About - Ashleigh Castro

Ashleigh's photographs transcend time. She has a keen photographic eye and artistic palette alongside journalistic approach and a knack for capturing captivating moments. She still shoots and hand processes film which allows her to enlarge optically in the darkroom. She uses her digital camera as a tool alongside film. A well rounded content professional in multiple mediums including photography, writing and video. Her interests started with portrait, music and anti-war march rally documentary photography.

Cannabis was added to her portfolio while freelancing for DOPE Magazine during a time of political shift and legalization. A 21st Century Wild West had her trekking around California and managing content for a growing magazine. She developed a love for photographing cannabis gardens and hash on the adventure.

Having left the career based magazine management job, she is now able to focus back on photography with a new perspective.

photo by Amelia Bennett Kennedy

Film: Hasselblad, Minolta Autocord, Canon Rebel T2, Voigtlander Vitessa, Polaroid Spectra.

Digital: Canon 5D Mark III (previous Canon Digital Rebel XT)

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Pricing

Standard Digital Photoshoot

$150 for the first hour, $100 every hour after.

$50-$100 to make specific edits to your select favorites pending request

*make up artist available for $125 extra

*if working with particular budget please contact me and we can work with it

Digital prints available

Film Photoshoot

$200 for the first hour, $100 every hour after.

Dark room and digital prints available

Event coverage

$250 for medium size (100+) parties

$150 per show for performance photography

Please contact me at 916-712-1934 to inquire about how much I would charge for your show needs. Able to shoot video, film and digital and will work within a budget

Press

Golden Gate X Press: Alumna Takes DOPE Photos

“My main goal here is to bring women into the pages spread, also people of color,” said Castro.

Featured Content

Bosm Breast Oil written by Ashleigh Castro

If able to live the “bra-free is the way to be” motto, we discover that bra-free time allows for connective tissues to stay firm and toned, therefore healthy.

Featured Content

DJ Pam the Funkstress written by RadioHash

“I’m the one that created that scratch . . . It’s called the Titty Scratch,” explains Pam Warren, the Funkstress herself. “I was going to New York in ’94 or ’95 with The Coup, and they wanted me to do this Battle New York at the Zulu Nation conference or something . . . I listened to Lady of Rage on Afro Puffs and she said, ‘Let me loosen up my bra strap and let me hit you with this raw rap.’ I said wait a minute, ‘Let me loosen up my bra strap?’. . . I learned to take my bra off while DJing. When I went to the Zulu battle . . . everyone went crazy. I threw my bra out I said, ‘Let me loosen bra strap and-uh . . . let me loosen up my bra strap and-uh . . .’ And it just became my signature thing.”

Pam struggled to define herself as a performer and competitor in a male-dominated world. In 1994, she got together with two emcees: Boots Riley and E-Roc, members of The Coup from East Oakland, one of the most socially conscious, politically charged and underrated hip-hop groups to date. Boots Riley is not only a lyrical genius, he has a sense for real talent. He’s worked with some of the best at what they do, and Pam was his select DJ.

The Beginning: Born in Queens, NY--raised in Sacramento, CA. A transplant kid of Tower Records. She moved to San Francisco at 17 to start college because of all it's charm and a thirst for a more interesting lifestyle--something reminiscent of the stories about her parents whereabouts through New York City. She began photographing at 14. The first photo she can remember taking was of her father in Washington Square Park at 7 years old. She cut off his head. Now she is pretty observant of framing. She began fine art photography in the darkroom of C.K. McClatchy High School. She hasn't stopped shooting photos since.

Education:

Bachelor of the Arts in Fine Art Photography from San Francisco State University

Minor in Journalism from San Francisco State University

Employment:

Photographer and Writer:

DOPE Magazine (Current)

Editorial Content Coordinator:

DOPE Magazine (Past)

Office Manager:

DOPE Magazine (Past)

Photo Assistant at Kelly Puleio Photography (Past)

Oscar's Photo Lab, SOMA, SF (Past)