behind the camera
Hi! My name is Ashley, I am a Seattle area photographer living in Hobart Washington and a single mom to two wild, feral, nature loving kids (7 and 9). Hobart is in between Maple Valley WA and Issaquah WA. About 45 minutes outside of Seattle, but right near Snoqualmie Pass. It’s a cute little farm town with one store that is also the post office and gas station.
I watch the Great British Baking Show, Gilmore Girls and QE religiously. I like to make bread for random friends & family but sometimes accidentally cut into it before it makes it anywhere. I love to cook and my favorite food is pizza. My journey in single parenting during the pandemic has been filled with lots of learning, growing (some greys) and hilarity. My life meme is the dog in the fire with coffee saying “this is fine” because that’s basically what the last two years have brought. This will most likely end up as a tattoo somewhere. We visit the forest and mountains in the PNW as much as we can. You can usually hear my kids’ laughter echoing through the trails and it is one easy way to find us while meandering through the woods.
I am most passionate about adventure photography and outdoor lifestyle family photography, capturing emotion, fun and joy during my sessions, as well as in the wild. BUT I absolutely love a good in home lifestyle session because I believe that for a lot of us, our home is where we can be our most authentic selves. Sweatpants and all.
Do you have a special place you take your family? A secret beach spot or a favorite trail?
I want to photograph you in a place that is most meaningful to you and your family and to create an authentic and fun experience you’ll always remember.
Finding my passion for photography while meeting , hiking, exploring and spending time with new friends and their families in the outdoors has been an incredible and humbling journey. I am honored you would consider me to photograph your family or your life adventure.
I can’t wait to share these experiences with you soon!
our experience together
For family photos, I take a lifestyle approach because that’s what parenting is. Kids don’t like to sit still, they want to run and play and jump and do what kids do. Kids are loud and fun and having them be that way during our session, helps to bring out who they really are. Rather than standing for photos in one place where everyone starts getting angry and frustrated, I like to move them and have you play. I love to bring a little bit of chaos to our sessions because it usually will bring out some real smiles and laughter. Being a parent is hard, fun and can be trying at times, so letting them be who they are for the session, will also show up in the photos.
For newborn sessions, I come to your home. Having a new baby is A LOT. Adjusting to a new routine and schedule is hard, and getting ready for a session with a newborn can be incredibly stressful. By me coming into your home, you’re able to be in a comfortable place where if the baby has a blow out, or you have to pump or feed and haven’t gotten it down yet…whatever the reason. It’s much easier being in the comfort of your own home and capturing your new life adventure so you’re able to relax and enjoy it. I also love to do in home family sessions for couples and families! This isn’t just limited to newborns, but to everyone. Being home is comfortable… and I come and leave you as you are once we are finished.
I started my photography journey back in high school but had since taken a VERY long break due to life (cameras are expensive y’all, let’s be real) and other careers. I had found my passion again after my first child was born. Newborn photos were about the same price as a brand new camera, “I could totally do that” I thought, when looking at photos of perfect little newborn squishes posed so eloquently.
Boy, was I wrong. However, that didn’t stop my pursuit for a passion and career that supports the three of us today. I dove deep into perfecting my trade and developed a style that I truly feel is unique amongst a sea of photographers.
HOW MY “ADVENTURE PHOTOGRAPHY” journey BEGAN
I had started taking photos of my son and I on our hiking adventures, along with photos of my friends when he was just 6 months old.
I found it exhilarating!!
I was taking photos of incredibly strong women, mothers. Who, yet utterly exhausted (me… that was me ), were brave and facing the day. Some who were faced with post partum depression, were still out hiking and immersing themselves and their children in nature.
But it wasn’t only that. It was capturing all of us learning to grasp and define our paths in becoming “mom”.
We carried our children up mountains, through fields, forests and waterfalls all while laughing, crying, comforting and listening. I brought my camera along to capture these moments for myself and for my friends, to give them something to remember as we navigated our way through motherhood together.
It is there, in nature, where my creativity and passion started to take hold.
my INVOLVEMENT IN NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
Hike it baby had found me when I was just starting to get the hang of my camera.
They took me on as their first photographer, where I remained as their original and grew and worked incredibly hard for 3.5 years as a volunteer. From there, we moved from Oregon back to Washington and my involvement dwindled as more and more local photographers were able to provide them with the content they needed at an International level.
After my second was born, I resigned with Hike it Baby, and found Adventure Mamas Initiative where I was a PNW Regional coordinator for a year, and currently still one of their photographers when I am able. They’re an incredible organization, dedicated to maternal health and wellness and are filled with just a bunch of badass women who I continue to look up to daily.
https://adventuremamas.org/
You will almost always find me outside, and with that comes a huge responsibility.
I am a major advocate for the Leave No Trace Principles, especially when it comes to wild flowers and preserving the areas where I photograph families.
https://lnt.org/
