We recently connected with Ashley Vanley and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Ashley, thanks for joining us today. One deeply underappreciated facet of being an entrepreneur or creative is the kind of crazy stuff that happens from time to time. It could be anything from a disgruntled client attacking an employee or waking up to find out a celebrity gave you a shoutout on TikTok – the sudden, unexpected hits (both positive and negative) make the profession both exhilarating and exhausting. Can you share one of your craziest stories?
One of the craziest places I’ve ever photographed a wedding was in a new area of town I didn’t know well. The address to the venue showed up as a storage unit company. I thought there must be some mistake, it’s probably just next door. I showed up and there was a storage tin box connected to the main office that was decorated with fake flowers, twinkling lights and tool everywhere. It was tiny and maybe only 8 chairs could fit for guests to sit and watch the ceremony. I photographed it to the best of my ability with very little space to move and did I mention it was winter and freezing cold! That wedding won the award of most unique/crazy wedding I’ve ever photographed!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I was born and raised in Colorado, I have lived in many places including South Africa, Virginia, Australia and now North Dakota. Thirteen is my lucky number because when I was thirteen years old I got my start in photography which soon became my focus and passion. That same year I met my husband. I was a sophomore in high school when I first began getting more serious about taking pictures, just some fun snap shots on family vacations and overseas trips. I then started booking senior photo shoots I never gave up on my dream to become a wedding photographer one day after years of hard work the business took off and I ran with it!
I really enjoyed saving beauty in a photograph, noticing a beautiful sunset or a exciting moment. I also fell in love with editing my photos and giving others joy through the finished product.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
The best way I have personally built clients is from the big one. Word of mouth, it truly is the best way to build your reputation when providing excellent service and work the word will get around and friends of friends will book. I have photographed multiple weddings where a bridesmaid of the weddings got engaged years later and remembered me and asked me to photograph their engagement and wedding. It truly is an honor to be a “family photographer” for parents who hire me to shoot all of the children’s wedding day! I have loved getting to meet so many people at each wedding and make new friends through my business.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
This is a question a lot of people ask about now a days. When I started my business there was no Instagram to share your work or video reels that you needed to make to keep your business relevant. For me my main thing has been to not worry so much about what you post, but keep posting things in your life as well as work. I had two instagram accounts at one point. One was personal and one was business only. I am glad I combined the two accounts and sprinkle in some of my personal life things into my business. I also think that Facebook is a great tool for people to stumble upon your business. I always ask clients where they found me so I can pin point the places that work best for me! I once booked a beautiful wedding in Rhode Island because the bride searched a hashtag and found me! You just never know how you might get connected to your future clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.ashleyvanley.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ash_vanley/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashleyvanleyphoto/
Image Credits
Myself (Ashley Vanley Photography)