.com/zuri-amani-visuals/30min
Image Credits
First Class Photography Instaspace Studio