Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Canario.
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 name is Ashley Canario a Full-time Digital + Film Photographer + creative director in both video/photo. I am 25 years old and now based in LA as of recent but lived in Miami, Fl for 25 years. I was born and raised in Kendall, Miami, FL by my grandmother from my mom’s side. Mom is Canadian and my dad’s Dominican and separated when I was about three years of age. I started photography as a hobby when I was about 16. My grandmother, instead of doing a traditional 15’s she gifted me my first trip to outside the US to Canada to spend the entire summer visiting my mom who lives there. I was asked by my father what I wanted as a gift and I asked for a DSLR so I can document my first trip ever. I was really into landscape photography and began to travel a lot between the states and Canada after that.
In high school, I was also known as the girl who always had her camera on her and recorded everything in high school/college. I did pursue TV production then and got a bachelor’s in College for Broadcast Media Production with a minor in social media at FIU. I initially wanted to work for E!news and loved the entertainment industry, the technical side of operating systems in a broadcast room, and how it was to be on TV sets at the time. I picked up Photography initially as a hobby and didn’t think I would be doing this as a full-time career, let alone move to a brand new city during a pandemic, a city I’ve dreamed of living since I was 16, Which is where I am now based.
I am self-taught completely in photography and did not go to school for it. I learned through YouTube tutorials as well as trial and error and finding my own style through that. I made an Instagram where I just shared my personal life and travel images. I then had an aspiring model reach out to me her name was Sonya Singh, who loved my style of editing but had asked me if I shot portraits. I was very shy at the time and had never met anyone online, let alone do a photoshoot in that way. I loved her style and just ran with it. We did our first shoot in 2016 in Miami Beach and it was swim. We snuck into this hotel called Marseilles and used their pool as our location and that’s where it all started. I posted her images online and the reaction is what kept me going, I then started to get a lot of DM’s from aspiring models in Miami to shoot together and create. That’s how I started to work with a lot of Modeling agencies and dive into creative portraits and branding.
While pursuing this, I was working three jobs at the time. I had been working at Starbucks as a barista for five years, FIU as a production assistant, and then started to intern for a PR agency ALL while being a full-time student. I then started to build my own brand. I shot with a lot of known models in Miami and also started to work with a lot of brands to build my branding portfolio.
During my last year of college, I decided to start looking for internships and REALLY challenge myself as a creative and dive into the other side of photography. I came across a PR agency called Alchemy Agency that was based in Miami Beach and was looking for an In-house photography intern. They are a brand enhancement agency and helped me tremendously in the world of event photography, food, and beverage photography, product photography as well as lifestyle branding with models/influencers of bigger scale. I later helped with creating organic content for their social media, where I not only shot but also helped curate stories and posts for their overall enhance their social media appearance. I always had that mentality of even if I didn’t know how to do it. I would learn and master it. I always had that mindset and courage and felt hat’s what’s gotten to where I am today.
A quick story that backs that up – My boss at the time Matt, who is co-founder of Alchemy Agency, gave me my first art Basel opportunity, which was a private dinner at an exclusive event at this mansion right in Miami beach. He said I had to bring a flash as it was a late-night event. I did now know who was going to be there but all he said was to prepare because big names were going to attend. That night was my first night actually shooting flash photography. I spent the last two days learning and practicing back home because I didn’t want him to feel like I couldn’t do the job to this day that was the most nerve-wracking but most rewarding night because I did it and the outcome was amazing. I was so proud of how that night went, I ended up meeting and taking Micahel Bays photo so you can only imagine the pressure I was under haha. Being in a room full of actors, supermodels, and those if the industry I knew right there and then I wanted to keep pursuing this and just move on up!
I later got hired as a full-time in-house photographer for Alchemy and quit my Starbucks job to really focus on this career. I worked with Shaq. The Miami Heat players shot artists like Diplo, Major Lazer, Carnage, Kaskade, Laidback Luke, DJ Irie. Had the opportunity to shoot BTS for The Chainsmokers music video Side Effect starring Camila Mendes shot at one of their client’s properties at Shore Club, had my images published for Miami polo event, photographers aired on TV segments for the press, Shot all of their client’s major food and beverage items that would roll out and have them published for the press, etc.
I then was being scouted through my page and getting hired to shoot major campaigns like Sunny D’light summer flavors that launched in 2019, Nick Jonas’s first Tequila brand Villa One Campaign, and working more on-set productions as also a PA because I generally loved learning every position. You get a better understanding on how others work, what their job really entails, and just be overall well rounded. Later on, in my career, I got opportunities shooting music festivals like iii points which I interned for two years as an in-house photographer and then for the 3rd year got to shoot through a published magazine called Purenowhere through a great friend Carianne who helped me get those images published for an online article. Shot for Shaq’s funhouse festival two years in a row, Riptide Festival in fort Lauderdale. I then got the opportunity to shoot Camila Cabello for a private concert she held last year in October in Miami through Verizon!
Alchemy later introduced me to a Digital Agency Called World Red Eye that specialized in event coverage in all of Miami and that immediately caught my interest because, through Alchemy, I had some time now shooting and gaining the experience. I saw this opportunity and went for it. Got hired as a full-time in house photographer and worked events ranging from Art Basel, Swim week, Miami Design District, Food and wine festival, Music Festivals, Nightlife included Clubs like LIV, STORY, Hottest Bars and restaurants in Miami like Swan, Komodo, Basement Miami, Los Altos, El Santo and the list goes on. I covered live events all throughout Miami and had really built that side of photography for the past two years.
I had been freelancing for two years and had never said no to any opportunity that has come my way. I knew that is how I was only going to grow in this industry, let alone grow as an artist being self-taught. That was the way I went about it. I then after visiting California for the first time on a content trip with a friend in January 2020 and working on set for one of the biggest clients Billboard for JBalvin’s new cover photo for the album Colores working as a Digital Tech PA assistant/BTS I decided to make a move to California in late February and really take my career and skills to the next level. I have done it all in Miami at that point and felt too comfortable.
This was my first move ever and it is across the country so I was working a lot to make this all really happened! I took on 4-5 gigs a week to save up for this move. I finally did it and despite us being in a pandemic, I don’t regret moving to the city I’ve always dreamed of. I now work in both states, California and Miami, creating content and really taking it day by day.
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?
It was hard at first because was working three jobs at the time as a full-time student also. I worked a part-time job at Starbucks since I was 18, a part-time production assistant at FIU and at the same time interned at an agency. But I did not want to give up on photography because that was my outlet in the midst of college and it was what I really looked forward to after classes or on the weekends. Curating mood boards and meeting new people along the way.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
So my pen name comes from Canario being my last name and the “oh” part comes from high school, in the hallways people use to see me of course with camera in hand and be like “OH CANARIO” as a greeting haha. So I kept that as my business name! I specialize in branding, model development portfolio building, food and beverage photography, event photography, digital and film, just overall trying to make each shoot not seem basic, using props making locations also feel like they’re somewhere else, I loved to make Miami beach look and feel like it’s not overdone but switch it up also do videos from time to time and creative direction for not only myself but for other projects that involve model direction.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
To be kind to those around you always, spreading knowledge and helping those who are struggling in the same industry. Remaining humble and hard-working, getting out of your comfort zone!
Contact Info:
- Website: ohcanario.com
- Email: ohcanario@gmail.com
- Instagram: ohcanario
- Twitter: tweetohcanario
- Other: tiktok: ohcanario
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