Ashton Photography

Just a little bit about us…. including a few secrets!!!

Stephanie:

I just love the whole world of weddings, joining new clients on their journey into married life is such a privilege. It’s great to be with people at such a special time in their lives.

I came into photography after a successful career in advertising. Meeting and later marrying Steve, who is so passionate about photography, made it inevitable that photography was to become part of my life. Little did I know, how much it would change my life.

In 2000 we decided to start our photography business and I realised I needed to learn more about my new industry. I did a course at college, photographed everyone who would let me and worked in a high street studio to get the experience I needed.

After a period of assisting Steve at weddings, I started to photograph weddings along side him so after a suitable apprenticeship, I felt confident enough to call myself a wedding photographer in my own right.

I now photograph up to 50 weddings per year. I love everything about my job, but if I had to choose one aspect, it would have to be, seeing our bride and grooms go on to have families of their own, and both Steve and myself have developed some great long term friendships with past clients.

Photography has given me an amazing second career and released an artistic side, I never knew I had.

Away from work, I love to travel and discover new places, I adore animals in particular our dog “Lucy”. I also have a very big soft spot for Orangutans and a few years ago made the trip of a life time to photograph them in Borneo. Photography does get you to some amazing places!

Interior design is a big passion of mine, I have been obsessed with houses since I was a child. This is one interest I have managed to pass onto Steve over the years.

It’s not only photography I got involved with through Steve. We are now both absolute Land Rover “nuts” and I really enjoy any chance to get muddy in my Landrover!! Strange I’ve never developed a love of power washing though…… Some things are just best left to the Boys!!!!!!

The rumours of my passion for cup cakes is also very true… weddings and cup cakes, they just go so well together!

Steve :

I still find it hard to believe I am a full time professional photographer. My love of photography started at the age of 12, when a relative gave me my first camera.

Since then, I have never had a camera out of my hands.

I remember my form teacher at school telling me to leave the art department’s dark room and go and do some studying, ” You will never make a living from photography lad”

Those words still ring in my ears today, but how wrong he was. After leaving school I studied photography at Blackpool College, worked in a camera shop and part time on the local paper, photographing everything from flower shows to heats of Miss GB in my home town of Morecambe.

I was also working for a really good commercial photographer in Morecambe and he taught me so much. This was were my real photography education started.

A year or so later, I got my dream job and went to work for the Daily Express in Manchester and later in London. In this time I worked with some amazing photographers and editors including the famous “Terry Fincher” who was one of Fleet Streets masters and a superb mentor.

I spent spells on various national newspapers as staff and later freelance photographer. It was a great career and I loved every second of it. You name it, I photographed it from top sports events to the Royal Family, I even flew over the Lake District in a Tornado Fighter, it was fantastic. However press photography changed so much and I knew it was time for me to have a change as well.

It was meeting Steph, getting married and looking for a more “normal life” that got us talking about starting our own business. The rest is pretty much history as they say. We started Ashton Photography, Steph gave up a fantastic career to join the business and away we went.

In addition to weddings I also run an architectural photography company and I have found a focus for my personal photography which is mainly landscapes, in the form of fine art print sales.

After some 20 years as a photographer I still take pictures for fun. I just love the entire process, and I still find it amazing that people will pay me to do what  I love so much.

Most of my hobbies revolve round photography. I love mountain sports, climbing and hill walking, which I combine with my landscape photography, I have a strong interest in all forms of art in particular the work of some of the landscape photography masters.

I am passionate about the environment and conservation issues combined with a deep love of wildlife….. I even persuaded Steph to get married in Kenya on Safari!

Away from work “Lucy” our Cocker Spaniel is my constant companion. We seem to be inseparable!! Dog walking is a great way relax.

I’m also fortunate to share a love of interior design and art with Steph, and we both enjoy visiting galleries and museums, however we do have very different opinions on Art!

I am so glad I didn’t listen to that teacher

I have learnt a lot about weddings in the last 10 years and I now know Jimmy Choos  are not dog biscuits…. my education is almost complete.

Oh and I forgot to mention, I love babies……… Jelly Babies!!!!