Artist Spotlight: Ashleigh Craggs — Photographer, County Durham

Artist Spotlight - Ashleigh Craggs - Photographer - Location: County Durham ALT This is Ashleigh Craggs, She is 29 years old, Photographer from Trimdon Village, County Durham. ALT Ashleigh’s main influence for getting into photography was her career as a model at Tyne Tees Model Management and her first photo shoot, she was given a list of photographers to work with and reviewed their work she decided to work with Chris Davies’s studio formally Specular Ashleigh was very drawn to his work, the experience just opened her eyes to the styling of different photographers styles and how they have individual flares and styling. ALT “I realised this was art. My interest only progressed more and more as the years went on and I did different jobs with new photographers” ALT “I chose to jump from modelling through the lens to photography when I got older and would see my fellow models and see them in a shoot I envision for them in styles I imagine would suit them. This feeling lasted about a year before I was diagnosed with depression after the death of my father, it took me another year to finally realise I had to make a change and channel my feelings into my passion so I took the plunge and purchased a camera and sign up to a adult beginners course at east Durham college”. ALT Now Ashleigh, 1 year and 10 days later is there

producing work, she is proud of and making her imprint on the industry. ALT Ashleigh’s main 5 inspirations are Chris Davies’s studio. Dean Hindmarch. Rankin. Nick Suarez Photo & Micheal Smalley “These have been my inspirations from the day. My projects I have at the moment I have lined up several model portfolios, business headshots and fashion shoots. My goal is to open a bigger studio and work for an agency shooting models and campaigns!” ALT “my advice to new creatives is, the old cliche but golden advice which is don’t give up!… building your business and getting your name up there in lights takes time its been exactly one year since I started and I can see its a long way to the finish line. don’t lose momentum and keep at it we will meet at the top, my friends!”

Ashleigh’s work invites you into the sensual sphere of beauty whether it is her self-portraits or portraits of people/subjects you can feel tenderness in her soul as she captures the image and she captures the beauty of her subject as abstractly as possible. Her portrait has a drive to them making you want to explore each facet of the image from the subject/model and background. Ashleigh’s works stand out and are an enjoyable experience each time you inspect her art. Keep checking in on her creations you won’t be disappointed - @mancuniarebel