Jeff Miller of Mountain Lens, a photographer based out of Asheville and now Hendersonville NC, specializes in Architectural Photography. A picture is worth a thousand words they say, but a great photo that communicates and elevates the subject is worth more than its weight in gold.
As a professional photographer, Jeff travels nationwide. Here are a few of the photos that he has shared with us:
This August marks my third year as ASE Photography, my photography business which focuses on capturing the character and personality of my subjects. It’s certainly been fun to watch my photography skills and portfolio grow. Living in Asheville, I’ve enjoyed some amazing opportunities to work with other local artists and business people who have helped me improve my art and expand my brand. In celebration, I wanted to share some of my favorite work with the wonderful people of this artistic Asheville community which has helped start ASE Photography. Below are some examples of my favorite work, enjoy and thanks!
A beautiful May wedding at Yesterday Spaces.
I worked my first wedding for a teammate in December 2012 and immediately fell in love with the style of photography as weddings are the perfect fit for my aesthetic of capturing love and genuine emotions. Visit my wedding site to see more wedding photos.
Fashion shoot in the Historic Montford Neighborhood
When Jaimie of JaimieMollie.com came to me asking if I could take photos for her fashion blog, I delightedly accepted. This led to a beautiful partnership and a lot of fun hunting through Asheville for creative places to shoot.
Judah and the Lion at the Orange Peel in February.
Last winter, I joined the Orange Peel House Photography team. Great live music AND photography? What’s not to love.
Advertising photos for my friend’s home listing on Airbnb
I’ve always loved interior design, so when my friend asked me to photograph her home capturing its essence for promotion on Airbnb, I jumped at the chance. Not two weeks later, I started working for Morehouse Interiors in photography and social media and have loved every minute of it.
The Wedge
Joining the Ask Asheville team has offered me the chance not only to see and learn more about this beautifully unique city, but also to connect with numerous local business people. I’m looking forward to continuing my work with Gary as Ask Asheville’s signature photographer.
Fried Calamari from The Glass Onion
Being a summer intern for The Laurel of Asheville meant getting my work – both photography and writing – published for the first time, and what a whirlwind it was.
Chudier Pal goes up for a rebound against Winthrop
The upcoming school year also marks my third year as head photographer for the UNC Asheville Athletic Department. As a UNCA cross country and track athlete and sports enthusiast, photographing my fellow Bulldogs never feels like work.
Getting back to my photographic roots with film
Finally, I have found my photographic “voice” illustrating the necessity of art in all our lives. The photo above is from my latest project documenting my personal experiences in places that are overly photographed, such as the beach, using multiple exposure on film. You can read more about the project on my blog, Seriously-creative.blogspot.com.
Fallen leaves, colorful streets, and beautiful views: Asheville in the late fall is a beautiful city for portraiture. From brilliantly-colored leafy woodlands to creatively-painted graffiti backgrounds, a photographer only has to step out her front door to find a good backdrop for a photo shoot. This year, as you dust off your camera for for solo photos, family portraits, Christmas cards, or just a fun afternoon with a camera, keep a few of the best locations around Asheville in mind.
UNC Asheville Botanical Gardens
If you’re looking for a nature setting, look no further than UNCA’s campus in North Asheville. The university’s botanical gardens offer a beautiful natural backdrop complete with fall colors and soft lighting filtering through the tree branches. On a warm day (because weather in Asheville can fluctuate from 20 to 60 degree days in the same week) the creek is a wonderful place for reflections.
The saturated fall colors of the leaves and dying foliage make for a very colorful background. With a wide open space to run around, you can create lively portraits playing in the leaves or skipping through the field.
The garden’s gazebo is one of my personal favorite places for portraits. Hidden in the corner entrance, the gazebo only gets the last soft rays of sunshine, so it is a perfect location for softly-lit close-ups.
Wall Street, Downtown
After a day of window shopping and gorging in any one (or more!) of Asheville’s famously fantastic restaurants, Downtown is a great location for artsy portraits. Architectural ranging from the 1800s to now, statues both fun and iconic, streets lined with lights and leaves, and art at every turn create a perfect atmosphere for city portraiture. Wall Street’s green light poles, yellow leaves, and colorful building fronts pair well with a great leather jacket and a pretty smile.
Chicken Alley, Downtown
Chicken Alley is famous for the enormous painted chicken, and this unconventionally decorated backstreet provides a beautiful brick backdrop for photos. Commandeer a nice renter’s back porch and you can make portraits fit for any coffee-drinking city-goer.
Graffiti by the Hatchery Studios, River Arts District
The River Arts District is a great place for more than just buying artists’ work. The giant graffiti-ed wall and silo create an edgier setting. Looking for a place for band photos or artist portraits? Posing in front of Asheville’s underground muralists’ work is the perfect location.
Looking for a professional photographer to take your portraits? Check out ASE Photography by Adrian Etheridge: ASEphotography.pixpasites.com OR ASEartistry10@gmail.com
Looking for a model to try out these locations? Contact Erin Dalton: inspiringdalton@gmail.com
Hello from a local photographer! I’m a photojournalism student from UNC Asheville and I couldn’t have picked a better place to study photography. Every so often I will post one of my photos from my work around Asheville. This particular piece – a set of 50 shots from Beaver Lake yesterday evening – is one of my current favorite nature shots. One of the great things about photographing scenic Asheville is the city’s beauty no matter the season. Although we haven’t had the most colorful fall, the beautiful sunsets and gorgeous days (and rainbow this morning, for those who were up early enough to see it) more than make up for it.
Beaver Lake, October 2013
-Adrian Etheridge (of ASE Photography)