MEET our MEMBER
Aleesha Nicole Photography By Marcella Peyre-Ferry Contributing Writer
F
or professional portrait photographer Aleesha Howe, her business is her passion. Howe can pinpoint the beginning of her dedication to the art of photography. She was just 13 years old, with her family at the Junior National Hereford Expo in Kansas City. A woman saw Howe had her father’s camera equipment and asked her to take some photos of her children. Howe recalled, “The mother asked if I could get some photos of her children. I remember it like it was yesterday—that moment she saw the photos. The excitement, the appreciation, the joy she had. It was the first time I realized that by being behind the camera, I could create joy, I could capture memories forever. This is the kind of reaction I love to see. If I can do this with my pictures and make a career out of it, I’m in!” A lifelong resident of Downingtown, Howe specializes in family portraits and portraits of high school seniors, but she also does many professional head shots, often working with businesses capturing photos of staff. Although she is available to travel, the bulk of her work is done in Chester County. Aleesha Nicole Photography covers a mixture of clients with a variety of needs. A high school senior may want a professional photo for their yearbook or just as a keepsake at this big moment in their lives. Others may want to capture the milestone of the birth of a new baby. Aleesha Nicole Photography is known for how well families and individuals are captured—preserving a moment in time forever. “A comment I hear often from clients is, ‘Oh my gosh, I blinked and my 10-year-old is now 15 and I need to freeze time,’” Howe said. “With the crazy two years we’ve had, people are seeing how precious time is. They are saying, ‘I have to capture this.’” As the popularity and quality of cell phone cameras has grown in recent years, people are taking more and more pictures on their own, but there is still an important place for the professional photographer. “People take pictures with their phones, but often you aren’t getting everyone in the photos. Moms come to me and say, ‘I have pictures
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of all of my children, and my husband, but I have none of me with my children because I’m behind the camera,’” Howe explained. Howe prefers to take photos outside, using local parks or subjects’ yards. As the setting changes with the seasons, the element of time is included in the photos, as well as the crisp outdoor lighting. “I do all my sessions outside. It gives the photos a unique look that you can’t capture in studio,” Howe said. She does not do event photography, preferring to work with her clients in a one-on-one relationship. When you book a session with Aleesha Nicole Photography, it’s not just a business transaction. “I put so much effort and energy into a client. Every client means something to me,” Howe said. “You are supporting my dreams. You’re
2022 • Volume 10——
