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

Ashley , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

I’ve loved taking photos for as long as I can remember. One of my most vivid childhood memories is me with a disposable camera in my hand. I love making people feel seen and comfortable in their own skin – that has always been my goal with photography.

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 started taking photos “professionally” in high school and by that I mean I would beg my friends to let me take their senior photos. But way before then I loved taking photos and creating content! In college I started taking it a bit more seriously and was able to actually build a side business out of it all which was always the dream. I am always down to do photos for pretty much anything but I would say my main focus has been family photos, newborn and small businesses. I would say I’m most proud of the connections I’ve made here in lakeland. I have made lifelong friends through photography and it’s the most incredible thing! I love that I make people feel comfortable enough to continually ask me to take photos for all their special moments.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I think the most rewarding aspect is just being proud of what you have created – it can also be one of the hardest parts as well. I don’t know a creative who isn’t the hardest on themselves and I think that definitely applies to me as well. One minute you feel so excited about what you’ve made and then you remember that there are tons of other people who probably can do your job even better. I think the older I’ve gotten and the longer I’ve been in this industry I’ve gotten better at accepting that basically everyone is a photographer but I’m the only me that takes photos – super cheesy but it has helped me so much.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I was so intimated by my piers that I rarely reached out to any of them in the early days to ask for advice and I wish I would’ve. There are so many creatives in the world and it can be scary to jump into this pool knowing how many others are in here with you. The comparison game is truly like no other in a small town filled with photographers!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ashleycheshire.com/
• Instagram: @ashleycheshire_

Image Credits
all my photos. Ashley Cheshire Photography