Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ashley Barrett. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Ashley, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Has Covid resulted in any major changes to your business model?
Before Covid most of my photo shoots involved big teams and quite a bit of production involved. The pandemic changed all of that for me. As we were easing out of quarantine, shoots for brands were very small. Sometimes they would just send me the product and I would get together with the model or subject and do the shoot by ourselves. And those changes have stayed for the most part. Most of my shoots these days are a lot smaller. We’re more efficient and in my opinion, the output reflects the greater intimacy these shoots provide.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’m a photographer. I shoot lifestyle, celebrity, fashion, you name it. If there’s a person involved, I’ll photograph it. Someone asked me to photograph a house once and I found it so boring. I realized that day that while I was obviously very interested in the art of photography, it’s people that fascinate me most and probably the main reason I became a photographer. I love getting to know people and I’m interested in so many things. I absolutely LOVE my job because it gives me the opportunity to meet so many different people and have some really great conversations. One day I’m photographing a chef, the next a tech entrepreneur… I am almost never bored.
I was an actor for a long time before transitioning to photography, and I think that background helps me relate to my subjects. I know what it’s like to be in front of the camera, so my first goal when working with someone is making them feel comfortable. We’re just taking pictures. It doesn’t have to be crazy serious. That’s probably my greatest strength as a photographer. I want people to have fun. Even if there’s a lot riding on the project, I want it to feel like I’m just a friend taking your picture (and hopefully I am!).
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Very early on in my career I was hired to shoot a feature for one of the biggest fashion magazines. I was terrified. I even tried to talk the bookings editor out of hiring me. I just didn’t feel ready. I had never done anything for a magazine yet at that point and now I was supposed to go to New York and do it for the first time with what seemed like unbelievably high stakes. Thankfully, I had people in my life who believed in me and wouldn’t let me back out.
I realized on that project that one of the most important things you can do is put a really talented team in place around you. I hired the best assistants and lighting technicians, got a great producer so that all I had to focus on was MY job… getting the necessary shots.
I went into that project feeling so overwhelmed. I left it feeling so accomplished.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
Honestly, social media. Everyone shares everything these days. And as a visual artist, the more people sharing your work, the more work you’re going to get.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Ashley-Barrett.com
- Instagram: @ashleybarrettphotography
Image Credits
Ashley Barrett