Beyond capturing images, I have spent years studying the structure of imagery itself such as colour theory, skin tones, body & face proportions, lighting, and styling. This on-going dedication allows me to design photographs that feel balanced, intentional, and harmonious, ensuring every feature and complexion is represented with care and precision. What follows is the story of that journey and the philosophy it inspired.
With over 10 years of experience behind the camera and a love for all things beauty and fashion, I’ve always been inspired by the timeless imagery of the past, yet it never reflected the representation I understood early on.
From the age of two to eleven, I spent my days in daycare, shaped by an environment where skin or race was never the focus. As a Canadian-born woman who grew up seeing people rather than skin colour, I had the privilege of understanding that complexion or genetic differences should never determine what is considered beautiful or worthy.
In its early days, beauty and fashion photography were primarily developed around European standards, as European men chose the cameras, publications, marketing, beauty companies, and standards.
Lee Miller: A Photographer at Work (1932–1945) Exhibition.
“One memorable experience I had was visiting the Lee Miller exhibit. Seeing her photography in person was truly inspiring. Her storytelling and technical insights were remarkable. At the same time, it made me reflect on how the beauty standards of the time shaped who was photographed, and I imagined what it might have looked like if every woman had graced the cover of Vogue during those decades.”
- Ashley B
From lighting setups to how film rendered skin tones, studios and publications designed their aesthetics to flatter lighter complexions, setting a visual standard that excluded much of the world’s diversity. While European aesthetics are also beautiful, they became the default ideal and preference, leaving little room to celebrate and experiment with the richness of other skin tones and ethnicities.
This limited not only representation but also the creative growth of photography itself, particularly in learning how to light, capture, and use colour to accurately enhance the beauty of diverse complexions.
Melanin-rich skin that evolved to shield against the sun, to lighter tones that absorbed more light in colder climates, human features have always been a reflection of adaptation. Broad noses helped humidify hot, dry air; narrower ones suited colder regions. Coily and curlier hair protects the scalp from heat, while straighter textures retain warmth. I believe every feature of skin, lips, hair, and bone structure is shaped by environment, geography, time and survival. Over generations, environmental pressures shaped these traits, resulting in the rich human diversity we see today. Diversity was never accidental. It is intelligent, resilient, and beautiful.