We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ashley Abel a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ashley, appreciate you joining us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I think it takes a lot of drive to be successful. Loving what you do is a huge bonus in it. I feel as though my business has been successful because I truly do love my job. I am giving people memories, which is a huge gift to give. I have fun at every wedding and every photo shoot I do, and I feel so creative when doing it because I am actually enjoying it. You HAVE to have drive and passion in your career to make it something you want to do forever. I am truly passionate about photography and capturing peoples biggest moments and milestones in their lives.

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?

My name is Ashley Abel. My company name is Ashley Abel Photography. I have been doing photography now for 10+ years. I always knew this is what I wanted to do. I would take film photo classes on weekends just to learn the basics, I went to an art college where I majored in photography and learned all the fundamentals. I e-mailed multiple photographers saying i’d work for them just for the experience. I learned a lot of what I know from my former boss, Steve DePino Photography. Working for an experienced photographer and having him show you and teach you the ropes was such a huge part of my learning & I will always be forever grateful for him.

Going to college for photography also truly helped me with my career path. Having film cameras, darkrooms, rolling your own film, learning ISO & f stop, using view cameras and old school cameras to learn about the basics really helped me a ton. I then would do photo shoots for free to get experience. I always have been a social person, so I spent years building up my business, meeting new people, getting billboards, advertising myself, tagging on Facebook and Instagram, etc. Every single year since, I noticed an increase in my business so I knew I was doing something right. I am incredibly passionate about this and love that I get to do what I love.

I think what sets me apart from others and what I am proud of is my client interaction. I love showing clients as I go what they look like, because I know what it is like to be nervous in front of a camera. I love to make my clients feel like we are friends. I truly make friends with a ton of my clients because I want to make sure they feel comfortable around me and with me. It is one of my favorite parts of my job, meeting new people and truly making them so happy with their photos.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of new clients for me is word of mouth and social media. Word of mouth is the biggest compliment to me, because that means I made someone so happy with my work that they wanted to tell other people about it. When I get a review from a client, it is the best feeling in the world. It is someone going out of their way to rave about a product you delivered them and that is amazing.

Social media also is phenomenal for networking and advertising. People just sharing your posts and tagging you is a humongous help for your business and career. The more people that do that for you, the more your business will flourish.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I had social media when it first came out. Instagram came out and I was so excited to have an app for something I loved to do. I added people on it, slowly building my audience. People think social media is an easy thing, when it really is not. It takes time and effort.

Instagram especially, you have to be posting everyday, engaging with other peoples stories and posts, and commenting and liking things. That is how you stay relevant in algorithms. It has become harder and harder to promote on social media. But it is very very important to your career and business, and this isn’t just photography. This is every single business and career path.

Facebook is great also because if I post a photo shoot, I can tag the couple, that now goes onto their page, and their friends all see the posts so it’s sharing it with a multitude of people in one post. Which is super beneficial.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ashleyabel.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleyabelphotography
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashleyabelphotography

Image Credits

Ashley Abel Photography