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

Ashley, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s something you believe that most people in your industry (or in general) disagree with?

I believe gatekeeping information is uncool. (HOT TAKE)

Within the photography and filmmaking community, we are so very quick to support other creators. At shoots, we’re the first to swap instagrams, check portfolios and openly support our colleagues, but the last to offer any sort of help or education when requested.

I work a lot of sets and events, in different capacities, and one of the complaints I normally hear within our community is we’re “too afraid to share any information or knowledge because we fear our competition”. That has always struck a cord with me. We’re the first to loudly support and the last to privately sharpen iron, and if we’re doing it, it is behind a paywall.

I’m a strong advocate for free education and everyone seeking education should be able to not only find it, but afford it as well.

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?

HELLO! I’m Ashley
A little about me:
Hi! I’m the person behind the lens. You’ll usually find me in the baggy overalls, dancing in the corner somewhere. I also have some pretty good dad jokes that I like to tell. Nice to meet you!

You’ll find that I’m short, sweet and to the point. As a wedding photographer, my utmost priority is to honor and celebrate the love story of the couple. It’s not about my presence or my work taking center stage, but rather about highlighting the couple’s unique bond, their journey, and the joyous occasion they are sharing with their loved ones. I aim to capture their authentic personalities, emotions, and the connection they share.

My ultimate goal is to provide you with a stress-free experience. I handle all photography-related aspects with professionalism and efficiency, allowing you to fully embrace the joyous moments of your special day.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

So for a period of time, I had a older, successful business man as one of my clients. We were working on a series of educational videos to go alongside his book, and he became a mentor to for that period of time.

I enjoyed spending portions of our shoots just picking his brain to see how he became what he became and how he was able to successfully enter so many business lanes and not just fade out like a lot of businesses do.

His best advice for me, and advice that I still lean on to, is “Be where they ain’t.” (and he said it just like that).
What that meant was, look for those lanes of untapped potential and if I’m interested in it, to tap further into it.

There’s so many different untapped or even under-tapped creative zones that people don’t even think about entering that could be so pivotal to their standing out.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Being a good communicator, and showing up.

Half the battle is being able to just communicate with clients, and showing up when and where you said you would.
Once that’s done, the rest is easy.

Contact Info:

• Website: ashleynicoleco.com
• Instagram: ashleynicoleco
• Youtube: the film school droupouts