my story
I never dreamed of being a photographer... But somehow, it found me
“A Man’s Heart Plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.”
Wow! We are here! Well I can tell you that starting a photography business didn’t start the way you’d image. I didn’t dream of this since I was a little girl and I actually had very different plans for life. I planned to live abroad somewhere in Europe, drinking coffee while I people watched, running my own hostel brand. I wanted to create something where my passion for people and travel could come together, however staying abroad was much more taxing without my family than I thought. So I packed my bags and headed back to the United States, where I could be with family and work in hospitality. I eventually put my dream of starting a Hostel to rest, trusting that a new door would open for me down the road.
A year later, I met my wonderful honeybun, Teran Sawyer! We fell in love and got married in 2017. Through the years, he would listen attentively to all my pitches for inventions , ideas, and businesses I wanted to pursue. He encouraged me to continue until I found what worked for me. After trial and error, one day, while sitting with my sister-in-law in her living room, I suddenly became interested in her work: professional photography. I saw how beautiful her works of art were, how happy her clients felt when they saw their photos, and it touched my heart. For a split second, I thought to myself, what if??? What if, I became a photographer? What if, I was the one who created beautiful masterpieces? What if, I had clients who were excited about tastefully shot pictures that would live on for generations? What if?
Almost instantly I felt inspired. I got a second wind and it swept me up. The very next day, I remembered I had a Nikon camera in my closet collecting dust. I cleaned it up, and called my best friend to tell her the news, that I wanted to become a photographer. She laughed and told me she was actually on her way to her engagement photoshoot and I was welcome to join. I thought, is this really happening?!? I accepted the offer, packed my bags, called my sister-in-law for a photographer 101 crash course and headed to the location. After the engagement shoot, the rest was history! It was the most invigorating and rewarding experience, even though I barely knew what I was doing. I just looked through the lens seeking to capture the people, the atmosphere, the architecture, the story. Their reaction to the photos I captured was priceless. It was like all the pieces in my life were coming together for this moment. That was the day I decided that no matter what, I was going to become the best photographer I could be and finally make my dream a reality.
Meet the ASP team!
Ana
The adventurous one, dreamer, wife, lead photographer, content creator, and lover of a good sun kissed beach tan!