We recently connected with Ashley West and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Ashley thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
I have a degree in Commercial Photography, so I’ve had a camera in my hands for a long time. I started my career in a large commercial studio and dove headfirst into freelance brand work. I moved to Charleston, South Carolina and worked for small publications, local bakeries and restaurants, boutiques, and small clothing brands creating visual marketing materials for them – and I enjoyed it. It was fun and creative and it paid the bills. But then I got pregnant with my first child and my entire world changed. I changed. My pregnancy was hard and uncertain and scary – not like the glowing depictions of pregnancy you see in movies. And when my baby was born she had extreme colic and I had major postpartum depression and anxiety. Early motherhood was raw and painful for me and it transformed who I was in a beautifully brutal way. I actually don’t remember a large chunk of that first year. Postpartum depression and a medically complex child will do that to you. I loved my baby more than life itself, but my brain and my body and my heart were going through such intense transformations that I was consumed by the hard stuff. A photograph of my daughter that my husband took was a lifeline out of postpartum depression for me. She was smiling in the picture – something she didn’t do much with severe colic. Seeing that photograph of her was my constant reminder that there were moments of joy in all of that hardship. Without that picture I’m not sure I would actually remember what her newborn smile looked like. When I reached a place where I was healthy enough and my baby was healthy enough for me to think about art and work again I VERY quickly realized that I didn’t give a damn about branding any more. My entire soul was obsessed with motherhood and the mother/child relationship. The power that one photograph of my baby held was mind blowing to me. I wanted to give that to other women. That reminder that there is intense, powerful love and beauty and HAPPY in the messy day to day of new motherhood. Give them that one photograph that would bring back immediate memories of their baby’s giggle, the weight of them in their arms, the feel of the peach fuzz on their head, their scrunched nose when they smiled. I wanted to photograph a romanticized piece of their motherhood that was real and authentic in connection and was creative and beautiful and made them feel mushy and nostalgic and happy. I wanted to create keepsakes that encapsulated how much love they felt for their babies.
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
As discussed previously I’m a Motherhood Photographer who transitioned from Commercial Photography. I capture and create tangible keepsakes that honor the unconditional love of motherhood. I create a blend of posed, lifestyle, and documentary photography to curate an authentic and genuine connection between mothers and their babies during photo sessions. I make sure that my clients feel fully supported and guided during their sessions, and facilitate MOMENTS to photograph. Allowing them to cuddle and have quiet moments or silly moments to ensure that I’m photographing their authentic relationship in a romanticized environment. The majority of my clients are pregnant women and mothers of young children. I offer my clients high resolution digital files paired with tangible, printed photographic products. I really pride myself on the collection of products I have sourced from around the world to provide for my clients. They are STUNNING hand made products made by passionate and unique makers in the United States, Scotland, and the Netherlands.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
That portraiture for individuals was somehow “less” than commercial portraiture. My degree program really pushed discussions of fashion photography jobs in New York City and magazine cover work in L.A. High dollar commercial jobs (or starving artist fine art) were the end game and other types of photography weren’t good enough or respectable enough. Then when I moved into the commercial field it was male dominated and arrogant and cut throat. I didn’t like the vibe at all. I wanted to work WITH other creatives and feel collaborative and passionate and purposeful. Moving into small business commercial work started to change how I felt about the field of photography – and the jump to motherhood portraiture changed everything. Yes there is competition, but I have met so many beautiful, collaborative artists and participated in so many purpose-filled projects. I also learned the ins and outs of the portrait business and have SO much respect for the industry that I didn’t have in my early career.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Freedom and Purpose. I have the freedom and flexibility to run a successful business while simultaneously raising and homeschooling my daughters. My schedule is built around my life – not the other way around. The work I do is work that is truly meaningful to me and that gives me drive and that I’m proud to talk to my children about. I’ve co-created creative projects about women’s rights and about normalizing breastfeeding, and I create priceless photographs that mothers can pass down to their babies and their grandchildren. Photographs that commemorate one of the most profound seasons of mother’s life. I’m proud of the art I create and I feel so honored to be able to use my art to serve women in my community.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ashleyerinwest.com
- Instagram: /ashleyerinwest
- Facebook: /ashleyerinwest
Image Credits
The final image was a collaboration between myself and photographer Sarah Sidwell of Sarah Sidwell Photography.