Meet Gaelle Ahl | Portrait Photographer and Stop Motion Artist

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

Hi Gaelle, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Everyone knows that when you do what you love, you don’t work a day in your life. And since I truly believe that life is meant to be a joyful and happy adventure, it was easy for me to make the decision to start my business.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Anything I create, I do it for the sole purpose of bringing joy. Be it by creating the most beautiful portrait a woman has ever seen of herself, by capturing the peaceful gaze of a child or by magically making objects come to life in a stop-motion animation. Everything I create is meant to evoke joy. I always get excited about creating a custom session for a client. I love collaborating and coming up with creative ideas, making mood boards with outfits, hair & makeup styles, lighting setups, location etc.
Learning to ask the right questions takes time but my first goal is to make it easy for my clients. At the end, all they need to do is show up on the morning of their session and I’m handling everything else. What I would like people to know is that I thoroughly enjoy getting to know my clients. I want to know everything about their story, where they come from, why they want their portraits done now and what they need it for. I will definitely ask a lot of questions and I will take the time to listen to everything they want to share with me and come up with ideas with them on how that will be represented in their portraits.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
After checking out the main sites (Pikes Peak, Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods etc) for good measure, I’d be all about creating the most fun and epic memories with incredible food and adventures, complete with ample amount of pictures so we can remember everything forever! I’d rent some yurt or unique, off-of-the-beaten-path Airbnb in the mountains to marvel at the milky way, go dip in some lesser-known hot springs and chase waterfalls. We would also discover some local restaurants together or find some type of food-centered festival with local music and museums to visit! Colorado is filled with such natural beauty and culture that they’ll just have to come back again and again, haha!!!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
A whole lot of people deserve a whole lot of credit! Family, friends, mentors. Even if we need to believe in ourselves first, having encouraging people pumping us up can make an enormous difference. One of these close friends’ name is Steve. He will recognize himself. For years, he has been a listening ear, a sounding board, offering words of advice and encouragement. Always present and supportive, he is one of the best!

Website: www.gaellephotography.com

Instagram: @gaellephotography_cos

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GaellePhotographyColoradoSprings/