We were lucky to catch up with Herb Ascherman, recently and have shared our conversation below.

Herb, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about one of the craziest things you’ve experienced in your journey so far.

As Cleveland (Ohio’s) preeminent social and portrait photographer for 49 years, I have photographed notables and nobodies from all segments of Cleveland’s society and culture. The hallmark of my studio’s reputation is my desire and intention to work with all of my brethren citizenry, regardless of their ability to pay the going rate. To balance this public outreach, I am called upon to photograph notable business and celebrity clients which have included four Presidents of the United States.

The single most memorable evening of my career was in the winter of 1988 when Ronald Reagan visited Cleveland. I was asked to photograph the private donor’s reception and take what we affectionately call the Grip and Grip shots that would then be signed and sent to the major donors as a token of the President’s appreciation for their support. Having previously photographed Jimmy Carter for his campaign, I was comfortable moving with that level of responsibility.

The time and date of the shoot was set. My crew and I were suitably attired in suit and tie, and armed with freshly loaded Hasselblad’s and plenty of camera and film redundancy. We set up our umbrellas, double and triple checked the exposures and waited for the President to arrive.

But, quite unexpectedly, the time had come that comes to all and I excused myself to find a men’s room. The Secret Serviceman manning the door pointed over his shoulder to the facility.

Three minutes later I walked out of the men’s room, went to the SS man and said excuse me as I passed buy him. Instantly! His arm blocked the door at which point he told me very sternly that I was not allowed into the secured area once I had left. I looked at him incredulously. I had been gone MAYBE three minutes. I said I’M THE PHOTOGRAPHER!!! I HAVE TO BE IN THE ROOM!!! He glowered at me. Our gazes locked.

AT WHICH POINT…I see the door open at the far end of the room and President Reagan walks in surrounded by his entourage, and stops where I am supposed to be, ready, with camera in hand.

Now, there must be medical term somewhere in the books which describes the slow-motion activity of a brain responding to a critical situation while the mouth, singularly engaged, is operating at its own speed and without any conscious effort of reasoning and understanding. To wit:

I ducked my head under his arms and yelled to my assistant, YELLED to my assistant…SHOOT!!! SHOOT!!! at which point my brain caught up with my mouth and I looked at the SS Agent, put my hands out to be cuffed, as the next twenty years of my life in a federal penitentiary flashed before my eyes and said, in a barely audible whisper, my head on his shoulder, What the fuck did I just do?

There was an eternal moment of silence as I contemplated my future, saw my job happening as a disaster and knew my life and career were over…AT WHICH POINT the Agent pulls me upright, slaps me soundly on the back and, with an ear to ear grin, pushes me into the room saying quite loudly

Don’t worry, Buddy, it happens all the time.

I have a picture of President Reagan and myself from this event.

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

HA Bio synopsis 081024

I graduated with a Master’s Degree in Literature, Education and Psychology. With relatively unemployable skills, I taught Middle School in a public system for a couple years, worked for my father until he fired me (or I quit, to this day I don’t know which) and had several minor employments henceforth.

At which point I decided Three Things:
I needed a job.
I needed a job from which I couldn’t be fired and
And as long as I was going to work, I was going to have a good time doing so.

Forthwith, I turned my avocation into my vocation.

With virtually no business experience I opened a photography studio, hired help and started merchandising. My father asked me what my back up plan was, should this occupation fail to produce the necessary results of self-support. I answered, quite brilliantly, that if I put my time and effort into a Plan B rather than concentrating on Plan A, I would have to use it. Fortunately, 49 years later, I have built an international reputation for portraiture, am a published photo historian and a worldwide lecturer. Plan A worked.

The essence of success in any field is ‘branding’. I copyrighted my signature and plastered it on every piece of paper I produced. I advertised in newspapers (in those days, yes, newspapers) magazines, printed material and billboards (well, not big billboards). Although it was practically illegible, it became a visible logo for my studio. People connected with the association: they knew what it meant, not what it said. Call Herb for Quality Photography.

Financial and artistic success soon followed, and since 1975 I have been Cleveland’s preeminent society photographer. I have taken over 9,000 individual black and white portraits on film, shot over 1,754 weddings, bar mitzvah’s and doggie birthday parties and countless hundreds of commercial jobs. I had the honor of working as the Cleveland Orchestra’s Portrait Photographer for 20 years.

To further the marketing connection between my work and high-end art photography, in 1977 I founded the only not-for-profit photography gallery in Cleveland. Five years ago, with two other partners, I launched the Cleveland Photo Fest to Mid-West acclaim. I have exhibited in 150 venues worldwide and given over 400 lectures, classes and public programs in the US, Europe and India. My education came from building a personal library of over 2,300 books, of which over 1,000 are signed by the individual photographers.

Photography is problem solving based on clear communication and the understanding between the client and myself. My education gave me the ability to speak and write clearly, learn while listening to my client, then delivering my product on time, to criteria and done right the first time around.

How’d you meet your business partner?

Chuckle.

I had advertised for free-lance photographers.

At the time my studio was located in a mall. A photographer came in for an interview. As we were talking I noticed a woman walking back and forth in front of the studio. I asked him if he knew who the woman. She was wearing a halter top, short shorts and Frye boots. He said he drove to the interview on his motorcycle and had asked his girlfriend if she wanted to go for a ride. She agreed.

I invited her into the studio. I said Come over here and sit on my lap. She said, as she slapped me in the face, You’ve got a lotta damn chutzpah, don’t you? I smiled.

I hired him, fired him after two weeks, and hired her.

We were married several years later.

She was half of the business: I was the master marketer attracting the clients, she closed the deals. I wouldn’t have become the success I am today if it wasn’t for her dedication, partnership and love.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I was very fortunate to enter Cleveland’s photography market in the late 1970’s because of the industry’s changing dynamics at that point in time. For decades, Cleveland had been ruled by several major mom and pop studios. Those photographers were aging out as a new wave of young faces entered the market, eschewing the formality of a studio for the low cost overhead of their parent’s basements. As the wedding and portrait business diversified, these photographers moved into their own, or occasionally previously run studios, with fresh faces and contemporary marketing ideas. What they sadly lacked was the business acumen that dictates that to make money, you have to spend money, particularly on branding and advertising. But most importantly is the necessity of building a personal and recognizable image in the community.

I was fortunate to have been brought up by two grandfathers who understood the necessity of a strong public image. Leo was a successful lawyer. Jack an entrepreneur from the time he was 9 years old. Both taught me to dress well, stand up when someone enters the room and shake hands, and address those around me with respect. I never wore blue jeans or a t-shirt to my studio. I created a professional environment that was spacious and welcoming, centered around a public gallery where I showed other photographer’s artwork. My receptionist was friendly, gracious at all times and never distracted in the presence of a client. My employees were clean cut, fit and always responsive to the customer’s needs. (Well, most of the time, anyway. My unwritten philosophy stated that the customer is not always right, and should be shown the error of their thinking in a socially acceptable manner.)

What helped me build the business that has sustained me for the past 49 years is the simple fact that we are a class act. We are as interested in producing magnificent portraits as we are making money. Creating work that will last as family heirlooms for generations to come is more important to us that charging a few extra dollars.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.aschermanphoto.net
• Instagram: herb.ascherman
• Facebook: Herbert Ascherman, Jr.
• Youtube: Photo Herb Speaks

Image Credits

All photographs by Herbert Ascherman, Jr.