Ashly Covington is a Hand Model, Actress & Voice-Over Artist based in NYC and LA.
HandModelUSA.com
Hand Model on YouTube
"Ms. Covington is enjoying earning her place among the top hand models in the world of body parts modeling. Walk through any store and you can see Ashly's hands all around - from the product packaging for Reynolds Wrap to displays for Amerock and point of purchase ads for the lottery. Turn on the TV and you can catch her hands picking up bottles for Pepsi, swirling razors for Gillette & opening delicious desserts for JellO.
Growing up in Virginia, her first love was acting and she started pursuing her dream at a young age. When she was 12 she landed a spot as one of WTVR TV 6s For Kid Sake Ambassadors. There she learned about public speaking and news broadcasting along with being one of the co-stars for a Saturday afternoon childrens TV show. She also acted with the Virginia Commonwealth Universitys Theatre with Children for Children program and in many productions throughout her high school and college years. She was very active as a Theatre Major at James Madison University working in all areas of production from lighting & costume design to directing. As an actress at JMU, Ashly played a wide range of characters from Arkadina in The Seagull and Climene in School for Wives to (her favorite) Lady Nannycoo in The Frog Prince. After college she planned to pursue acting when her hands were first noticed by a local agent. She suggested a place for Ashly to experience her very first manicure and within a few weeks booked her on a job for Wintergreen Resort and Ashlys career as a hand model began to take off. She later found out that she was, in fact, a legacy hand model following in the foot steps of her grandmother whose long and graceful fingers had shown off typewriters ads in the 1930s.
Ashly went on to spend several years honing her skills as a hand model with Hamilton Beach. There she had the unique opportunity to develop her craft and really fine-tune her techniques by working multiple shoots each week with many different types of products. Being able to work with such a fantastic client and amazing photographers early on really gave me the confidence to do what I€™m doing. Each day was different, and because of that I learned a lot of the tricks early on--the arch that is needed in a finger so you cover the on/off switch, the angles to hold my head with over-the-shoulder lighting so that no shadow is cast, how to hold things without looking like you are exerting pressure, she said laughing. That last one is hard! Vein less! Effortless! Thats what they want (usually), and thats what I learned how to do. Though, I did do this one shoot where my wrists were all tied up with ivy. They had my hands clenched tightly in fists. I got to make my hands all veiny. That was a first my bondage shot!
From billboards & magazines to commercials for Campbells, Wal-Mart & Jimmy Dean, Ashly began working steadily up and down the east coast, eventually settling in NYC. She still enjoys a reason to travel and frequently heads down south for work. In addition to Ashlys beautifully shaped hands, long nail beds and even skin tone, it's her steady hands, the ability to hit the mark and amazing attention to detail that makes her a sought after talent. €œIts a great job and I really enjoy it; its demanding work as well, which is always a fun challenge. People are depending on me to get the perfect shot and the faster that can happen, the more money the production company can save. So it can be very high pressure. I worked on one shoot where we had to get my spot in 15 minutes. Not one minute more. The shoot was nearing golden time (the time on set when everyone starts making their daily rate EVERY hour) and had to wrap in 15 minutes. That was when they first called me to set and we nailed it. Bam-Bam-Bam - 3 in a row. I held the product and did the move 3 times and hit the mark each time, so the client had 3 perfect takes to pick from. And we wrapped with 4 minutes to spare.
Many of the jobs are often physically demanding. Standing with her arms outstretched, squatting, or bending over low tables for hours while holding her breath under hot lights on shoots that can last up to 14 hours makes for an interesting physical challenge.
Its very important to keep in shape, so that I can hold the products for long periods of time without shaking or showing signs of strain. I'ts hard on the back and shoulders, but that is what makes for the best perks of the job--massages! I love my masseuse!
Ashlys work ethic and commitment to getting the perfect shot makes her a favorite among clients and photographers. To keep her hands in camera ready condition, Ashly wears gloves almost all of the time and has an extensive hand care routine. Moisturize! Moisturize! Moisturize! And sunscreen Always!"
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