Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ashley Mia. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it 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?

Being truly seen for who you are is something that we all desire. We may not scream it out loud or write it on a social media post, but it’s something deep down that every person (I believe) wants in their lives. There have been many moments in my life where I’ve felt invisible; even with my bubbly and sweet personality, I could still feel rejected. But with God’s Grace I was able to grow in my perspective and Photography gives me a chance to make people feel seen in an elevated and exclusive way. Photography is more than snapping button on a camera, it’s about knowing what to capture and how to capture it well so that it resonates with your subject. Capturing someone well is by getting the natural essence of who they are. So having them pose in natural ways that creates safety within them, will achieve the best work.

So my mission as a photographer and artist is to make sure they feel important and seen. From the time they shake my hand to the time they receive their photos.

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 grew up loving all things Art. From sketching and tracing my favorite cartoon characters to painting in art clubs and classes in school I was in love. As I grew up and went to college, I studied Graphic Design and minored in Art at the University of Illinois Chicago but was divinely interrupted with a Photography 101 class that changed my life forever. So after graduation, I started taking photos of my sisters and cousin and then eventually started taking on clients online.

As a photographer, I am in love with good PORTRAITS. So I specialized in creative portraits and lifestyle photography. With this focus, many of my clients (in which are mostly millennials) come to me for solid portraits and headshots to use for their social media accounts, print for the house and use for whatever else they like. This has allowed me to solve the problem of not having a solid photo of themselves when asked to provide for job applications, graphics, profile pictures and such the like.

Being on my 7.5 year journey with photography, I am most proud of the portraits that I’ve created for singles, couples and families that are timeless and classic. These are the photos that people can pass down to the generations ahead of them in those old photo albums (or hard drives). I’m honored to create memories of such value.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Instagram is definitely number one currently. But also, nothing beats Word of Mouth clients! These two are my main two sources of new client inquiries.

Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?

I don’t have as much information as I would like about NFTS. I did download one of the meta apps before so that I could learn, but it simply faded away in my view.

Contact Info:

• Website: ashleymia.com
• Instagram: @byashleymia
• Youtube: Ashley Mia

Image Credits
Alina Tsvor DeShawn Holmes