Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Bohm Moore.
Hi Ashley, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I first became interested in photography back in high school, a little over 10 years ago. My aunt, who had a photography business, gifted me my first DSLR and it was all downhill from there. I started taking photography classes and practically lived in the school’s darkroom, developing film and making prints whenever I could. After graduating, I attended the Corcoran College of Art + Design in Washington, D.C. (nearby where I was living at the time) for a whole two months until I realized I wasn’t at all prepared for the art world or living in the city and dropped out. After this experience, I stopped taking pictures in any serious capacity for the next 5+ years, during which time I moved to the San Diego area, took a few years off from school, and then began attending MiraCosta College for Business. While in business school, I started to get the photography itch again and decided that I would give studying it in school another shot. After receiving my AA in Business, I earned another AA for Studio Art, which I used to transfer to California State University, Long Beach. That’s where I am currently, pursuing a BFA in Art Photography.
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?
My road to where I am now from where I started has been anything but smooth and straightforward. It included many unexpected hiatuses, mental breakdowns, endless cases of imposter syndrome, and struggles with staying inspired and driven to make art. I think that staying motivated has been one of the biggest obstacles throughout my art career. That, and experiencing burnout.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I mostly shoot on film, though I’ve been trying to become better friends with my DSLR, lately. I love the materiality of film and the slowed-down process of creating an image from scratch. It really gives you the feeling of having truly made something from start to finish. I also love the element of surprise that comes with shooting film and not being able to see the pictures you took until the film is developed. Sometimes the pictures you’re most excited about come out the worst, but one you didn’t think much of turns out incredible. As far as what I enjoy photographing the most, I’m definitely drawn to kind of strange, off-kilter scenes or objects that I find in the “wild”, while out on walks or on a drive. I like to make images about the traces people leave behind and ones that evoke a strong sense of place. Most of all, I like to use photography as a way of sharing what I see, how I see it, with the rest of the world.
Right now, I’m mostly focusing on school and personal projects, though I also freelance occasionally. I currently volunteer as a mentor at an awesome non-profit photography program in LA called Las Fotos Project, and in the future, I hope to teach photography in some capacity.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
It seems like the photo world is always changing. I’m sure social media like Instagram contributes a lot to that, though I think change is just built into the nature of any art.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ashleybohm.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/ashleyabohm
- Facebook: facebook.com/ashleybohmphoto
Image Credits
Ashley Moore
