IL high school senior photographer

Meet the stunning Class of 2018 senior, Ashley Melton from Dee-Mack High School!  Ashley ROCKED her senior session with confidence, beauty, and a smile that charmed my camera.  I didn’t want to stop taking her photograph… it was sooooooo MUCH FUN!!

Ashley is incredibly sweet and when I first met her.. a little shy, but after photographing her three times, she transformed in front of my camera!  BOOM – “Dear Ashley, I could take your picture for hours!”

In school and all year round as a matter-of-fact, Ashley plays volleyball! One of her proudest moments is when she started on the Varsity team her sophomore year of high school, because in 6th grade, she didn’t make the volleyball team and in 6th and 7th grade, she sat the bend. But then she started club volleyball with Illini Elite. Her volleyball skills improved dramatically and she never thought she would be where she is today. “If you told me I’d be looking at college volleyball programs, and volleyball scholarships when I was a junior, I would have never believed  you!”  Speaking of college… she’s not sure where she wants to attend yet, but somewhere, where she can play the sport she loves and major in nursing!  Advice to incoming freshman : Popularity doesn’t matter, if you have 1 really close friend, that is better than 10 fake friends!

Ashley is an animal lover. If she could have just one wish granted, her wish would be that no dog would be homeless or abused. She wants all dogs to have a great life and live in a good home.  “If i’ve had a bad day, I can dog home and I know my dogs will be super excited to see me and they put me in a good mood!”   I asked her what three things she couldn’t survive without and besides her pups, she told me brownies and her phone!

“If I had to describe my perfect day, I would definitely be traveling. Probably through Italy or Spain.  I would all of the pasta that I could, and then sit on the beaches that offer white sand and bright clear water!  If money were no object, I would also go to Costa Rica or anywhere warm down south with pretty beaches and relax on the beach all day.”

Three things on my bucket list: 1. Play mud volleyball 2. Go to New Year’s Eve in Times Square 3. Travel to Costa Rica

Here are some of Ashley’s Favorites:

1. Movie – How to Lose a guy in 10 days
2. TV show – The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise
3. Netflix series: Shameless, Orange is the New Black, Prison Break
4. Singers – Beyonce and Sam Hunt
5. Holiday – Christmas
6. Childhood memory – Going to gulf shores Alabama every summer for a family vacation and going to an ice cream shop down the road from our condo everyday after dinner
7. Family recipe – Lasagna
8. Sports team – The Wisconsin Badgers
9. Holiday tradition – watching Polar Express every Christmas
10. Photographer – Shelby Photography 🙂

My heroes are my parents because they are always pushing me to do my very best in school and volleyball. They helped me get to where I am today and I couldn’t have done it without them.

“Then years from now, I see myself married and starting a family.  Being a nurse with lots of money so that I can go shopping all of the time and spoil my kids. And I will definitely have at least one dog!”