I was hired by Papusza to photograph these handmade artisanal products in lifestyle and product settings for her website and marketing initiatives. Through our meetings and long conversations, as well as our +10 year friendship, she trusted me to drive the creative direction for Black Sea Textiles through videos featuring products in a variety of indoor and outdoor natural settings, as well as photographs that are used for product pushes.
Black Sea Textiles is a textile project founded in 2018 by Kaytee Papusza, an expert in textiles who has spent two decades working in the textile and fashion industry. Living in Black Sea regions since 2020 Papusza has been actively curating a network of artisans with origins in this part of the world. She has obtained a working knowledge of the many traditional techniques that this geographic treasure trove has to offer and wants to help these artisans thrive. Through both the knowledge of the traditional crafts people, and with the perspectives of younger generations, who can give new life to the legacy of these visions.
Welcome to my journey - it is possible to improve the quality of the global textile market through fair trade, the respect of cultural preservation, humanity and ethical labor practices.
From beginning with a blank slate, I was able to produce content that filled her website and social pages with product photos that moved her instagram from 0 to 700+ followers. Building brand awareness and trust with her audience through consistent visual messaging that resonated with the ethos of the aristan's she is representing.
I was hired to photograph and film video of greenhouses in clients' home gardens throughout North America for Hartley Botanic to use for marketing purposes including their print catalog, print magazine ads, newsletters, emails, website, and social media. I was the first photographer they ever hired that started filming footage with a drone and with my cell phone to capture a variety of perspectives of the greenhouse and larger garden to use for social media purposes.
Hartley Botanic is a British made-to-order greenhouse company founded in 1938. These Victorian style glass houses come in a variety of models that customers are then able to customize to their own liking.
"Ashley is a mastermind in marketing, always providing valuable insight and advice that helps me engage with my audience authentically. I am grateful to have been connected to her! "
-Mickey Lee Creative