Ashlee Krutzfeldt is a photographer who comes from Alberta, Canada. She specializes in female fitness and creative content creation and is even one of the few published female fitness photographers. In the ten years she's been a full-time photographer, Ashlee's amassed an impressive portfolio. Not only has she worked with big names in the entertainment industry, but her work has also graced international magazine covers, and she even appeared on The Fashion Network's show Model Diaries and can still be seen on Amazon Prime.
Flashback to her childhood, Ashlee was the loner grunge type who usually kept to herself, but that quickly changed once she entered high school. She began modelling after being scouted by multiple agencies, including Elite, Ford, and Wilhelmina, to name just a few. Soon her confidence grew, and something inside of her changed. She fell in love with the industry.
Later down the road. one of her friends was getting married and asked Ashlee if she could be the photographer for the occasion to save some money. At the time, Ashlee had only ever been a model in front of the camera, other than some photography she did in high school, so she wasn't very sure about the idea but eventually agreed.
It turned out to be one of the best decisions she ever made because, as she was taking photos for the event, she discovered her true calling was behind the camera. Capturing the raw moments and emotions so others could see the beauty in themselves was the most delightful feeling in the world to her. That's when she decided to pursue a career in photography.
Soon after, AJKPHOTOGRAPHY was created. It was an incredible feeling to be her own boss, and it even taught her essential skills. Like how to be organized, market a business, and create a unique brand that can stand out. Things weren't easy in the beginning, and Ashlee even became sick from all the stress of running a company on her own.
That's what made her hire an assistant, and once she had some help, she learned the importance of having a team and how it can benefit a business. Shortly after, Ashlee brought on more team members, ensuring they had the same dedication and drive as she did.
From her experience of being in front of the camera, Ashlee knows how to make models feel comfortable when shooting with them, guiding them through the photoshoot. It's her goal to make every girl feel empowered and safe, and the incredible reputation she's had for the last decade proves that she is able to accomplish that easily. It's also what leaves her calendar regularly scheduled with work, even months in advance.
Ashlee credits her hard work ethic to her parents, who were continually teaching her the importance of dedication and commitment. Her father went from digging ditches to becoming an award-winning safety consultant, showing his daughter that working hard and having strong morals will bring success. And he was right.
The hardworking mindset Ashlee has instilled in her opened the door to countless opportunities. Like getting the chance to be a judge for an FMC fitness model competition, or becoming one of the contributing photographers for Canada's number one fitness magazine, Inside Fitness, a position she's had for five years now.
Ashlee's got plenty of new projects in the works, like co-launching a talent agency based in LA. So, if you're interested in keeping up with her and checking out her work, you can find her on Instagram at @ajkphotography1.
