Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Lippincott.
Ashley, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My story of how I got to today… well, I’m 45 years old, how much time do you have?! Just kidding!!
I love the water, grew up on the gulf coast of Florida, and spent almost every weekend with my dad on our boat. We collected shark teeth and snorkeled around Egmont and explored everything till the afternoon storms rolled in or the sun sank low.
My dad is also the one who, unknowingly, introduced me to photography. He was a serious hobby photographer–lights and backdrops in the garage, photoshoots with friends. It was fun, but it never occurred to me that other families didn’t do this too!
Fast forward to today, I’ve combined those two loves of mine, the water, and photography, into one career. Pretty awesome if you ask me!
My husband Steve, and my two kids Evan and Lindsay are usually not far behind on photo shoots–building sets for product shots, helping me carry ladders and gear to the beach, sometimes modeling and always offering to assist at a moment’s notice.
I do clean up ok, but if we go to the beach together, this is me you’ll see: covered in sunscreen and ready to jump in the water.
Hopefully, we’ll work together soon and can meet in person!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Is there ever a smooth road to anything? My road hasn’t been smooth, but it’s been great!
Understanding the gear, grasping the power of photoshop, figuring out business, it’s all still a journey. I love it all and don’t think I’ll ever get to that point where I feel like I know it all, and that’s fine, it keeps me on my toes and constantly learning.
To be completely honest, the biggest challenge has been confidence. There are SO MANY amazing creatives in the world, it took me a minute to figure out how to jump in and feel like I could contribute in some way. As photographers, our whole reason-for-being is to make images that people like, so finding that balance between people liking my work and staying true to my own style (instead of what I think people want to see) has probably been the hardest part.
Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I enjoy lifestyle and product photography. Showing a product as it would be used in real life or in an amazing flatly OR showcasing an individual’s personal brand so others immediately know what he/she is all about–those aspects are super important to me. I love creating images–a full story in one shot or a set of shots. taking time to understand who this image id for, what needs to be in it, how it needs to be edited and highlighting the person or product without feeling like an ad. that’s what’s fun to me.
A lot of my work incorporates a water element of some kind. a splash, an ink cloud, and even taking the products and people in the water.
Is there anyone, in particular, you would like to recognize? Mentors, etc?
There is no way I could be doing what I’m doing today without the help of a ton of people. For starters, my family has had unwavering faith in me, given me, all the support I could ever need, built my props and set, and came thru as amazing models for my test shoots.
You might think this will sound crazy, but my Instagram family has been amazingly supportive! Some people I know in real life, others are just their profile, but however it is that we connected, I find it invaluable. From tips to ideas, to collaborations, to honest feedback and, best of all, the continued attention and support over the years. My follower counts not be a big group (by Instagram standards) but they are giant in my eyes and I’m so thankful they want to follow along and chat with me daily.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gulfcoastashley.com
- Email: hello@gulfcoastashley.com
- Instagram: @gulfcoastashley
- Twitter: @gulfcoastashley
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
