Today we’d like to introduce you to Aslyn Oestreich.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I loved taking photos as a small child. My parents seemed to have an endless amount of film and disposable cameras to take to the store to have developed, most of which contained snaps I had done. In high school, our art teacher took us on a field trip to the Detroit institute of Art that just happened to have an exhibit by Annie Leibovitz that changed my life. I knew that photography is what I wanted to do. I came home and begged my grandparents to let me spend my college fund on a digital camera and that was it! I started photographing my family, my friends, and anyone who would let me really. I even started taking photos of my friends bands and selling them to them afterwards for $5. Fast forward almost 20 years later and I’m still taking photos and loving it.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think with any long journey, it’s never a smooth road. There have been periods of time when even looking at my camera was something that didn’t bring me joy. I’ve had periods where photography had to take a backseat to take care of other people, times when I just didn’t know if it was worth continuing, so many reasons why it wasn’t a priority. I always come back to it though. Usually when someone I love asks me for photos and it pulls me out of a rut and I’m always so thankful for those moments.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a photographer based in West Michigan, focused on portraits. I’m really proud of the fact that I try to offer photography for people who might otherwise not be able to afford it. I work with smaller budgets, I accept bartering, and sometimes if it’s a great idea, I’ll do it for free for the experience.
What are your plans for the future?
I’m going to keep on doing exactly what i’ve been doing! Accepting projects that speak to me and photographing my own family through their different stages in life. It might not be a big or exciting change, but I’m still always looking forward to it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.aslynophoto.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aslyn.o.photo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aslynophoto
