Meet Ayla Maisey | Elopement & Intimate Wedding Photographer

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

Hi Ayla, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
You know, I don’t think I ever intended to make photography into a business. I went into it out of pure creative impulse (starting with various iPhones, iPods, and point-and-shoots over the years, then getting my first real DSLR in 2015), and then kept photographing because of the way it made people feel.

There’s the usual answer of starting my own business because I was uncomfortable working for others. There was also the marvelous realization that if I was going to be paid for my art, then I needed to first start my business, then reinvest that income back into my business.

The experience my couples have is of the utmost important to me — that experience starts when they find my instagram and read the copy on my website, continues through the way I make them feel during their session, and then goes past our session with gallery delivery, helping them with prints, staying in touch, seeing their photos on my website months after, etc. Starting my own business allowed me to give my full attention to my present clients, but it also allowed me to give my full attention to my future clients by improving my work and my presence so that I was everything they’d hoped for by the time they booked me.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Most people consider art this intensely disciplined, soulful thing that is produced from your very bone marrow, but I like to think of art as this manifestation of a good eye, good energy, and really recognizing the story that you’re telling. So much of my best work has been a collaboration between myself and my couples — photos I never could have created without a small touch or a tender, perfect gaze (“little gestures, big feelings”, as it says on my website).

I’ll be brave and say that being a good photographer is maybe only half due to good technical skills. The other half is due to the experience you create for your client, really hearing their story, seeing it play out during their day, and being observant enough to capture it honestly. There’s no one way to capture a moment and no one way to tell a good story. It would be disingenuous of me to show up to my couples and expect to shoot the same shots I always shoot. Even the same moment with my digital vs my film camera can look completely different.

That is one thing that I’m proud of: I LOVE being able to offer three types of film. There’s a true magic to film; it’s a sort of antidote to the fierce immediacy of digital work on social media. I take a digital photo and can launch it into the internet void in an hour. I take a film photo and I have NO idea what it looks like for about a week. Film has single handedly taught me to slow down, to focus on the single moment happening in front of me instead of trying to both predict and capture the next ones. My clients often slow down with me, and they feel timeless and special when they see those film photos in their gallery.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The incredible thing about Colorado is that there’s cool spots literally all over the state, but I like to think that Colorado Springs is pretty underrated. To start, drive up Pikes Peak highway for those incredible views (or hike one of the many trails along the mountain), then beers at Red Leg Brewing Co or Ivywild School (which has Bristol Brewing and four restaurants, all with an open market feel). Coffee or matcha at Switchback Roasters is a must, and donuts at Habit Donuts are a fun treat. My favorite hikes are along North Cheyenne Canon or towards Divide at Mueller State Park. I love to add a houseplant from Rick’s Garden Center to my collection. You’re a quick hop up Hwy 24 towards Breck, Buena Vista, and Frisco, or only 3 hours from both RMNP and The Great Sand Dunes. It’s truly the perfect place to live.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Oh boy, who and what *hasn’t* contributed to my success? If I had to narrow it down to one person, I would dedicate my shoutout to my boyfriend, Brice Pardo. He’s lived through just about every incarnation of my art (and every single failure) and still pushes me out of my comfort zones and recognizes my growth. I should also mention that he’s a FANTASTIC commercial cinematographer and his own work inspires me every day.

Website: https://www.aylamaisey.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/ayla.rm

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ayla.rm.photo

Other: Tiktok: @ayla.rm

Image Credits
All images taken by myself, Ayla Maisey at Ayla RM Photo