Meet Ashley Batz | Photographer & Motion Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashley Batz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley, how do you think about risk?
As someone who runs her own business, it’s inherently a risk to be the purveyor of your own income. It’s taught me to be confident in my work and in the service that I offer. Though it may be scary, it’s always a risk to your own mental health to reach out to people to introduce yourself, and in running my own business, I’ve been able to take those risks in the hopes that the right people will respond and be interested in meeting with me.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The reason why I am a photographer is to provide agency to everyone in front of my lens. My best friend committed suicide when I was 14 years old, and it prompted me to pick up a camera as a way to document memories of my friends and make people feel special. That sentiment has not changed in the 15+ years of doing this work.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live between 2-3 cities at any given time, but here is my take on my hometown, San Francisco.

To Eat:

liholiho yacht club
NOPA
Kuma Sushi

For Coffee / Treats:
Jane
Andytown Coffee Roasters

For Cocktails:
The Royale
Hi Lo Club
Lone Palm

To Visit:
Kabuki Springs Bath House
de Young Museum

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people that deserve shoutouts that are so deeply tied to my story.

I owe the beginning of my career to two female photographers, Lisa Knutson and Sasha Gulish. When I was 14, I looked in the yellow pages to find photographers, and I found them, located on the small main street of San Rafael, CA. They allowed me to have an internship and have an intimate look into running their own business.

I was able to move to New York and really push my career forward thanks to my Creative Director at Bustle Magazine, Isla Bell Murray. It is because of her seeing the potential in me that I was able to really launch myself into the next phase of my work.

Lastly, it goes without saying that interning with Art Streiber was beyond helpful – I got to see productions at their highest, and while it did make me feel a little sad that I would not touch the top, it allowed me to see the things that I needed to in case I ever got there.

Website: www.ashleybatz.com

Instagram: @ashleybatz

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/ashleybatz