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so i don't remember when exactly my parents got me my first camera.  i do have a lot of photos from my dad's funeral and not much before then, so i am guessing it was that last christmas we were an entire family.  my next camera came after i met jeb.  and i think i can really thank him for awakening the love of photography in me.  he almost always had a camera and really pushed me to see things differently and photograph them.  granted he usually wanted photos of him and his red hat, but still.  jeb pushed and nudged me in so many ways to be more creative and more sure of my creativity.  and that is an invaluable thing to be pushed and nudged into.  jeb was sure of himself and if he thought you were awesome, then there was no question about it.  i digress.  i started taking tons of photos, partly as a way to express myself, partly as a way to make sure i could hold on to a moment.  i have but one photo of my dad.  and i think my mom only has one of the four of us together.  my dad hated having his picture taken.  but i so wish i had more.  i digress again.  i'm kind of a rambler.  so in college i took every photojournalism class i could without having to be a fine arts major.  because, for some reason, i lacked enough faith in my abilities to be an artist.  but i found another passion in social work and am so glad i followed that.  in philadelphia i got the awesome opportunity to work under devon john, who is a good friend and an amazing photographer.  she taught me so much just by letting me do, with gentle criticisms and suggestions for improvement.  so for as long as i can remember i have had a camera attached to me in some way.  i love it.  i feel like i come alive when i am out shooting photos.  it awakens a part of me that doesn't often get expressed.  i think i have a unique perspective as a photographer and a social worker.  i have been trained to deal with emotional situations, generally traumatic, but not always.  as a photographer i have been trained to capture moments.  put the two together and i have to admit, to myself mostly, that i am pretty darn good.  so i am taking the plunge.  with ben's encouragement i am going to start pursuing a career in photography again.  why not?  i love it, i'm good at it, and it makes me happy.  it's a little scary for me to be putting myself out there because i think it makes me vulnerable.  but a little scary can be a good thing.  so i am in the process of collecting my portfolio and organizing it, getting the word out, and jumping in head first.  ashley jones photography is alive and well.  i'll keep you updated.  if you need a good photographer, give me a call.  i am open for business.