& I’m so glad you’re here! I am a proud Navy wife living with my husband, Brian, our sweet daughter Teddy June & our five rescue pets (Whitney, Ruthie, Peach, Puddle & Quinn the cat). I grew up in New Jersey and I went to college in Charleston, South Carolina (and I swear a part of my heart will live in that perfect city forever!). When I was 22 years old, I packed a u-haul trailer full of all my worldly possessions and lugged it across the country to California in my old Ford Mustang simply because I’d always wanted to live on the west coast. I had under $1000 to my name and didn’t know a soul in San Diego. It was easily the most challenging and rewarding experience of my life, and I am so glad that I was naive enough to think it was a good idea at the time!

I stumbled into photography in fall of 2016 when I bought a Canon rebel camera for a backpacking trip. It didn’t take long for me to become totally obsessed with all things photography and that passion lit a fire inside of me that seems to grow by the minute. Photography is so much more to me than taking a quick snapshot. I have always been fascinated by human connection; the fact that we each have our own unique story, history, personality (quirks & all). I love that I am able to stop time for a moment with my camera and capture a small part of your story that will one day transport you back in time when you look back on the photos we captured together. I live for real, raw moments and wrapping them up in a pretty, tangible package that will stand the test of time for decades to come.

There are three things that set my soul on fire when it comes to photography. First off, and most importantly, light: I am obsessed with the way the sun illuminates our world and there is no better feeling than when that glow begins to filter through my lens and paint your photos with that extra special pop of magic. This is why all lifestyle sessions take place during golden hour, aka the last hour before sunset, as you just can’t get that glow at any other time of day. Secondly, connection: I live for for capturing love and emotion through connection. You can expect to do a lot of interacting with your loved ones at my session and I am always mindful of how your hands and bodies are intertwined to show the purest form of love. You may feel a bit silly hugging all over your people out in a sun drenched field, but I can feel when these silly poses give way to real, honest emotion and that is where the real magic starts to happen. Lastly, landscape: I have always loved nature and specifically wide open spaces. I grew up in the suburbs where everything felt piled on top, one after another. I am inspired by wide open fields, rolling hills, vast oceans, dense forests and every other landscape in between. There is something about nature that makes me feel at peace and I strive to bring that sense of wonder and vastness to your photos.

I’m so excited to meet you and learn your story so that we can create beautiful memories together. If you want to know more, feel free to e-mail me at laurieashleyphoto@gmail.com or contact me through this website by clicking below.