Meet Ashley Smith | Marketing Director & Family Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashley Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I tend to think of myself as type-A risk-averse person. I like control – or at least the feeling of control. And yet, I can clearly look at my life and my career and see that my biggest risks have lead to my biggest rewards. For instance, almost 10 years ago, my husband and I decided to make the somewhat unlikely move from LA to Denver. We both had dream jobs in entertainment and amazing groups of friends. We enjoyed all the perks of good weather, nice restaurants, endless entertainment and nearby family. But we also felt an undeniable urge for a more “balanced” lifestyle that we knew LA just couldn’t offer. Call it risky, call it ballsy, maybe even call it stupid, but we actually left LA having had promising interviews, but no job offers. And yet our incredible leap of faith landed us in the life of our dreams. We both had full-time jobs within two weeks, we bought a house within six months and had a daughter after two years.

Three years ago, I made a similarly “risky” choice to leave a comfortable position at an established company for a new role at it’s growing competitor. When I accepted the position (which offered the then-rare opportunity to work remotely from home), I was sent a card by the head of my department that says “Life Begins At The End Of Your Comfort Zone”. The card sits as a daily reminder on my desk at my home office. The same home office that gives me the flexiblity to be home with my daughter every day after school – and that gave me a sense of stability during the past year of shut-downs, e-learning, etc.

It may not be my nature, but I can say with full confidence that taking risks and having faith have played an invaluable role in all aspects of my life.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Though it is still a part-time job, I am head-over-heels in love with photography! My passion for capturing moments started when I was dating my husband. All of a sudden, the places we went, the things we saw, the moments we shared – they were all so precious. We were writing our history – and I became obsessed with artfully documenting it. And once our daughter was born – forget about it! Being able to preserve the details, the moments, and the memories has been a priceless gift for our family. Both as a mom and as a photographer, I want to help give that gift to other families. I want create photos that tell true-to-life stories that make their hearts smile.

Being also self-taught, I have to admit that I struggle with varying degrees of imposter syndrome. But the flipside is that I am truly humbled by and thankful for each and every person who invites me to capture their family. And I think bringing that humility and gratitude to each session has helped create an experience that my families come back for year after year.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This question makes me wish I were cooler and knew more places to eat, drink and hang out. While I myself would probably Google the best restaurants and the newest bars before my friend’s visit, I can say with certainty that any iternerary would definitely center around the outdoors. The mountain ranges, blue skies and wide-open spaces of Colorado were what drew me here from California – and I would definitely want to share that with any out of towner.

Website: https://www.ashleysmith.photos/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abear9881/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-smith-a122a67/

Image Credits
My headshot should be credited with Sarah Hill Photography. All other images are mine.