We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ash Ogle. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ash below.
Ash, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.
Many concert photographers focus on the artists during a show. I really enjoy capturing the environment as a whole. I want someone to look at my photos and feel like they were there. So I tend to focus a lot on the crowd and from the crowd shots.
Ash, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I fell deeply in love with music photography a little over a year ago. I reached out to a photographer and asked for advice on how to get started and she suggested I purchase a cheap camera and start shooting local artists to build my portfolio. Once I built a decent portfolio I started applying for international and national publications. I got on with a few magazines and things took off from there. In no time I was getting photo passes for larger tours that included some of my favorite bands. After several months of shooting for other magazines, I decided to start my own publication with a mission for mental health advocacy. I’ve built an incredible team of photographers and writers who all have the same passion for mental health advocacy. Keynote Music Collective is now an official nonprofit and we ecstatic to continue to contribute to this space under our new nonprofit status.
Any advice for managing a team?
I treat my team like family. We share the excitement for their victories and are there for each other when it matters most. I could care less about growing a huge profitable magazine. What I care most about is my writers and photographers feeling valued and that they have a place where they belong and are always welcome.
We’d love to hear about you met your business partner.
About a year ago Rachel and I met while shooting a local show together. I was still super new to concert photography and extremely nervous to talk to seasoned photographers in the industry. But Rachel was nothing but welcoming and supportive. We dmed after the show and have become the best friends and we are now business partners. I am eternally grateful for all of the invaluable advice she’s given me over the last year. I couldn’t ask for a better person to be the co-founder of Keynote Music Collective.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.keynotemusiccollective.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keynotemusiccollective
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keynotemusiccollective
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/KeynoteMusic_