Meet Ashley Douglas

We recently connected with Ashley Douglas and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

I think developing confidence and self-esteem is an ever evolving thing. I’ve learned to become confident in myself and my work but it was definitely the biggest struggle in the beginning.

I had my first baby and wanted to document everything about her. I bought a camera and truly thought I could take pictures of her in auto mode and they would be beautiful and creative…but they weren’t even close to what I imagined. There were so bad. I ended up quickly giving up, putting the camera back in its box, and placing it back on the closet shelf.

A year and a half later I had my son. I knew how quickly that newborn stage flew by – the wrinkles, the dry skin, the tiny features – so I wanted to practice taking the beautiful, dreamy photos that I wanted with my daughter. I ran to Youtube and looked for videos that went over my camera’s features and how to shoot in manual mode. After the very first video I watched, I laid my son down and practiced. I couldn’t believe it but I actually got pictures I loved (and still do to this day). Learning the ins and outs of my camera drove me into learning even more and more.

I then learned lighting, exposure, editing, prompting. I wanted to soak up everything I could to shoot and tell stories the way I wanted. I took mentorships and became involved in photography communities. I was (and still am) constantly learning something!

I truly believe continuing to learn, investing in mentorships and education, have all helped build my confidence and self esteem. I have my days where I hate my work, question my editing, question my whole business, but thankfully I’ve always been able to center myself and remember why I started my business. Learning new approaches and new skills and just practicing over and over until I get it has been essential in building that confidence. It may take me 15 attempts to nail something I’m picturing but when I finally do, it’s the best feeling. It gives me more confidence to try again at the next session.

I always set realistic goals and I realize skill takes time to develop. I try not to be so hard on myself and remember that at the end of the day – I’m human. No one is perfect and everyone has to start somewhere. The key to gaining that confidence is just never giving up and realizing you’re allowed to make mistakes. You have to appreciate your own journey and how far you’ve come.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’m a newborn, motherhood, and family photographer in Cincinnati, Ohio. I’m also a wife, mom to two toddlers, and a sonographer. I’ve built my brand around focusing on moms and motherhood. As a busy mom myself, I know how hard it is to get in front of the camera and I know how few photos moms have of themselves WITH their babies. It’s become my focus during sessions – capturing all the tiny details moms love, but also showing mom how beautiful she is and how she is the magic in the family.

My work is very dreamy and moody. I love darker tones and I love a good sun flare. I focus a lot on showing connections and authentic emotions. Connecting with my clients so I can get to know them and tell their unique story is always my priority.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Connecting with my clients, learning how lighting truly affects photos, and being confident in decisions have all been so impactful in my journey.

Connection is key. If you don’t connect with your clients, you can’t tell their story authentically. Having those people skills and being able to simply talk to your clients is a must. Practicing talking to people can be tough if it doesn’t come naturally but I would say just saying high and carrying on a simple conversation with a stranger is a great first step. The more you do it, the easier it becomes.

Learning how light affects my photos helped me learn how I wanted to shoot. It helped me position people to achieve the look I wanted. Watching videos and just practicing have all been so helpful! I would use my husband, my kids, random objects and place them in different lighting just to practice. When I first started, I was shooting almost daily just to learn lighting scenarios.

Confidently making decisions helps my client know I have their best interest. If we need to reschedule due to weather, if I decide to change locations, or making any recommendations – they’re all helpful in creating trust with your client and showing them you have their best interest at heart. Investing in me means I’m going to do everything I can to show you why it was worth it in the end and getting you your best photos as a result.

How would you describe your ideal client?

My ideal client is someone who wants their real emotion captured. Someone who doesn’t want to sit in front of a camera checking off a list of poses. I want someone who will dance with their baby without worrying how they look, someone who will run around with their partner forgetting I’m there, someone who wants their kids’ favorite details captured just the way they’ll always remember them. My ideal client wants authenticity, rawness, connection, and emotion in their photos.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sunandvinephoto.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/sunandvinephoto
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunandvinephoto

Image Credits

Sun & Vine Photography