Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashlyn Cathey.
Hi Ashlyn, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story started back in my sophomore year of high school when I got turned down for my first job at Zaxby’s. Without a job, I was looking for other ways to stay busy so I joined the yearbook staff. It was there that my incredible yearbook teacher gave me access to a camera to photograph Friday night football games and would let me take home the camera on the weekends. From there, I started taking pictures of my friends and fell in love with the way a good picture made them smile and feel confident. The passion just grew and grew! I attended Georgia Southern University and studied marketing. While there, I joined Alpha Delta Pi sorority and made some of my best and most cherished friendships. That community was instrumental in my growth as a photographer as I would eventually shoot senior, engagement, and wedding photos for many of my sisters.
From there, my business has grown primarily through social media and word of mouth. I am now 11 years removed from that yearbook class, and I am incredibly blessed to be where I am. I truly love what I get to do, which would have never been possible without a supportive community and THE BEST clients in the entire world!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I would say that the growth of my business has been smooth from a client perspective. I seriously work with incredible people all the time! However, trying to find a balance in business has been difficult. I have put in 100 hour weeks and have been on the road for 18 days at a time. That takes a large toll on you mentally and physically so I have had to learn to set boundaries for business and establish a workflow that is both good for me and good for my client. I am always growing and trying to find new ways to be a better photographer, friend, and wife!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am the owner and photographer of Ashlyn Cathey Photography Co. I primarily photograph weddings, but I also photograph engagements and some senior and maternity. However, I tell others that I am a wedding photographer as that is where I am most comfortable. I absolutely love the opportunity to capture the moment two people commit to each other for a lifetime. It is an incredible honor to be trusted with photos that will be shown for generations! When it comes to weddings, I really try to tailor everything I do for the couple. I would consider myself full-service where I primarily offer one photography package that includes everything that I believe relieves much of the stress for the couple.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Because I am a photographer, the aesthetics are hard to match. The history, the Spanish moss, the brick sidewalks….umm YES PLEASE! As far as what I don’t like: I wish I was closer. Although much of many of my weddings are in Savannah, I travel from Tennessee to shoot there My husband and I moved to Knoxville a few years ago and I still make the trip to Savannah often because I love it so much!
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: ashlyncathey.com
- Instagram: @ashlyncathey.photo
