Wow! I can’t believe how fast this year has flown by but what a beautiful year it has been. From the laughter to the wonderful memories, it has truly been a joy as I continue to pursue my passion for photography. Time certainly does fly when you’re having fun! I feel blessed to still be doing what I love to do and all because of my most amazing clients. It’s only because of you I get to make a living doing what I love most and for that I am forever grateful.

This past year has been my busiest yet and below are a few things I enjoyed the most.

~ I loved capturing each and everyone of my clients, I loved hearing all the fun family stories shared with me, I loved all of the baby snuggles, high fives, fist bumps and hugs I got from the kiddos, and most of all I loved being able to capture memories for all of my clients to have for a lifetime.

~ I did a couple of photography courses this year and truly learned so much to advance in my style of editing and photographing. This is an accomplishment I have been wanting to achieve for so long and I can proudly say, I have improved in leaps and bounds.

~ I took a road trip from Arizona to Minnesota over the summer with 3 kiddos which tested my patience for sure, LOL. It was a long 2 days of driving there and back but it was worth it being able to see all of our family. The kids had a blast hanging out with their aunties and cousins. It was an eventful two weeks that is for sure.

As you can see, this year has taught me so much–as a photographer, business owner, mother, and wife.

From the bottom of my heart, thanks so much to everyone that gave me the opportunity to work with you; you all shine your light in unique and beautiful ways. My photos can only be as good as the amazing people that trust me to document their lives. Happy New Year and I cannot wait to see what 2019 will bring you and your families.

All too often, men will do something just to make their wives happy and photo sessions can fall into this category.

Most men don’t really enjoy having their photos taken, which is why you need to focus on what they do enjoy if you want to convince your spouse that investing a family photo shoot is a good idea.
Jot down a few things that your spouse really loves to do in his spare time or things he enjoys doing with you and your children. Playing a game of baseball, visiting an amusement park or tossing a Frisbee around in the back yard are just a few examples of things your husband would rather be doing than posing in an outfit that you chose for him and staring at a camera for an hour or two.

So how do you bring up the topic of a family photo shoot without getting a giant sigh in return?
The key is to think more about playing and having fun and less about posing.
By setting up a more activity-based family photo shoot, you’ll have a better chance of convincing your spouse that it’s a great idea. Plus, at the end of your photo session, you’ll have everyone smiling and saying how fun the morning or afternoon was.
If posed shots are important to you, spend time taking a few with your kids and then give them a turn to play around and have fun with dad. These sincere moments make for some of the best photos and they’re incredibly fun for photographers to capture too.

Ensure that whatever activity you choose it makes everyone feel at ease, even if this means having a playful picnic in the garden. Remember that there’s no formula for the perfect portrait and trying to achieve this perfection usually just stresses everyone out. It’s best to plan something that everyone in your family will feel comfortable with.
Focus on the fun and your photographer will take care of the rest.

Breastfeeding awareness group session

August is breastfeeding awareness month and I wanted to do something special for breastfeeding moms. I did a model call on my instagram page looking for mothers who would like to participate in a group breastfeeding session. I am so happy that these four moms were able to join me in Wickenburg, Arizona to bring my vision to life.

Being a mom who nursed for 19 months and has had a breastfeeding session, I know that they will cherish these images forever and when they look back at them later – with a little tear in their eye – they will be so happy that they were able to capture this special bond they shared with their not so little anymore.

I hope you enjoy seeing these mamas gorgeous images and reading their stories. Make sure to leave them some love in the comments!

This session turned out so perfectly and I loved hearing about their journeys so far. I mean seriously… look how amazing they all look in this group photo.

Mariah’s Story: Around 3 months I had a really rough time nursing. My nipples were raw and hurt all the time, and I didn’t know if I was going to be able to continue. But we pushed through and things have been wonderful ever since. My goal was to try and nurse for six months. I remember in the beginning not enjoying it at all, not just because it was painful but because it felt like a job or a chore I had to do every 2-3 hours. I reached out to a friend when I went through a rough patch and thought about quitting and she helped me push through and told me it would become something I would really cherish. I remember thinking she was crazy, but Logan is now 9 months old and I love the bond we share while she nurses and plan to continue until she’s at least one year. Logan likes to put her foot in my face and pull my hair while she nurses I think it is so cute!

