Conversations with Ashley Duffy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Duffy. 

Hi Ashley, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
My whole life I have been a creative. Art was always an important means of self-expression and I started by creating compositions through drawing, painting, and writing. When I was just starting high school, I was gifted my first camera. I loved the idea of being able to freeze real-life moments in time and would spend hours exploring and capturing the world around me. I took my first traditional photography class my sophomore year of high school and spent countless hours in the darkroom throughout high school and college. My love for photography was solidified as I spent my time shooting, developing, editing, and learning the chemistry behind successfully developing these frozen moments both traditionally and digitally. In 2014 I obtained my Bachelors of Fine Art Photography, Magna Cum Laude from Florida Atlantic University. 

Through high school, college, and after graduation, I did freelance photography work as both a portrait and architectural photographer. I was featured in multiple gallery exhibitions throughout the Southeast and I was hired on as a Graphic Designer-Technical Writer for an engineering firm straight out of college. After getting married in 2016 to my childhood sweetheart I really started to think more about the future as a wife, career woman, and hopefully a soon-to-be mother. So, I decided to become official and, in the summer of 2017, I started my business, Ashley Anna Artistries, LLC. Now, I use my passion for photography to create memorable experiences for other families while also having the flexibility of running my own business and raising my family. 

My mission is to create timeless portraits that will be cherished for generations to come. As a “momtrepreneur”, I strive to perfect my craft by designing memorable family experiences that capture unforgettable milestones, genuine essence, and unfiltered emotion. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
A few months after starting my business, I became pregnant with our first daughter, Finley. Tragically and unexpectedly, she did not survive her delivery at full term in November of 2018. The grief I suffered during that next year definitely affected my experience as a new business owner. Photographing happy families with their living children created some confusing, internal battles for me. I have always been passionate about my art and the services I provide. I refused to shy away from doing family and maternity photoshoots and instead decided to take it all head-on. Having the added distractions of trying to build out my business in other areas, such as website design, marketing, and continuous fine art exhibition work created a good outlet for me. Continuing my portraiture work, albeit more slowly than before, helped me gain my confidence back, work through my grief with art, and also regain my hope for the future. In July of 2020, we were blessed with our twins, Patrick and Teagan, 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As a fine artist, I strive to capture, illustrate and evoke raw emotion, in all forms. Meaning I document and publish this life truthfully. I do not sugarcoat my work and I work hard to share genuine, real-life, moments. Using natural light, my photography style is a blend of true-to-life color and thought-provoking black and white imagery. I am in love with the rawness that is caught in candid moments and plan my final product in real-time while shooting. I visualize the impact my subject will have with or without the distractions of color before I even release the shutter. While I strive to create compositions that capture personal essence, I also take pride in creating a memorable experience during my photoshoots. I take time to get to know the families I work with so my service is fluid, everyone is comfortable we all enjoy our time together. 

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love the variety of locations available to us in the bay area. If my clients are interested in a certain vibe for their session, I have so many options available just within our tri-county area. We have some of the most beautiful beaches in the country, interesting cityscapes with great, urban art scenes right on the bay, gorgeous natural areas spanning from forests, rivers, springs, and rolling countryside. I love the beauty found in the greater Tampa Bay area. 

This also make us a top travel destination for tourists. I have a wonderful, local client base but I also get the opportunity to work with people from all over the country who come to visit our area. I really enjoy getting to tell the stories of so many families from so many different backgrounds through my photographic work. 

Contact Info:

• Email: ash@ashleyannaartistries.com
• Website: www.AshleyAnnaArtistries.com
• Instagram: Www.Instagram.com/ashleyannaartistries
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/ashleyannaartistries

Image Credits
Ashley Anna Artistries