Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashlie Arones.
Hi Ashlie, 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?
My husband, William, and I share a similar story about how we arrived in Florida. He was born in Cuba and I am in Peru. Both of our parents left their respective countries, to give us a better life. William and I met during our junior year of high school. Inseparable since then. We bonded over our love for art, music, and movies.
We had no direction of what we wanted to do. We thought our safest bet was to go to Palm Beach State College and pursue a general degree until we figured it out. Fast forward two years, we decided on pursuing Multimedia at Florida Atlantic University. We had both always liked art but never in a million years thought we could actually be artists, we hadn’t had any training, we could barely draw a face, there was no way we thought. Our first semester we took photography and met the most incredibly inspiring teacher, Mrs. Sharon Hart. She changed our lives, paths, and everything in between.
She made us not only feel but believe we were talented, for the first time in our lives we felt like we actually had a shot as artists. Several photography classes later under her guidance and the guidance of the other wonderful inspiring teachers in the program, we graduated and we took the leap of faith of starting our own business. I started researching how to start my own business, watching endless videos, attending seminars, practicing, and gaining as much knowledge as possible. Thanks to recommendations from our friends, word of mouth, and social media we started meeting clients.
I wanted to help budget brides, graduates, and small families who could only pay us very little. We didn’t mind. Hearing “My sister was only able to have a wedding video because of you” was and is our greatest joy. That’s what keeps us going every single day, being able to help people with our talents. We fully believe that as long as we’re happy and doing what we love we’ll be just fine.
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?
The biggest struggle we’ve faced was getting started, setting up our business correctly.
Figuring out what type of art we wanted to do, and the financial strain to get everything running. We were constantly worried about making sure we filled out the correct paperwork and had everything submitted properly. We had to invest in new equipment and cameras, thankfully with the help and support of our families.
We tried so many different styles of photography, photographing and capturing things that were not making us happy. Clients didn’t immediately flood in, so there was always that fear of failing. Felt like we couldn’t take a break because it would set us back. It was pretty consuming.
We’ve been impressed with Sardinas Media, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
At Sardinas Media, we are a husband and wife duo whose main focus is photography and videography. I (Ashlie) specialize in videography and video editing and William specializes in photography. One of my close friends, Chelsea, helps run our social media marketing, and we also dabble in graphic design. We have so much fun being able to have more than just one creative outlet.
We do weddings, low end or high end, graduates, families, and engagements. We believe that everyone should be able to have their memories captured in video and photos. We understand that not everyone can afford it. That’s where we come in. We give them beautiful photos and videos they can look back on.
And in saying this our goal is not to devalue other artists who do charge higher price points. We also understand that every artist’s time is valuable, and they deserve to be paid for all their hard work and time. At the end of the day, we just wanted a way to help people, and this is our way. Our abilities are the greatest gift we can give and share with others.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Try everything. Try absolutely everything until you find what you like and what you don’t. You don’t need the best or fanciest equipment to start. The most important part of being a photographer and or videographer is your creativity and ability to see the world in your own unique way. You are not bound to your tools.
Do what makes you happy. The rest will work itself out. You’ll figure out, just start with what brings you the most joy and fulfillment.
Sign up for everything. Every website, freelancer jobs, free seminar, newsletter, etc. Whatever will get your name out there, give you information, or spark your creativity. Do it.
Reach out to everyone, companies, events, local businesses, people you follow on social media, etc. that you would like to work with. Reach out to everyone and practice with them. This is the time to figure it out, make mistakes, you have nothing to lose. Never stop learning or practicing.
Pricing:
- Our photography pricing starts at $125 but we always cater to different budgets
- Videography starts at $100 but we always cater to different budgets
Contact Info:
- Email: contact@sardinasmedia.com
- Website: www.sardinasmedia.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sardinasmedia/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRo3LPJI6aic8dMIBYgsKhA
Image Credits
Headshot photographed by Olga Afanas