Mariah’s Advice to nursing moms: Reach out to other nursing moms when you have questions and don’t be afraid to ask silly questions. I’ve learned so much on this crazy journey and can’t wait to share and help other mamas!

Lisa’s Story: My first daughter I breast-fed until she was almost 4!! But she was both bottle and breast. My second daughter was breast- fed until she was 6 months. Now, I plan to breastfeed until David wants to stop. I’m ok with him not wanting to be independent just yet!! Lol. It has been demanding though since he has refused a bottle and pacifier since day 1.. but it’s gone smoothly. I love that he puts his foot on my chest and hums while I am nursing him and it is something I will alway remember about our journey.

Lisa’s advice to new nursing moms: Stick with it for as long as you can. The benefits are amazing for both baby and you!! It’s precious time for you two to bond and enjoy together.

Steffani’s Story: Nursing came very easy to me and also to both of my babies. I’ve been very lucky and grateful to have come this far. I always knew I wanted to breastfeed my babies. Once I gave birth, I joined several online and in person support groups that were integral to our success during the learning process. They not only taught me what was normal and to be expected, but I formed great friendships with like minded mamas with similar aged babies. I recently started my tandem nursing journey and it’s been incredible. I love knowing that both my babies are getting the best possible nutrition, but they’re also bonding together and with me. It’s definitely minimized the jealousy factor and I couldn’t be more blessed. I plan to allow both my babies to self wean when they’re ready, but hopefully that won’t happen before they’re two. I feel so incredibly blessed to have this opportunity with my babies.

Steffani’s advice to new nursing moms: My advice to new nursing moms is to be patient and allow yourself and your baby time to adjust. It can be painful and extremely exhausting at times, but it gets easier and I don’t think any mom ever regrets any amount of time they spent breastfeeding. I’d also suggest joining support groups, whether online or in person, they are so beneficial to learning moms and babies.

Angela’s Story: I nursed my first child until about 6 months. After returning to work my supply drastically decreased and it was difficult to keep up to my child’s demand so I stopped once he was eating solids. I will try to go as long as I can with my second child. Overall nursing has been pretty smooth, it definitely helps to have taken a class and having friends who have nursed their children for support because something always comes up!

Angela’s advise to nursing moms: Do whats right for you and baby and don’t worry about other people. Talk to other nursing mommas for advice/support!

Hey pretty mama’s! I have this vision for a group nursing session and I am so excited to announce that Ashley Flug Photography will be offering this session on August 11th, 2018 at 5:30pm in Wickenburg, Arizona. Due to bad weather the session was rescheduled to August 26th, 2018 at 5:15pm and will still be held in Wickenburg.

I am looking to get 5 or more nursing mommy’s to be a part of a group nursing session. I would like for the mom’s to be in either ivory or blush colored dresses and the baby’s either naked with their tush showing or clothing to match mom. You will need to supply your own outfits so please keep in mind when choosing your dress that you will be able to nurse in it (I know, thats a given lol). The location the session will be held at has a creek and there may or may not be water in it so you might get your feet wet as well at your dress if it is long but it will be super gorgeous, I promise! If you need direction or pointers when choosing the perfect outfits I am here to help.

If you wish to have individual photos after the group session of you and your baby(s) you are more than welcome to stay after the group photo so you can have precious nursing images for your keepsake. The group session will last about 20 to 30 minutes and individual images will last about 10 minutes per mom. You will receive 3 digital images from the session in return for your time. These images will be used on social media and website so a model release will need to be signed stating you are ok with the images being used online. I, of course, would not post any images with your nipple showing if your little one were to unlatch during a photo.

If you are interested in being a part of this session please fill out the form below. I will then get you on the schedule and set up your client portal with all forms needed from you in order to attend. I will send exact location details the day before the session but it will be held in Whickenburg, Arizona so you can plan on how long it will take you to arrive before the session day.

Thank you so much for wanting to be a part of this and I look forward to meeting you and your babe!

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