WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT | PERSONAL | MARYLAND WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER | ASHTON KELLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

When I started my photography business, I had only the experience I had gained as a hobbyist and I was working about 65 hours a week in retail management. If you’ve ever worked in retail, you know how hard weekends are to come by, so building a portfolio through the evenings and my week days off was a little hard. I knew I wanted to shoot weddings, and they weren’t exactly happening on the Tuesdays I was free from my management position.

I would be lying if I said I was welcomed with open arms into the photography community. Over the past few years there has been a burst of interest in our field, even more so with the convenience of new DSLR cameras. I didn’t have a strong mentor, I wasn’t able to ask questions to someone in the field openly, and in fact-most people were pretty mean. I spent a lot of time upset, referring my questions to Google and YouTube, feeling so discouraged because I just couldn’t understand why someone wouldn’t want to answer a few things for little old me. Now, I realize how valuable their time is, how much effort they must have put into learning those things, and that I probably wasn’t the only person asking them to share their secrets freely.

I, unfortunately, never had the opportunity to second shoot weddings. I took on my first solo wedding in December of 2011 and I’m thankful every day it was a pleasant experience. The couple was awesome, their ceremony was small, and even though I didn’t have an assistant shooter of my own-my friend Cari came along as support, carrying my bags, running for flowers, fixing dresses, etc. I learned through my own trial and error, online resources, and recurring experiences. It wasn’t until June of 2014 that I was able to attend a workshop and learn from someone else.

Fun fact, anyone? I was physically ill before every wedding I shot until my second year. The nervous butterflies were the real deal.

Moving to Baltimore opened up a lot of opportunities for me. I found myself being able to drive short distances to attend photography workshops and networking events and that I truly LOVED the community over competition movement that was forming so close by. At the end of 2014, I decided to start my own in WV and to offer workshops. It was super important to me that I stay close to where I came from, and to build an event that welcomed photographers to come together, learn, and uplift one another. After our first workshop on March 8th, I just cried and cried joyous tears. Our first event, which sold out in a matter of NINE hours, had touched so many individuals and watching them grow has absolutely reaffirmed that we’ve started something powerful. I can’t wait for our May sessions!

In the past four years, I’ve learned so much about this industry and myself. I look back and the girl I was in 2011, when all of this was a tiny dream and I couldn’t quite imagine what it would develop into, and I wish so badly I could tell her to keep her head high. So, if there is one piece of advice that I could give someone just starting out it would be this:

You have everything it takes to be awesome. You will be better tomorrow than you were yesterday. You will be ridiculed, but you will be stronger for it. You will have successes, and when you do-make sure to dance! You will make friends in the industry and they will be some of your biggest supporters. Cherish those relationships, they will do so much for you and your business. You will meet people you don’t mesh with. It’s life. There are just people you won’t be besties with. You will doubt yourself, and even though it’s okay to put on sweatpants and eat your feelings every now and then, don’t forget to wake up the next day ready to take on the world… because you can. You will. Wake up every day with the intention to do so, and you will.

Dream on, dreamers. <3

– Ash

Photography | Ashton Kelley Photography

Florals | Fleur De Lis Florist

Venue | Elkridge Furance Inn