I’m finally getting around to starting interviews and so I’ll begin with my good friend, Ashley Rodgers. Since I mention her so much I thought it would be good for everyone to get to know her.    (Here are more pictures of Ashley from back in February.)

I’ve known Ashley for less than a year but she is a really awesome person. Here is what she had to say about her life in photography.

1. How would you describe your photography style? — I love images that look as though they came out of a camera, not ones that look like they’ve been through Photoshop hell.  I love Photoshop, don’t get me wrong,  I just really like that raw look that an image brings with little manipulation.  I also love to have a little more “darkness” in my images.  I love an image that feels mysterious, as if the viewer needs to see a little more than just one image to tell them a story or give more information about the subject.  I love it when I can invoke an eerie feeling with an image.  If I felt that it was appropriate to use a fog machine in every session, I would do it!  There are countless times that I have thought, during a session, about how a little fog would just make me so happy.  I don’t tend to use themes in my photography or sessions.  I just photograph the subject in whatever element they are in, however they are reacting to their environment in which I place them.

2. Who are your artistic heroes? — (extremely narrowed down) Joseph Victor Stephanchik, John Michael Cooper, Sarah Rhoads

3. What is your favorite type of shoot? – Bridals

4. What is the #1 piece of advice you would give to beginning photographers? – Photograph not because you need the income, not because you love the recognition, not because you like the comments you get on your images; do it because you love it.  And LEARN how to use your CAMERA (preferably learn to shoot manual and learn your camera before you start to rely on Photoshop)!!  Ok, that’s two pieces of advice.  Sorry…

5. What is something interesting about you? — I hate to read, but I love to write!  I really wished I loved to read.

6. What is photography about to you? — Photography is knowing that someone has completely trusted you to capture their vulnerability, their true self… they have enough trust in you that they allow you to look into their eyes through a lens and freeze time so that they may remember themselves, or their family at that very moment.

7. What photography questions do you find yourself still asking? Why can’t I be as good as ….. (fill in the blank)?  It’s a constant and relentless question that just does not go away.  It would be nice if it disappeared.

8. What is your favorite type of lighting? I really like lots of different lighting.  I seem to really be drawn to forced light.  I also REALLY love artificial light (off camera flash).  I love the drama that you can create.  You can change an entire scene in an instant.  And I love to shoot in the Winter because of the striking coolness (speaking of color, meaning blues and purples) the air gives to an image.

9. How would you describe yourself in three words? relaxed, observant (although my husband would disagree), unique

10. What has been the hardest thing to learn about photography/business? The hardest thing to grasp about photography is that it has a glass ceiling.  You cannot just learn everything in one class or even over a couple of years; the knowledge of photography is just about endless.  Once you learn about one thing, you realize there is so much more to learn.