Hearing, seeing and reflecting their stories

“There’s a trust, you’re developing a trust with people,” she said. “They have to know me, too. They have to know what my intentions are.”

Having completed several projects highlighting the lives of Redwood City residents and artists, it might seem like Ashford’s sense for the city comes from many years of living there. But she only moved to the city from Seattle three years ago when her wife Dr. Lindsey Zimmerman accepted an offer to be an implementation scientist at the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Menlo Park.

Having previously worked as a freelance photographer in San Francisco and Atlanta and at a corporate photography company in Seattle, Ashford was hesitant to start over again in a city where she didn’t know anyone. But she took it upon herself to change that, attending as many meetings and events as she could to understand what motivated residents, city leaders and anyone passing through the city.

“I went literally business to business and introduced myself,” she said, adding that she attended countless City Council meetings, Chamber of Commerce meetings and gatherings of creative professionals to learn everything she could about the city. “I just kind of checked everything out.”

It wasn’t long before Ashford established a professional practice in the city, opening a studio on the first floor of 201 Marshall St. and fielding requests for professional head shots and wedding and event photography. Her curiosity about local artists and city art projects such as artist David Han’s stainless steel statue of a native great blue heron at the Port of Redwood City, which she also photographed, expanded her exploration of the city even further.

“When any artist comes to town, especially someone who’s flown in, I’m there,” she said. “I want to know why they’re there.”

Fostering relationships with artists and staying connected with past and current clients has helped Ashford explore themes and issues from a documentarian’s perspective. In 2016, Ashford accompanied the Redwood City Council on a trip to sister city Zhuhai, China, to compile a photo essay on the importance of sister cities.

Ashford is currently working on a project capturing the lives of Docktown Marina residents as they await relocation of their floating homes, located just east of Highway 101 along Redwood Creek. The community is set to disperse next year in response to a lawsuit settled last year with an attorney and Docktown neighbor that found the floating community to be a violation of the public trust.

Ashford hopes the experience of being photographed lets Docktown residents know they are being seen, even as their homes are disappearing and, in the coming months, many will have to move far away from a city they’ve called home for years.

“I’ve given over 75 pictures to people,” she said. “And just shared that experience with them, and listen[ed] to their stories.”

Ashford also plans to post weatherproof photos of Docktown families on a chain-link fence outside the community to ensure those who live there are seen and remembered by passersby.

The 40-year-old photographer is not new to documenting the stories she feels are compelling, having learned much from those she’s photographed in major cities. She’s even traveled the world to follow them, accompanying female street artists to Tijuana and Miami to track their art for one project. But she’s also ready to capture moments emblematic of local issues, capturing moments from Bay Area protests and the lives of human trafficking victims.

Though she initially viewed portraits and event photography to be separate from her documentary work, she has seen the two become intertwined over the years. Ashford said creative projects have stemmed from a variety of leads, from clients to people she meets in daily life. In turn, creative projects have given her inspiration for new ways to help clients represent themselves through photos and film. She said she recently helped a client create a video she can use to spread the word about her work as an executive presentation coach for the first time.

“It honestly starts so basic, people are curious about what I’m working on,” she said. “Then they associate me with being able to tell people’s stories, or basically just get rooted in things. That I’m there, that I’m present.”

But no matter how many individuals she’s photographed and how varied her projects are, finding the stories of those she’s working with is one aspect all of Ashford’s projects share.

“You’re doing it for them, and that’s one thing that’s so important about my work,” she said. “I always come back to that.”

anna@smdailyjournal.com

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