Interview with Ashley of Ashley Bartoletti Photography

Meet Ashley of Ashley Bartoletti Photography! This genius is behind the camera on so many weddings that I’ve worked on, and she has photographed tons of my work for the blog. Some of my favorite posts feature her pictures, most notably:

– Shannon and Jeremy’s navy and persimmon damask wedding invitation suite

– Jeannine and Nick’s silver foil blind letterpress glitter wedding invitation suite

– Becca and Paul’s pink and green watercolor rose wedding invitation suite

– Kasey and Greg’s black and gold art deco wedding invitation suite

– Janette and Ted’s navy and silver wedding invitation suite

– Erika and Antonio’s photo engagement party invitation

– Althea and Saleem’s pink pocketfold wedding invitation suite

– Dehondra and Lamar’s pink rose-patterned save the dates

I also worked with Ashley on some amazing styled shoots: the New Year’s Eve Glitz and Glam styled shoot (featured on Heart Love Weddings) and the Sparkly Spring styled shoot from 2013. She also did headshots for this glamour model–oops, sorry, that’s me! (Seriously, how does she make people look this good?)

Wedding photographers are some of the busiest people in the world. Still, Ashley was nice enough to take some time to sit down with me and answer a few questions:

How would you describe your style as a photographer?

I like things to look natural so most of the day I just photograph things as they happen. The two times I’m a little more hands on are when I photograph details and portraits.

For details like dress, shoes, jewelry, and flowers I always set them up to best showcase their beauty. For portraits, I will tell the wedding couple or wedding party where I want them to be and give then some basic instructions on how I want them to stand or interact, but I really want them to interact with each other so their true emotions show through. I like everything to look candid and beautiful.

How many weddings do you average per year?

I shoot about 25-30 weddings per year.

What types of cameras do you shoot with?

I shoot with professional Canon equipment and a variety of different lenses.

What is your favorite photography accessory, apart from your camera?

I’ll have to go with one of my favorite lenses–the 135mm 2.0–that probably doesn’t mean much to you if you’re not a photographer, but it makes gorgeous, soft backgrounds. It’s great for portraits!

What are some of your favorite computer tools or software that you use, besides the computer itself?

I use Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop to edit all my images. I also love Photomechanic for sorting images, and Album Stomp for creating album designs.

What is your favorite thing about being a wedding photographer?

I love seeing the love. There is nothing like seeing the love on someones face on the day of their wedding, and I get to be there to make sure that moment is captured forever! I also love all the gorgeous, girly details–rings, flowers, dresses, shoes!

What is the most challenging thing about photographing weddings?

There are so many variables. You never know what you’re going to get thrown into, and every day is different. It could be a dark church with no flash allowed, an unruly groomsmen, a hurricane outside with no places for indoor portraits, a drunk father of the bride who is being too touchy-feely, or a no-show groom (and yes, I’ve seen all those!) You just have to keep calm, do your best, and smile through the day.

If you could photograph a wedding at any location on earth, where would you choose to go?

It is so hard to choose just one. I love to travel! It would love to shoot on an amazing beach somewhere. I’ve already been lucky enough to shoot destination weddings in Hawaii and Mexico, but I’d love to add a new beautiful beach to the list.  Or someplace in Italy!  And I’ve always, always wanted to shoot a wedding in Disney World.

Thanks so much for sitting down with me, Ashley! I’m so proud to feature you and your amazing body of work on my blog. Here’s to working together much more in the future!

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