A Moment with Maya Ashton
Photography: Maya Ashton @maya_ashton
Interview: Ella Kenneally @ella_kenneally
From the moment she stepped into Magazine Brighton at 16, Maya knew fashion photography was her calling. The shop - once a treasure trove of photobooks and magazines - sparked an obsession that led her to study photography through her teenage years. Originally from Brighton but now based in Stockport/Manchester, she took things further with a BA in Fashion Art Direction at MFI. A year after graduating, she landed a role at Sevenstore, where she’s been bringing her creative vision to life ever since.
In this conversation, Maya opens up about breaking into the fashion industry, the realities of getting started, and the advice she’d give to those hoping to follow a similar path.
Photographer, Maya Ashton @maya_ashton for Sevenstore and styled by, Josephine Wang @josephinewang
Photographer, Maya Ashton @maya_ashton for Sevenstore and styled by, Josephine Wang @josephinewang
Can you tell us a bit about your role at Sevenstore?
I’ve been working at Sevenstore for the past 18 months as a photographer, starting off at an entry level/ junior role and then became Mid Weight Photographer within this previous year. My role mainly consists of shooting various creative imagery for Seven’s socials and homepage, as well as shooting day to day e-commerce imagery for the site.
I’ve also shot numerous events at our store in the Baltic Triangle, Liverpool, as well as other locations across the North West, and regularly assist the Senior Photographer on the largescale campaigns.
What’s your favourite campaign you’ve worked on?
My favourite shoot I’ve worked on is ‘Seven On: Satisfy’, which was basically an in focus piece on the brand Satisfy Running which we began to stock. It can be found in the Stories section on our homepage.
Best memory working at Sevenstore?
My best memory at Sevenstore is undoubtedly assisting on our Seven Spotlights ‘Dressed To The Canines’ feature shoot. Trying to get dogs to stay still when getting photographed was pretty challenging and exhausting but was ultimately a very funny day and definitely a stand out highlight.
Photographer, Maya Ashton @maya_ashton for Sevenstore and styled by, Josephine Wang @josephinewang
Your alter-ego profession would be…
One of Beyonce’s back up dancers.
What is the most treasured object in your own home?
A red lamp that I bought for my boyfriend’s birthday a few years back for only 15 euros in Sicily.
Do you have any advice/tips for anyone wanting to start out in industry?
For anyone starting out in the industry, my advice would be to take advantage of all the resources you have! For example, if you’re studying at university or college, make the most of the facilities there - even if the project you’re working on doesn’t require your use of a studio, just book one out for a couple hours or so - get your head around lighting setups and techniques. Getting to grips with industry standard equipment as soon as you can will give you way more technical knowledge and confidence in applying for future roles.
I’d also say to use your time in education as wisely as possible - you have so much creative freedom and time for trial and error; really focus on pushing your ideas and creating work that you truly care about, as this really sets you apart from other applicants during job applications. A stand out, unique portfolio that demonstrates your passion goes a whole lot further than a perfectly written cover letter.
Looking back on your journey, what would you tell your younger self about pursuing a career in creative arts?
Looking back, I would tell my younger self that the photographers that I grew up idolising, weren’t necessarily doing magazine covers and amazing campaigns every single day and that realistically, a lot of creatives don’t post their ‘bread and butter’ jobs, the jobs that pay the bills.
Instagram is for the ‘cool’ best of the best jobs, and I’d tell myself that I need to embrace the everyday work, to make the great work even greater.
Where do you see your art evolving in the next few years?
Over the next few years, I really want to push my personal creative work - I’ve been very focused on developing my technical skills the last couple years and have really learnt a lot, and would love to apply this to a personal project or series. Working full time as a photographer is amazing and I feel very grateful to be in my position but it’s difficult to be creative in your personal time and sometimes I miss working on my own ideas, so over the next year or so I want to get back into the swing of making images for me, on my own terms.
Photographer, Maya Ashton, design by Maisy Robin @maisyrobin
