Meet Ansley Sukowske | Lifestyle Photographer

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

Hi Ansley, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
“Always have courage, and be kind”

I really admire this quote because it hits home for me on so many levels, especially these days. Do what you love, what makes you happy, just don’t be afraid, and don’t hurt anyone along the way. If you do this, then the rest will just come to you. Find your passion in life, and go for it! We only have this one life to live, and if we can leave it just a little better than it was before, you’ve had a pretty good life. I try to tell my kids everyday to “have courage, and be kind”. Believe what you want to believe, but you must understand that not everyone is going to have those same beliefs, and may not agree with yours. No matter what, you should always be kind, because everyone has a reason to believe what they believe. With that being said, I will leave you with another quote that I admire, and that is “Live life to express, not impress. Don’t strive it make your presence known, but your absence felt”.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
When I first started my photography business, I didn’t really know where it would take me, or how I really wanted to run my business. I’ve always loved taking photos ever since I was little. I used so many of the disposable cameras as a kid, and was so excited when I got my first digital camera. I am pretty sure I have taken well over 100K photos in my lifetime. I have had my photography business for almost 3 years now, and I have realized that am more interested in the artistic aspect than the business/professional aspect. I really enjoy photographing sweet families, and capturing some amazing memories and candid moments, but I have noticed recently that I find so much more excitement if photographing something as small as a water drop on a clover, a snail sitting on a log, or flower my daughter just picked. I am now getting to the point where I want to make a shift in my photography business, and focus more on being creative and artistic, and move more in to the print world verses the digital world that I am in now. I have run my photography business at my own speed, not trying to take on too much knowing what resources I currently have, or am limited too. This has been a little bit of a struggle, but I have been able to manage very successfully. My most recent challenges lately have really just been my self motivation, and actually following through with so many of the great ideas I have in my mind every single day. I know I will get there, and the past year has been a crazy year with ups and downs, and I have suffered from spouts of depression and anxiety, which has been another set back to my growth and ability to follow through. We are in a new year, and I am ready to step up! I am a wife and a mother of 3 amazing little humans, and I really want to be the best me I can be for them, and that ultimately all starts with me. At the end of the day we must “Always have courage, and be kind.”

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I currently live in Lilburn, GA, and we are very close to Stone Mountain Park. If my best friend were to come to the area one of the first thing on our to-do list would be hiking up Stone Mountain, enjoining the view, all while soaking up some sun. After that, maybe enjoy a train ride and round of mini golf, and if they are really feeling adventurous, we can challenge our selves to a walk through the Sky Hike. As the day comes to a close, we can head over to the lawn, relax, and get ready for the awesome Laser Show. There is also our local park and an old school downtown area where they have lunch at a great park side restaurant, called Agavero Parkside, where you can get a great meal, a margarita, and also sit back and watch your kids run around and enjoy the park. We could definitely spend a day in Atlanta, visit the Ferris Wheel, the Georgia Aquarium, and the World of Coke. The Tabernacle is right around the corner, which is a great place for concerts! While in Atlanta, a great place to eat would be the Sundial Restaurant that spins around so you get a 360 degree view of Atlanta, located at the top of the Westin Hotel. We could close the week out with a simple evening at our house, just hang out, and throw some food on the grill, sit back and have a few drinks, and call it a night. Sounds like a good week to me!

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?
If anyone deserves a shout out, it would definitely be the The Photographers Retreat. I was invited by a friend, who is also an amazing photographer, to attend a retreat they had in November of 2019. I met some amazing women, which we all shared the love of photography, and I learned so much while I was there. I am so thankful I was given that opportunity and experience. I loved every minute of it!

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