Photo by: Cat Ford-Coates of Studio 828 Photography
My journey in photographic storytelling
I've been an artist for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I loved to do any and every craft from painting to sewing dolls' clothing to interior design (for my dollhouse.) My mom gave me an old film camera sometime around 5th grade thinking offhand that I might be interested in yet another art form and boy was she ever right. I purchased my own digital camera (since I didn't yet know the beauty of film) and began trying my hand at it, eventually winning a local photo contest in 6th grade. From there, I was hooked. In the fall of 2007, I traveled with my grandparents to Paris where I fell in love with visual storytelling through documenting my own adventures in a location new to me. I took up film photography in 10th grade (2008) where I discovered the true art of photography through learning the ins-and-outs of taking, developing and printing images by hand. I took my first job in photography (and actually my first real job!) shooting sports for UNC Asheville in 2012, then shot my first wedding that same year. I received a Bachelor of Arts degree from UNC Asheville in 2015 and went full time in my business that same year. Photography has been not only my chosen form of expression for over half my lifetime, but my way of learning about the world, of getting to know people, and even of getting to know myself.
“When I say I want to photograph someone, what it really means is that I’d like to know them. Anyone I know I photograph. ”
Stress Free Photography
To me, photography isn't just about the beautiful finished product, it's about the creation process as well. I don't want you to simply enjoy your photo album. I want you to have fun with your loved ones and to find confidence in yourself through out photography session.
I will guide you through every step of the booking, planning, photoshooting and product-creating process so that you not only have beautiful tangible ways to remember your fond memories, but genuinely enjoy having your photo made.
As an introvert, I'm not one for small talk. I much prefer to listen and to watch, letting people open up as they become more and more comfortable. This often informs my photo sessions. I'll get to know you beforehand to have a good idea of how to put you at ease to best capture your personality (and ensure you have fun) and then continue getting to know you during our session so that by the end we've got beautiful personality portraits as well as a blossoming friendship.
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Adrian has a great ability to put people at ease when she’s with them - she finds the thing that makes them look most natural and has them do it - a lot - for me it was laughing. I was a little nervous when she insisted we do an engagement session before the wedding day but she was totally right, by the time the wedding came we were not only able to feel a little more natural, she knew how to work with us to get the shots she knew we would love. She was also incredibly patient with our families and able to get great photos of them (not easy with almost 20 family members in a posed photo). Her advice was awesome, our guests loved her, and she even helped us to pull off some special moments that are now our favorite images from the day. The way she shares photos on social media help you to get to know her and also just makes you feel really super special. Within hours of our wedding we had some awesome shots to share with friends who weren’t able to be there, which was so appreciated”