Ashley Reece Photography
Temple, Oklahoma
Years in business -12 With a big break in there!
I am a farmer’s wife with three beautiful kiddos. We farm beef cattle, wheat, and cotton. I am also a middle school social studies teacher! I started out as a posed newborn photographer but have since shifted my brand to all thing’s motherhood.
I have always been a dreamer. Since childhood I have had a desire for adventure, and wanderlust deep in my soul. I have always had problems being still. I grew up in the tiny mountains of Southwest Oklahoma riding my horses, exploring the woods, and losing myself in constant daydreams. I have a profound love for nature and all things wild and free. I think this is why I have always had such a deep love of horses. As a child I would sit and draw horses and animals. I have always l loved art, but didn’t discover photography until my children were born. I fell completely head over heels in love with newborn photography and spent years perfecting that style. Now I have re-focused my business to motherhood. I had a rocky childhood growing up with an almost always addicted, mostly absent mother. I did, however, have a wonderful grandmother who stepped in and cared for me. But not having your mother really makes a mark on a life. I promised myself that I would try to be the very best mother I could, and that my children would always know how loved they are. One of my bigger regrets is not having enough photos of ME with my babies while there were still little. Those images are what sets my soul afire. Mommies loving, holding, caring for, and snuggling their babies. This is why I have chosen to focus my brand and work around mothers and their love for their children.
When I learned that Stormy was putting together All Heart, I was super excited! What she was offering has not really been done and I knew I wanted to be a part of this journey. I immediately began to save because, let’s face it… good education is not cheap. I remember crossing my fingers on release day that I had saved enough and was so surprised that there were two purchase options. An All-In option and a payment option. I told myself from the beginning that I would be doing each season!
I immediately dove into the videos and information and once again Stormy’s heart for education shown through. I have always loved Photoshop over Lightroom and was so happy to see her use it to polish and paint her images. Once I really figured out what I wanted my images to look like, which preset I liked and a little flow to make it cohesive I began to see a major shift in my work. I started posting my work more and got some of the best feedback and lovely compliments, which has really pushed me to keep going and learning all I can. It has also helped me to put myself out there a bit more. All Heart has really changed the way I view my business and has given me the courage to step out and reach for some major goals that I have for myself and my business. I have been counting down the days until the next portion releases!!
I would (and DO!) recommend All Heart because it has really changed me for the better. Not only as an artist, but as a person too. I no longer just mindlessly scroll social media. I engage and love on others as much as I can. I am getting better about putting myself out there and really trying to make my art inspiring. Stormy has inspired me to inspire others with this talent I was gifted. She is such an amazing role model for those who really want to delve in whole heartedly and truly create amazing art.
