Your Friendly, Des Moines, Portrait Photographer

Serving Central and Eastern Iowa

Hi, Im AJ!

I am the Des Moines Portrait Photographer!

I specialize in capturing the moments that mean the most. Family connections, senior milestones, and the love shared between couples. My approach is relaxed and natural, allowing you to feel comfortable in front of the camera while I focus on documenting authentic emotions and genuine interactions.

My goal is to provide you timeless and beautiful images that you will cherish forever. Whether it’s a family laughing together, a senior stepping into their next chapter, or a couple celebrating their journey, I believe every session should reflect your story.

Located in Waukee, I serve the greater Des Moines metro. I also regularly travel to Bettendorf and serve the Eastern Iowa region as well.

I’m frequently sarcastic, occasionally funny, and chronically 10 minutes early. If you want to laugh, capture important moments, and hear all about my dog, book a session.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

  • We couldn't have had a better experience of taking senior pictures than we did with AJ. His talent to visualize the best lighting/setting for a picture is top notch. He is patient, funny, and humble. We were able to show important aspects of my son's life all through these pictures. We are already looking forward to have him take more pictures of our family.

    Kim Timmerman

  • AJ and his wife, Rachael, did an absolute wonderful job capturing our family! He was very interactive with the kids and took every opportunity to grab some candid shots. The background of our photos were gorgeous. We would HIGHLY recommend him! 10/10!

    Allison Van Oort

  • We had the pleasure of having AJ shoot our family photos this year. He made our session fun, easy going and made us felt comfortable around the camera, especially our 3 year old! He kept it professional but very laid back. Shout out also to his wife, Rachael who helps him with his shoots! They are a wonderful team. If you're looking for someone who can deliver amazing photos AND makes the process super easy, AJ is your guy! 5 stars!!!

    Carly King

  • We loved working with AJ (and his wife!) for our family pictures. He captured some great moments and the entire process was so easy. He was attentive to our needs and made the session seamless. Our pictures turned out great, making it difficult to choose which ones to print. We can’t thank him enough for an overall amazing experience. Highly recommend and we’ll be using him again in the future!

    Megan Rainey

  • We had the pleasure of working with AJ for both maternity and family/newborn pictures. He made both sessions very fun and stress free. AJ is patient and a natural with kids. We had our photos back within days and were amazed by his talent in capturing our family. We highly recommend Ash’s Aperture for all your photography needs!

    Halli Getting

  • Absolutely loved working with AJ with Ash’s Aperture! Very professional, friendly, and love our pictures! He did super well getting our little one to cooperate and smile. Will definitely be using him again for future photos 🙌🏻

    Tess Hook

  • J did a fantastic job with our engagement photos! He is very easy to work with and truly has a vision for capturing the perfect pictures! Our session was fun and light-hearted and AJ had many fun ideas and was open to any of our own. I highly recommend him for photos of any occasion!

    Bre Hill

Check out my Instagram:

Not long until everything looks like this 🍁 - - - - - - - - - - - #Iowa #iowaphotographer #thisisiowa #ig_iowa #highlightiowa #aroundiowa #captureiowa #iowaskies #iowasunset #sunsetchaser #sunset #iowaartist #iowaart #fineart #fineartphotography #p
This was my first equestrian photo shoot and it was so much fun! I had the pleasure of helping capture the career highlights of Wrainier as he heads into retirement. Let me know what you think of these images! - - - - - - - - - - #Iowa #iowaphotogra

Or not, you’re an adult.

Book your family session today!

ashsaperture@gmail.com

442-236-2815

Waukee, Des Moines, Bettendorf, Iowa