A piece inspired by Eli Saslow's Voices of The Pandemic Series
I never chose photography. Photography chose me.
It all started when my mom gifted me a camera for Christmas. Soon after, my friends started asking me to take pictures of them. And you know, I did not think anything of it. I didn’t know anything about using a digital camera or photography in general. I would just go out and take pictures of them. Eventually, it started to gain traction. People on campus started finding out that I had a camera, and suddenly everybody wanted me to take their graduation pictures. About a year into taking graduation pictures, I realized how much I enjoyed photography. It was fun. It was fun meeting new people around campus that I would have probably never spoken to if they did not ask me to take their photos.
Plus, the fact that I had the freedom to set my own schedule, my own prices, and making my own money was such a great feeling. Fast forward to late 2019 going into 2020, I had really started to take my business, Snaps By Ash Photography, LLC, seriously. Today, it has turned into something that allows me to make money in my sleep. It’s honestly amazing to see how much ‘Snaps By Ash Photography’ has blossomed.
I’ve come to realize that I have a passion for just taking photos of people and capturing those memories because these are things that can last you a lifetime. I honestly think that is the great thing about being a photographer.
I honestly think it’s a great job to have right now. Although the coronavirus canceled large social gatherings, people are still looking to capture those memories. So when cases started declining in June and July, my business picked back up, and I received a record amount of inquiries.
A lot of people have reached out to me for prom, birthday, anniversary, and graduation photos. I will say, those are the services that spark emotional reactions from clients, especially those in high school. The students who had their prom, senior night, and graduation taken away from them because of the pandemic are the most appreciative. I had a client cry because she was just so happy that she was able to document this time in her life. I remember she had ordered a custom prom dress ahead of time, and then her prom was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. So, when asking herself what to do with such a beautiful dress, she reached out to me to take photos of her. She was so happy that she was able to just get some type of photos in that dress that was custom made for that special moment. It was so beautiful. Those are some of my favorite pictures that I’ve ever taken, and it’s a shoot that I will never forget.
Those times where I make people smile and capture a memory is what I live for. The hopeless romantic in me hopes to become a traveling, couples destination photographer. Whether it’s through weddings or engagements, I want to shoot couples’ lifestyle and branding photos. When shooting couples, you can almost feel the love coming through the lens.
Overall, the pandemic had a positive impact on my business. Even though things were kind of uncertain, it pushed me to get creative with my client outreach, marketing, and plans for the rest of the year.
I will say that the masks and social distancing have hindered me a bit because I can't be as personable as I would like to with my clients. But we’re making things work. It hasn’t stopped me from working towards being the photographer to capture all of life’s most precious memories.