Meet Brittany Ashley of Ohio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Ashley.

Hi Brittany, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I start photographing Ohio’s abandoned landscapes/urbanscapes in 2018. I have always been fascinated with fallen ruins covered by nature in that it showcases time in the past, present, and future all at the same time. In 2019, I was in a bad car accident that left me with a broken pelvic bone, ribs, and collar bone. The car accident also left me alone, my girlfriend of 8 years passed away in the car accident. I vowed that I would continue my dreams of being a photographer. I decided that I would go to Columbus College of Art and Design to further my practice and zero in on my style. That brings us today, I take images of Ohio’s abandoned structures in black and white to evoke the feelings of nostalgia.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been a jagged road. One that at times made me want to quit because I never felt like my work could stand up to others work. I have the determination to make myself a household name, so I pushed myself. I wanted to seperate myself from the pack, so I took up the 4×5, large format camera. That gave many struggles. It isn’t easy to travel with since it is so large, plus you have to have a tripod and most times get yourself into the locations as well. What also had to be learned was to see the world without color, only as light. I worked with my professor to learn the zone system and have taken lots of images to get to the point that I am at now.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in abandoned landscape photography, which highlights the quiet beauty of forgotten places, where the earth reclaims man-made structures. It blends urban exploration with environmental photography. Capturing the slow unraveling of abandoned homes, industrial ruins, or ghost towns requires specific techniques to emphasize scale, mood, and nature’s gradual takeover. What sets me apart is that I take my images on a large format camera and they are in black and white.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
The role that luck has been a silent partner of my success. I have created more opportunities for myself through consistent effort and motion. I actively have been expanding my network and putting myself out there to increase the surface area for a lucky break.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forgotten.exploring/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Forgotten.exploring/