PROFILE: Ash Marie, Photographer
Colliers Hill resident Ashley Marie Einerson bought her first real camera when she was pregnant with her son. She and her husband Jeff were researching family photographers and decided they could pay $800 for family photos or invest in a camera and shoot the pictures themselves.
“I’ve worked in PR and advertising for the last 13 years, and I’ve been on a lot photo shoots, creating visual content. I just never did it myself until now!” she says.
In the beginning, Ashley used her family as test subjects – first when her son was born then with her daughter. What started out as a hobby soon turned into a passion and she launched her LLC in late 2019. She became fascinated with capturing family moments documentary-style – arrestingly candid and authentic.
Ashley’s Porch Portraits
After social-distancing began, Ashley turned her love of those in-the-moment snaps of her family into an outreach to other families by creating “porch portraits,” photos of families from their front porches in Colliers Hill.
“I saw a photographer in Massachusetts was doing them and now people are doing them all over the country,” she says. The porch portraits are great for people who don’t want to spend $1,000 for family photos but are ideal for memorializing times in our lives. 
Ashley puts her own spin on the porch portraits by asking people to share how they’re spending their at-home time and what’s been challenging about being semi-quarantined — and then documenting it. When you visit her site, the family portraits are accompanied by snippets of stories that offer a slice-of-life commentary.
“It’s been such a fun adventure meeting new people and telling their stories through a lens,” Ashley says.
Mini Sessions and Full Shoots
She calls the porch portraits mini shoots. It’s her way of making family photos approachable, easy for people and stress free.
“You know how photographers send you their favorite photos, but you always want to see them all?” she says. “When I started, I planned on giving people one-to-three photos but found myself sending them 10-30. As a mom I always want to have more moments captured, so I want to give that back to other parents, as well,” Ashley says.
Her portraits are not just the typical “sitting on your stoop” photo. She aims to capture an impression about lifestyles – especially living in these not-so-normal times. It’s a traditional shoot, in a short amount of time.
“If they have grumpy kids, I’ll get what I can and capture that real moment,” she says. “If they’re hamming it up, I’ll just stay and keep shooting,” she says.
Capturing In-Between Moments
Ashley will shoot the traditional smile-for-the-camera pose, but she’ll also try to capture what she considers the “in-between moments” – parents talking to their kids, holding them, loving them.
“I have two small kids and the county restrictions resonate with me. We have the ability to stay home and work while others don’t, or they’re not able to see Grandma and Grandpa — we’re grateful for what we have.” 
Ashley says the portraits give families something fun and purposeful to do. “People get excited – they have something to look forward to,” she says.
She shoots from 20 feet away and doesn’t take cash as a safety precaution. Her work was featured on KDVR and even the Erie Police Department has encouraged her to keep it up. “They think it builds a sense of community and helps us all pull together during these tough times.”
Life in Colliers Hill
The master-planned community of Colliers Hill is an amazing place to live where neighbors watch out for each other and connect via Facebook and Next Door and porch portraits to keep in touch! Set up a private appointment to tour the model homes and check out three of Colorado’s top home builders: Meritage Homes, Richmond American Homes, and Century Communities. Floor plans include ranch-style or two-story designs — priced from the high $300s in this north-of-Denver community – just minutes from the historic small town of Erie.
