Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Akins.
Hi Ashley, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My photography journey started in 2021 after buying a used camera from a friend. I had been praying for God to give me something outside of being a wife, mom (to three little girls), and nurse and the camera listing had been posted within the week of that prayer. So I brought the camera and decided to give it a try. I immediately started signing up for classes to learn about lighting, posing clients, and camera settings to match my goal editing style. There are so many different things to learn in regards to photography and I was determined to learn as much as I could. Side note: The learning NEVER stops, as cliche as that sounds. I would also talk with a few of my amazing photography mentors, Amber Brannen Photography, Cory Almond Photography, and Emily Bond Photography, to get their recommendations and feedback about my work. I had also won a 1-hour mentorship call with an out-of-state photographer that was extremely beneficial.
I started off with offering free sessions to close family and friends. While I was getting a lot of compliments, I remember being so worried about no one wanting to use me in those early days. I kept thinking I was a new photographer and no one would want to trust me to capture their important life moments, whether they were big or small. Fortunately, I have an absolutely amazing support system around me. I was getting so much encouragement to continue this journey and the recommendations started coming in.
I was soon agreeing to photograph weddings and also a home birth! (I would say those are two of life’s biggest moments!)I have continued on to offer senior, fresh48, maternity, newborn, seasonal minis, and family session. I have recently added in branding photography.
I continued to push myself to grow and decided to join several Facebook groups to help get my name out there. These groups include photographer groups, small business groups, mom groups, county groups, Georgia weddings, and vendor groups.
This journey has been such an amazing experience. I have been able to see myself grow in so many different ways, and it was all because I decided to take a leap of faith.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I would love to say that it has been smooth sailing since the beginning, but that would be a huge lie. This journey has been one full of lots of laughs but also lots of tears as well. Some of the struggles included: IMPOSTER SYNDROME. This has been and probably will continue to be the biggest hurdle for me. Social Media is an easy culprit to increase the imposter syndrome. I see these big photography accounts and think “But why would anyone want to choose me when they have all these other people they could pick.” I have to remind myself that when people schedule to have pictures taken with me, they are choosing the whole experience with me. My goal for sessions is to catch those candid moments in between poses and to make everyone feel comfortable in front of the camera.
BURNOUT. It’s easy to be able to experience this as a new photographer because you try to schedule everyone reaching out. You want to schedule everyone because it gets you more exposure and the ability to meet more people, but next thing you know, all your weekends are full and you have no time to rest.
BALANCE. Like I mentioned early, I am a wife, mama to three girls, and a nurse. Trying to find balance with all of these roles can be difficult.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a photographer who loves all types of sessions: family, maternity, newborn, fresh48, senior, branding, 1st birthday smash cake, weddings, couples, and engagement. I am known for my “bolder/richer” editing style. I love a good dramatic sky in my pictures. 🙂
I am known for making my clients feel comfortable in front of the camera. Being in front of the camera can be so intimidating, so I try to make it feel as natural and fun as possible.
I am most proud of my entire photography journey. It sounds cliche, but I truly am. I started off with a used camera and offering free sessions, legitimately thinking this would just be another “hobby” that would fizzle out in a couple of months. But here I am, approaching my two years anniversary with photography with no plans of stopping.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
For my photography needs: Amy & Jordan videos, Hope Taylor Photography
For life needs: I love my Kindle, podcasts include: Be That B!tch Hosted by Ally Griffeth; True Crime with Kendall Rae
Pricing:
- My general sessions start at $100. These will be going up in August.
- Weddings start at $1,600.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ashleyakinsphotography.mypixieset.com/?fbclid=IwAR1o7L83C7wybtjte3nkN7ArP6zSl_iU7Vlg4iQgXRXaEE0CLpsWfWo6H_E
- Instagram: ashleyakinsphotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashleyakinsphotography
