Check Out Ashtyn Goheen’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashtyn Goheen.

Hi Ashtyn, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello! I am 32 years old. I am married to my best friend, mom to two handsome little boys, and we have two dogs, a 12 year old Corgi/Husky mix, and a 7 year old Shiba Inu. I am an introvert, but will jump at the chance to talk about my favorite things. I am a super nerd, a bookworm, and a history buff. I moved around a lot as a kid. My parents liked to travel, and my dad’s job let us live in several beautiful states. I was born in Delaware, spent a few years in Missouri, a few years here in Colorado, and a few years in Idaho, where I graduated high school.

I have lived in Colorado since 2010, when I moved back to go to college at CSU. In 2017, my husband and I moved from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs, where we have put down some roots. We bought our first house, and both of our sons were born there. Living in such picturesque locations and away from much of our extended family, photos became very important to me at a young age. It was a way for me to remember where I had been, and share new places and adventures with my loved ones. My dad used to let me take photos with his old film camera, and I used my first digital camera in 2003 on a family trip to Hawaii for my cousin’s wedding. I took photography classes in high school and fell in love with the art of it. My parents bought me my first DSLR when I graduated, a Canon Rebel T2, that I still have to this day.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Well, like many college students, I changed my mind about a thousand times trying to decide on the path that was right for me. To be honest, my current career is more of a happy accident. I’ve always loved babies, and I considered many career paths as a way to work with them as a profession. I worked in healthcare for five years and eventually decided I wanted to be a Labor and Delivery nurse. However, nursing school got put on hold when my husband’s job moved us to Colorado Springs. Shortly after moving, I became pregnant with our first son. Pregnancy was eye-opening for me in so many ways. I loved it, even the bad parts. At six weeks postpartum, I met a friend who changed my life. Her little boy is three weeks older than my son, and we had delivered at the same hospital in 2019. She and I met in a support group that the hospital hosted for new moms. We became fast friends. Her husband is a professional photographer, and really got me started on this path.

I knew I wanted to stay home with my son for his first year of life. Childcare was not in the budget, and we don’t have any family nearby. On top of that, a child’s first year goes by so fast, so I wanted to be present for every little thing. After his first year, I was ready to start working again, but 2020 made me really question whether I wanted to go back to healthcare. I had expressed this uncertainty to my friend, and how I was a little adrift in my career plans, but I knew I still wanted to work with babies, a love that expanded to expecting mothers after experiencing the magic of pregnancy myself. I had talked about my fondness for photography as a hobby, but had never really considered it as a career. Her husband was a professional wedding photographer, and got me a part time gig as a second shooter. That allowed me to get back into work on a flexible schedule, and still stay home with my son. After mentoring under some brilliant photographers, I eventually began taking on weddings as the primary photographer, but soon realized weddings weren’t where I wanted to be. I still had that itch to work with mamas and babies, so I left weddings and completely rebranded to maternity and newborn photography in January of 2022. I didn’t plan to be here, but in a very roundabout way, I found my dream job, blending my love of photography and my love of pregnancy and babies into one.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in maternity and newborn photography. I am blessed to be a part of this incredibly special experience for so many families. I have done everything from pregnancy announcements, to gender reveals, maternity portraits, birth photos, newborn photos, and can say I am proud to have the opportunity to watch peoples families grow with each new baby.

Pregnancy was a formative experience for me, and it is an honor to be a part of that time in a woman’s life. I have cried tears of joy with parents that are finally pregnant after years of trying, and I’ve cried tears of heartache with parents who have lost a much anticipated baby. There is something profound in pregnancy and childbirth, and I greet every client with such a deep appreciation to be included in their story. I pour my soul into this work because I believe that every family should have beautiful photos of the life-changing joy that is bringing a new baby into this world. I chose this niche I think in part because of the time sensitivity. Pregnancy and baby days are such a fleeting time, and it is my goal to capture that time in a way that brings each family back to a moment of joy that is so quick to pass.

I want each mother to feel like a goddess, at a time when she may feel like a stranger in her own body, and when their new baby arrives, I want parents to know and trust that I have the education and experience to safely handle their baby and capture every perfect detail of their tiny new love. I offer an extensive client closet with gowns in many colors and sizes, so that every mom can feel beautiful without worrying about what to wear. I am always scouting and adding new spots to my location guide so that clients don’t have to find a nice place for photos, especially since many of my clients are in the military, and unfamiliar with the area. I also have a studio full of props and accessories so that all they have to do is show up. I have everything needed to deliver timeless photos of their sweet baby. I aim to make their time with me as fun and relaxing as possible, so they have one less thing to worry about during what can be a very stressful time. If I can alleviate some of that stress and make life easier for them, while also giving them gorgeous images and great memories, I am a happy camper.

We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?

I am a huge nerd. When I chat with clients, we frequently discuss baby names and I am proud to admit that we named our first son after Spiderman. I have made friends with many like minded clients, and I always light up when they tell me they’ve named their babies for the fandoms they love. I’ve even had the joy of photographing a baby Clark, named for Superman, and a baby Lex, named for his nemesis, thankfully not in the same family. I love to talk about comic books, video games, fantasy novels, and of course the movies that have been made from each, and whether or not they did the original content justice. I might seem pretty shy when you first meet me, but I have a lot of things I am passionate about, and love to talk about them when given the chance.

Pricing:

• Maternity and Family sessions start at $225
• Newborn and Milestone sessions start at $300

Contact Info:

• Website: ashtynmphoto.com
• Instagram: @ashtynmphoto
• Facebook: @ashtynmphoto