Ashley HADEED

1. What was your very first job? 
My first job was at a local pet store called “Puppy Connection”. It entailed a lot of “dirty work” but I was so proud of my first paycheck that I framed it and hung it on my wall.  

2. Please describe, in your own words, what your job is and what work it entails. 
I am the art producer in Brand Creative at Capital One. I focus on bringing photographic bodies of work to life and helping to define and challenge how a brand identity can be established through photography.   

3. How did you discover that the creative world was right for you? Was there a time in your life that you credit to this discovery? Was there a train of events that brought you to where you are today? 
As a child I loved watching movies with my Uncle Edmund and when I was much too young he let me watch “Night of the Living Dead” by George A. Romero. Apart from being terrified, I remember being so fascinated and excited that a film could have such an effect on someone. I suppose that on some level that is what I am always aiming for in any work that I produce, a reaction that lingers.  

4. In your constantly growing and expanding industry, how do you find inspiration to keep your work fresh, innovative and relevant? 
I feel lucky in the sense that creative inspiration is all around me, and I try to be a sponge for it whether it is on a billboard, Instagram post or my own television. Personally, it is movies that make me feel the most excited creatively so I am always watching and taking note of what I found compelling and finding ways to use it in my work.  

5. If you had to pick one piece of work or project that you are most proud of, more for the creative work and innovation it required, rather than its recognition or industry “success,” what would it be? 
Last year, my team and I devoted ourselves to doing pro-bono photography work where we could give back using our creative skills. I heard of the RUNG foundation which aimed to provide financial support for young athletes who needed prosthetics, started by a 19 year old kid who himself was going through the journey of getting his own prosthetic leg. When I saw their site was using stock photography, we organized a photoshoot to provide them with custom images that could really emotionally convey how powerful their intentions were. It was some of the best work we did all year and it felt so great to give back not with time or money, but with creative and production skills.  https://www.riseupnevergiveup.org/ 

6. Which creative disciplines do you commission most, and are most interested in seeing more of and why? Which of these disciplines are you most be interested in seeing at CONNECTIONS? (ie photo, film, social, experiential, vr, etc)
Since my work is primarily based in photography, I am most interested to see the innovations that come out of the power of the still image.  

7. What was the biggest risk you’ve ever taken?
At 19 I was a culinary school graduate and working in restaurants for years before I realized it wasn’t making my happy. I didn’t want to face the fact that I wanted to make a career change while I was still paying off the loans from my education. Eventually I just quit my job and became an intern at the Film Office where I lived. It was unpaid and I had no idea how I was going to make ends meet but through that internship I was introduced to the world of production and knew it was right for me.