A Californian at heart, pro photographer Ashley Gambino is currently living in Texas... but shooting all over the world! Specializing in senior, dance, and business portraiture, Ashley's work is full of light, life, and energy, beautifully capturing the passion and personality of her subjects.

Here at PhotoBiz HQ, Ashley's new website caught our eye – especially since she created it all herself in just a few days!

We recently had the chance to catch up with Ashley and find out more about what drives her as a photographer and what her plans are to keep moving forward as an original artist and business owner in 2019.

Tell us a little about yourself! 

My name is Ashley Gambino and I am a portrait artist specializing in modern High School Seniors + Teens, Destinations/Travel, Branding, and Dance. During the day, I work full-time as a Training & Academy Manager for the Americas at one of the largest Crane & Transportation companies globally. I am located in Angleton, TX serving the Greater Houston area and surrounding suburbs. We offer destination sessions all over the United States and Internationally. Some of our favorite and more frequent places to visit are: New York City, Oceanside, California, and Europe. 

I am a native Californian hippie at heart, but live in the great state of Texas! I am a dog mum of 2. Hank & Herman! Hank is our 2.5-year-old Boxer and Herman is our 6-year-old Dachshund. My husband, Justin, is a full-time traveling musician and artist. We both love taking our passions and sharing them with others. When we are home together we scope out authentic coffee shops and explore.

Photography is not just a job, it's truly a passion I live for and put all efforts into. When working with my clients, I inform them we will make memories we both will cherish for a lifetime.  :)

What do enjoy most about being a photographer?

Truly capturing memories and building relationships. For me, it's not about the itch to shoot or the next sale, I LOVE PEOPLE. My clients tell me and I have heard from others that their session with me is contagious and real.

What got you into photography? 

Phew. Well. I am a shark. I still work full-time while pursuing photography. I needed a hobby and something to ease my brain away from work.

On Black Friday of 2013, I bought my first camera - Canon Rebel T3. I was determined to learn the ins & outs of the camera before asking people if I could photograph them. Once I posted my first photo, it escalated from there and has a been a blessing since.

I am self-taught (trial by error) through all my equipment and editing. When editing, I edit clean and airy with natural tones. However, I love having the retro and muted edits hit my workflow.

What did you want to accomplish with your new website?

I wanted to find an easy platform with great mobility. I heard about PhotoBiz through my friend and mentor, Jenn Lewis! PhotoBiz has the options I was looking for and the customer support service that is engaged.

I have some experience in web design at a self-taught level. I build and design learning modules and newsletters, and I also help other small business owners (including photographers) design and word their websites. I spent about 8 hours over 3 days designing ashleygambino.com. I still have things I want to add and develop on the back end, but I am at the point where it draws people's attention to the site for easy reading and reviews. 

What are some of your goals in 2019?  

 My top 3 goals for 2019 are:

• Attend more conferences and connect with the Photography Community
• Teach and spread awareness on women having a voice
• Design another website through PhotoBiz for my journalism and photo documentary journey

There are more goals for 2019, but these 3 are within the first quarter of this year that will be met. In November before the New Year, I spend a whole day drafting and writing out my business needs, goals and planning board to be on target. It's truly the business side of me that comes out.