We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ashley Morehouse a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the story of how you went from this being just an idea to making it into something real.

I have always loved photography from when I was very young. Back in the 90s with the disposable point and shoot cameras – every family vacation we would have I would need to have a camera with me to capture the memories. I was always taking photos of my family and the landscapes that we would visit. This continued in my teens with purchasing digital cameras and the obligatory selfies with the ever famous “duck face”. I continued capturing memories of my family and memories of my friends and when social media started to kick off and I began sharing images of my life online. I started noticing that many of my friends would end up using my images for their profile pictures. In 2016 I wound up purchasing my first DSLR camera. I had been dreaming of this purchase for a while and being a young, working professional, I was excited that I could afford this luxury item! I taught myself how to shoot Manual with many Youtube videos, online articles, blogs, and several adventures with my then fiance (now husband).

Friends began noticing my photography via social media and asked if I would take some family photos. I had a few sessions the first year that I did this and really started to enjoy the process of taking family photos and interacting with clients. Continuing to learn and educate myself on how to use Manual Mode on my camera and learning about lighting and posing. At this time back in 2016-2017 I was sort of dabbling with the idea of starting a business – photography was more about fun and just doing something that I loved, while trying to capture something beautiful for my clients to take home with them. My husband and I got married in 2017 and I took a short break from taking photos with planning a wedding, honeymoon, working full time and graduating with my MBA all in the same year!

In 2018, we found out that we were pregnant with our daughter. I continued capturing photos of our friends, clients and our dog, Neville. When my daughter was born in 2019, I started taking her newborn and milestone photos myself. Practicing with posing and lighting while capturing a very important time in our lives. I had been sharing the idea of starting a business with my husband for a while and he finally gave me the push and encouragement that I needed to start my own photography business – which is when NorthHouse Photography was created.

NorthHouse Photography is a play on my last name (Morehouse) and my love for the North Shore. From there, I created a website, pricing, an image watermark and started marketing to my social media network. Fall Mini Sessions were a huge boost for my photography business and many of the families that I have captured back in 2019 are repeat clients. Over the last few years I have continued to evolve my business. I have gone through two brand identities, continuously invest in education and equipment, workflow strategies, and have created behind the scenes processes that have helped my business run smoothly, efficiently and professionally. I offer prints and photo gifts with my photography as well, compared to the digital only files that I started my business with. Shifting from a starter company to an established business.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am Ashley Morehouse, owner of NorthHouse Photography located in Oakdale, MN. I started my photography business back in 2019 after the birth of my daughter. I like to call myself a family legacy photographer, which covers a wide range of photography services including family, portrait, engagement, and wedding services. Capturing memories that you and your family can treasure for years to come is my highest priority. I want you to feel comfortable and to enjoy your time in front of the camera to truly create memories that you can look back on with joy and love. I strive to capture emotive, warm and vibrant images that truly tell a story and showcase the joy in my client’s lives.

I am most proud of the growth that my photography has seen over the last few years – I am constantly working to improve myself as a photographer and as a person. The growth that I have experienced over the last few years is largely due to my clients and their trust in me as their photographer. I have worked with amazing people who have allowed me to expand my creativity and have provided me with encouragement to continue developing my craft.

I would like potential clients to know that when you work with NorthHouse Photography, you will have fun during your session and will truly enjoy taking your photos. Photography sessions can be very stressful for a family or a couple for so many different reasons and I feel that helping my clients feel comfortable and relaxed during their session creates a space for them to honestly have fun. I often play games, run, sing and tell jokes throughout my session to help capture that genuine emotion on camera – it’s so obvious when it’s forced. I promise – we will have fun and you will love your images because of it!

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of new clients for NorthHouse Photography has been word of mouth and social media. Frequently my clients will share their images online and from word of mouth and social media sharing I have been able to gain new clients, that have continued to come back for multiple sessions.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is creating art that my clients can enjoy every day. Photos are everywhere and I love that my images can be displayed in my clients home, shared on social media, shared with family and friends and passed down from generation to generation. The individuals who see the image may not know that I was the photographer who took the image however, when they look at that image they will be able to place an emotion or a memory with that image and it will mean something to the viewer. That is the most rewarding aspect of being a photographer and an artist for me. It’s why I do what I do and will continue to click that shutter.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.northhousephotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northhousephotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northhousephotography

Image Credits
NorthHouse Photography