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

Ashley, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you as a business owner?

My first job out of college was editing for a photo lab. I’d edit other photographer’s work and got really familiar with so many different styles of editing as well as perfecting skin tones, cropping & straightening, and seamless consistency throughout a wedding day. This helped me so much because my editing is very proficient, quick, and even fun for me.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m a multi-disciplinary artist, but most people would know me as a wedding photographer. I love creative portraits, boudoir, and weddings in the photo world. I also illustrate and paint, which is a very therapeutic outlet for someone who likes to be fast-paced and busy. I got into photography as a teenager and shot my first wedding when I was 20. This June will be my 14th year as a wedding photographer, and my 7th year being completely full time. I had many odd jobs along the way, including nannying and working at a bakery. I have a degree in Film & Video from Georgia State and I still love to see old movies at The Plaza and even take lots of photos there.
I truly care about people, connection, and showing you these beautiful parts of yourself. I’m a goofball with a sentimental heart and that’s the center of my whole business. I want to make people laugh, and I also want to see them feel empowered in who they uniquely are.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Instagram and Google! I worked really hard on my website’s SEO and that pays off tremendously. I also book lots of weddings where I’m told they’ve followed me on Instagram for years so that always helps me remember that the tedious work of running social accounts is absolutely worth it.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

I never ever dreamed of photography being my job. I actually loved it so much I thought making it my job would ruin it for me, so I went so far as to get a degree in something related but different. Other people believed in me before I did, and asked me to shoot their weddings before I was considering it. The first few weddings I shot were more on the traditional side and I felt a lot of pressure to fit a vibe that wasn’t mine. Through the years I was expanded to see that I could make wedding photography work for me, not me work for it. I’ve been able to rebrand myself to nontraditional weddings and I get the coolest, most aligned clients. My favorite moments have been shooting a wedding in Las Vegas with clients that are now friends, and being told I was the highlight of someone’s wedding day. It’s such a gift to be able to connect more deeply and to have a dream job I wouldn’t even let myself dream up for the longest time.

Contact Info:

• Website: ashleywhitephotos.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/ashleywhitephoto
• Facebook: facebook.com/ashleywhitephotos