Changes

I’ve been working on making my website and social media easier to find, access, and manoeuvre through. People were having trouble finding me – on Facebook especially – because, apparently, there are many Ashlée Dawn photographers in other countries. I’ve never met an Ashlee, never mind an Ashlee Dawn or even an Ashley who is a photographer, so it surprised me. I had no difficulty getting the .ca URL for my website and the .com version was even available at the time. It was quickly snatched up by someone however. I received an email within a couple weeks of setting mine up asking me if I wanted to buy the .com version. If you visit the page it’s about the horribly sad struggle men have with foot odour.  Which, of course, I find hilarious and is much better than having another Ashlee Dawn photographer’s page come up.

So, I’ve changed my links which means many things I’ve linked to in the past won’t work any more.

My website is still www.ashleedawnphotography.ca but the other areas changed a bit
If you’re look for my photos – Galleries www.ashleedawnphotography.ca/Galleries
If you’re looking for your photos – Client Area www.ashleedawnphotography.ca/Client

I changed Facebook to www.facebook.com/ashleedawnphotography.ca

Instagram is now www.instagram.com/ashleedawnphotography.ca

Now, I can’t change the fact that my name is Ashlée instead of Ashley so I know I will still be difficult to find but hopefully this does make it easier! If something seems to not be working properly please let me know. You can message me through my website, Facebook, or here. Thanks in advance but hopefully there’s no reason for you to message me.

Merry Christmas!

Ashlée

The View

Every once in a while I get the opportunity to take photos for one of the local community theatre‘s productions. I enjoy being a part of the shows on stage and would like to volunteer backstage but my schedule is too erratic to be of any reliable help. So, I volunteer my time to take the cast photos. Sometimes they also need photos taken of the show itself. I’ve only done it a few times but I wonder if I’ll ever feel completely comfortable with making noise and moving around during a show. I feel very distracting to the performers and relieved there is no one in the audience trying to watch.

The last one I did was The View from the Bridge. It was a wonderful show. I have seen many – if not all – the actors perform before and I think some of them were challenged this time around. I don’t say that because I saw stress in their performance but, rather, because it was new characters for many of them. And they did very well! I felt nostalgic seeing Barry Borgstrom back on stage as the Lawyer and Narrator of the show. I grew up in the house across from him and enjoyed hearing him sing on his porch and seeing him perform as Don Quixote in La Man of La Mancha. The two young stars of the show impressed me as well. Jelena Jensen shone with a natural Brooklyn accent as the sweet young niece, Catherine, and Carter Gulseth played a dreaming Italian immigrant, Rodolpho. The entire cast deserved the sold out nights and standing ovations.

The next production is a joint Cranbrook Community Theatre and Key City Theatre production, The Producer’s. It’s going to be fantastic!

Ashlée

Website/Facebook/Instagram

 

 

Markets

I’ve been super busy lately with winter markets. I printed 5×7 and 8x10s of some of my landscape photos and ordered 8 different Christmas cards with local photos on the front. They look awesome! It’s been a lot of fun networking but it’s long hours and smiling even when you don’t want to. I’ve met so many great people who live in the area though. It’s been completely worth it. I have one more this Wednesday night at Highlands Elementary and then I can prepare for Christmas!

Hope you’re all doing well

Ashlée

Website/Facebook/Instagram

I’m sorry

Something happened a few weeks ago that made work incredibly difficult. Working on photos from home wasn’t bad but social media became impossible. I didn’t want to write about it because it wasn’t business related but it has become related by affecting the way I’ve run things these past few weeks.

Three weeks ago a friend passed away. We’ve had time to prepare because he was given a few months to live four or five years ago but that, that didn’t seem to help anyone. I honestly didn’t expect it to get to me very much. He was a great man, that’s not it, it’s just…it’s just hard to explain.

All of a sudden I didn’t want to talk to people or have anyone touch me. And I couldn’t focus on anything any more. Being happy – or at least pretending to be – by sharing photos on Facebook or Instagram and writing a blog post was hard to even wrap my mind around. For some reason I’ve also felt like I wasn’t close enough to him any more to be affected so strongly. So, I haven’t been saying much about it to anyone. But I know that’s kind of silly. And, to be honest, things still aren’t great for me. I’m not sure why exactly. I just can’t snap out of it. I’m pretty sure it’s by the grace of God that I’ve had the focus and strength to finish editing photos and to be present and professional while on location. It’s definitely not by my own strength.

