A big congratulations is in order to the incredible Erin Aasland, who was just accepted as an Unraveled Expert Artist! SO well deserved!! For kicks, she is also one of our lead moderator here at UA and and overall BOSS BABE.

Based in Washington, Erin is a mother of 3 who specializes in wedding and lifestyle portraits. Her work is connected, full of emotion and unique – she’s always rocking light beams, sun flare, double exposures, long exposures, and finding ways to step outside of the box. We dig that about her. She’s not afraid to march to the beat of her own damn drum. We are dancing to it.

To learn more about becoming an Unraveled Expert Artist, check it out HERE.

For more inspiration from Erin:

Instagram | Website | Facebook

Here is Erin, Unraveled…

What inspired your art? 

Connection. It's all around us. Our intense connection to a loved one or our connection to our journey in life -- where we have come from, where we are going + the places we stand. These things all shape us + there is quite a beautiful romance to everything, the ebb + flow. When you focus on that, you can find inspiration in even the littlest of things.

What do you shoot with? Camera body and favorite lens? 

95% of the time I am shooting with my Canon 5d Mark iii + the Canon 35mm 1.4 II. But I also pack along my Canon 5d Mark ii + Lensbaby Composer Pro 35mm -- for some freelensing/tilt fun. And I never go anywhere without a prism, cuz it makes reality blurred + that is a gorgeous thing.

What other ways do you express your creativity?

I love to cook + bake -- I am constantly feeding my teen athletes so it's fun to try new things + I love to take cooking classes.

How do you de-stress at the end of the day? 

I have three teenagers, who all play sports + are very active. So at the end of the day, the five of us get together in the living room, with no phones + watch either AFV or some kind of Disney, Pixar, or 80's movie. The hubs + I love to torture them with movies from our youth, or we crazy sing the Disney/Pixar songs in the movies, snuggle, wrestle, and laugh. Laughter with my people is my happy place + allows me to de-stress.

What kind of music do you listen to while editing? 

Indie/folk -- I love Spotify cuz it creates playlists tailored to you. The Lumineers, Mumford+Sons, Bon Iver, French for Rabbits, Asgeir, etc. I really love the romantic vibes + lyrics... it gives me that happy-calm-floating feeling, which is lovely for culling + editing to my style. But I really do love all types of music + you can pretty much find me singing away.

What is your favorite book? 

Jane Eyre. It has been my favorite since I was little + I re-read it once a year. Something about being struck to the core by love -- such a haunting feeling. I am a sucker for love stories.

Name one movie that inspires you. 

Good night, this is a hard one. The hubs + I are kinda movie freaks, so we have a TON of favorites. But for now, I would have to say... The Royal Tenenbaums. And... Lost in Translation. And... Mixed Nuts.

What has been the most difficult part of your creative journey?

Two things, 1) the isolation -- finding other photographers to connect with or even friends who "get" me, and 2) finding a balance between running your own business + family/personal time. I feel so blessed over these last few years to finally be able to connect with some amazing creatives, as well as the UA community, who are so supportive + caring, vs treating everything like an evil competition. Finding your people is key to tackling self-doubt + slumps cuz you feel supported and know that someone has your back no matter what.

Who is one of your favorite photographers? 

Annie Leibovitz. She has such an amazing vision + use of light that turns her portraits into stunning works of art. They look so alive, it gives me chills.