We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ash Koehling. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ash below.

Alright, Ash thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Any advice for creating a more inclusive workplace?

As a wedding photographer, I want to ensure everyone being photographed has an opportunity to be represented, especially during their big day.

When I first started my career, I realized a lot of wedding websites, brands, and magazines had limited representation. Where were the people who looked like me? What about my husband, who looks very different from me? I realized how non-inclusive the industry can be with their image. Between styled-shoots and models, I noticed there was a lack of real people who did not fit the specific beauty standards of the industry.

I am on a mission to make every person and couple feel like they belong in front of a camera. I want to represent them in not only the beauty I see in them, their cultures, and their families, but also show light to others that different views and cultures make the community and our industry thrive.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I I originally started as a concert photographer in Dallas when I was 16. I really enjoyed the fast-paced world of event photography, but felt I was missing a connection with people. When you’re photographing an event, especially a high-profile one, you get somewhat lost in a sea of other photographers. My photos were utilized often, but I felt they weren’t making an impact.

When I was 18, my friend Christina was getting married. I took her engagement photos as a wedding gift. She was so ecstatic to see her images! Christina passed my information to a friend getting married and I captured my first wedding later that year. I continued to get business through word-of-mouth connections, networking, and advertising.

I am proud to continue this career journey and am very thankful for the opportunities it has given me to learn more about others.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I love providing my clients their images and them saying “I had no clue I could look like that!” It’s an amazing feeling to make people feel great about themselves without having to try to look like someone else.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I was told when starting a business, do not refuse any jobs. When you start your business, a lot of us are in the “red” and are willing to take jobs that we may not be totally comfortable with.

This mentality changed for me when a couple reached out to photograph their wedding. The couple was great and I decided to host a consultation for them. Before my consultations, I always research the wedding venue. After a few searches, I realized the venue they were hosting their wedding at had negative reviews. Diving in deeper, it turns out the venue would not allow LGBTQ+ weddings. Not only would they not allow the couples to have their wedding, but would catfish the couples to tour their venue and then corner these couples to try and convert them. What! This was insane and very hostile. I continued to read and realized that if the venue hosted a wedding (for a straight couple), they would not allow any LGBTQ+ guests at the venue and ask them to leave.

I am a huge supporter of the LQBTQ+ community and knew that this was a job I would have to refuse. A quick search of my business will show events and non-profits I have supported over the years for the community. I informed my clients of my findings and they were shocked. Unfortunately, they already paid the venue in full and it was non-refundable. I told them I understood, but would not be able to photograph their wedding.

This would have been a high paying job, but I could not support a venue that did not stand for what I believed in.

Contact Info:

• Website: ashreneephotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashreneephotography/
• Other: https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/ash-renee-photography-austin-tx-979945 https://www.weddingwire.com/biz/ash-renee-photography-austin/41d9eb25308c71c0.html

Image Credits
Ash Renee Photography