I know I don’t have to say sorry for not being present on social media but, I am. I’m sorry that I haven’t been my usual self and that things like this happen to people. I’m sorry if you’re hurting and going through something right now. I’m sorry that life doesn’t seem fair sometimes and that there doesn’t seem to be anything we can do about it. Im sorry.

“Instead of asking ‘Why?’ try asking ‘What now?'” – Jeff Crozier (possibly in more elaborate words but that’s how my brain translated it)

Ashlée

Bettcher Family

I would like to introduce you to the Bettchers. You may have already seen them in my last post. I got a last minute call to do a family photo shoot at Idlewild Park over Thanksgiving weekend. Little did I know most of the family didn’t know either but it went perfectly! The kids were happy, the adults got involved, and the photos turned out great! I can’t say much about this family because I don’t know most of them. The couple I do know, however, are incredible. They are friendly, supportive, hard working, caring, and involved in their community. Their children are sweet, smart, and have big hearts. It was a pleasure taking these photos for them.

 

Wedding and more family photos to come!

Ashlée

Website/Instagram/Facebook

Family Photos

I love taking photos at random moments during photo shoots. You never know what you’re going to get. Many are absolutely horrible and you don’t want to let your client see them but sometimes they’re just fun. Everyone getting into position, making sure they look good, or goofing around before looking good for the photo. To me that’s them looking good. Them being themselves. The true family.

Ashlée
Website/Facebook/Instagram

And so it begins (the next part anyway)

I have made so many phone calls and sent so many emails this week trying to find the people who were recommended for this project. I have a half a dozen interviews set up for the next week and then a dozen the following two.

I’m very excited to be leaving my desk and meeting people but this is the make it or break it part. The part that isn’t only based on me but still is. I need to be a fantastic interviewer with the right questions, the quick mind and then get the perfect photo.

Yipes!

Here I go,

Ashlée

Website/Facebook/Instagram

Long weekend

Not only was it a long weekend in the sense that Monday was a holiday – totally thought yesterday was Sunday so didn’t blog at all – but it was also long because I had two last minute bookings. Last Wednesday I got a call from a bride saying her photographer fell through and she was getting married on Sunday! I felt so bad for their situation but seeing as I also knew who the bride was and the groom and I go back a couple decades I was so happy to be a part of it. The other shoot was a last minute family booking. 13 people, many of them very adorable children. We played at a park for an hour and I captured them as they went around having fun.

It was a wonderful weekend full of work and family for Thanksgiving but I’m definitely in need  of a day off. Unfortunately, that won’t happen anytime soon because it’s straight to work calling, emailing, and finding the people on my list to interview. My first two interviews occur this week and then the project is going to be officially started. So far it has felt very on hold but this, this might be it!

Now I have hundreds of photos to go through, happy clients, and so much more to blog and share so I must be off.

See you soon!

Ashlée

Website/Facebook/Instagram

Recommendations

Short post today because all I’ve been doing for days is going through the list of recommendations for Mountains of Personality. I am overwhelmed by the amount of people that have been recommended for this project. Some of the names I know but many I don’t. I’ve been trying to go through the list of names and narrow it down but there are just so many people! I didn’t expect this many so I don’t have a narrowing down process. It’s been a lot of looking up names, trying to get contact information, making phone calls, and just going full Nancy Drew all over this list. But I don’t feel like I’m making it very far.

Wish me luck!

Ashlée

Website/Facebook/Instagram

Interviews

Well, I’ve received 70+ responses to the survey and now it’s time to start interviewing people. My plan is to visit the farther communities first so that I have less travelling to do in the snowy months.

I’m still excited to do this project but I’m also very nervous. I’m not only nervous to interview people or about the fact that I have to introduce myself to a ton of people and explain what I’m doing. I’m also nervous about representing people, taking good photos and putting it all together well. I’m not good with unknowns and right now, right now there are hundreds.

First step? Make one phone call and get the ball rolling.

Wish me luck!

Ashlée

Website/Facebook/Instagram