The moral of my story is, we all see our self through dirt covered glasses. We are & will remain our own worst critics. I will always scrutinize my work and my company. In many ways, it is a good thing because it means you will always get the best. My practices and skills will continue to grow and improve because I am always striving to be better for you. 

However, on the other hand, sometimes it is nice to see yourself through someone elses eyes & know that you are right where you are meant to be. This award is a sort of a seal of approval for me. It let me know not to give up to my dream. It tells me that I am doing what I am meant to do, capturing beautiful memories of family & motherhood for the amazing people of Baltimore City, Baltimore County & surrounding areas. 

What does this mean for you, the client? 

The PPA, or Professional Photographers of America is an amazing organization that provides excellent benefits to members.

​For starters, they provide their members with equipment insurance and indemnification. They also assist with copyright. 

​What makes it so great for clients is that when you hire a PPA photographer you can rest easy knowing that you are hiring an insured photographer. You can also sleep well at night knowing that if for any reason your data (images) is lost, the PPA provides your photographer with world class data recovery assistance from Drive Savers to recover any images that can be recovered. As we all know, Murphy's Law happens sometimes, no matter how hard you try to prevent it.

​The PPA also offers it's members education not only for photographic skills, but business skills, too. They offer their members wit sound business contracts. While these contracts protect the photographer, they also ensure that the client gets everything they are promised. This organization holds its members to very high business standards and members are expected to earn merit, pay dues and remain in good professional standing to maintain membership.

​The biggest benefit to you is the trickle down of savings. The PPA grants its members wonderful discounts on education, gear, liability insurance and so much more. These savings can be 10-50% a year. A lower cost of doing business means you save money, too. 

When you are hiring a professional, it is always best to go with someone educated, licensed and insured. The PPA provides me (Ashley) with education & insurance. This means Baltimore Girl Photography is now a trifecta! Becoming a PPA member was an easy business decision because it benefits everyone.

I participated in a very interesting webinar last night by the fabulous Julie Paisley. She mentioned something very interesting that got me thinking. She said that most professional photographers' had never thought of their "why". I started to think about why I decided to follow this career path, & I came to the realization that I was one of those photographers she was talking about. I could not answer the question of why. Why did I initially choose to be a photographer? Why did I go into business in the first place? Why do I appreciate my clients & what do I want them to gain from a session with me?  

​I decided to sleep on it and start fresh this morning with a clear head. I decided I would write down the first 5 things that came to my mind. I wouldn't alter them, because I want my "why" to be a true statement. 

I decided to start my business anew this morning with a brand new response when people ask me "why" are you a photographer, or "why" are you in business.

​Here is my why... 
​I am in business to provide a fun, memorable, real experience for all of my clients. I want to provide each client with a product they will cherish for a lifetime. Years from now, I want my clients to look at their images and smile, laugh, cry, whatever- as long as the image evokes an emotion. I want my clients to feel beautiful & special. Most of all I want them to feel like the small part of their real life I was able to capture is art, because each and every client is a masterpiece.