Ashley Howland shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Ashley, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
If you ask anyone around me they could easily answer this questions. Live Music has always been something I have loved, but recently with business being so slow I have jumped back in to seeing bands both my daughter and I love. And it is truly therapeutic. It reminds me of a time where life was much simpler. It also reminds me that I still would love to get into concert photography.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, My name is Ashley Howland-Hennig and I am the owner and sole photographer for Ashley Howland Photography.
It is an honor to be asked back to do another article.
My art is rooted in authenticity.
I have always wanted my work to stand out in a sea of so many talented photographers out there. The way I do that is by showcasing the true personality, interests, passions, etc of my clients.
I have also just been very into creating for myself lately.
I actually am stepping back from wedding photography this next year to really focus on editorial work and my favorite Senior Portrait sessions.
Along with that I am really invested in providing my services to help my local high school and community out.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
I always say if you as a person have not worked in some sort of social work then you truly should. And as far as social work that can be such a wide range of careers. For me that was working in education.
I can remember every single one of my “kids”.
Most of them are graduating this next year actually and I think about them and the lessons they taught me daily.
One lesson that stuck with me and truly has shaped who I have become happened in 2019.
We had two new students transfer in, they had just immigrated to the US. They weren’t very talkative, mainly because they spoke very little english, but also because it was an entirely new country.
I was always very big on teaching my students that no dream was unachievable. I mean if you really had a realistic dream, you could work hard enough to make it happen.
One day in class we were going student to student talking about what their biggest dreams were.
It was one of the new students turn and he spoke very clearly.
“My dream was to be free. To feel safe. It came true when I saw the M for Mcdonalds when we got to the States. Because I knew my dream came true.”
I think about it all the time because the smallest things we all take for granted can easily be someones biggest dreams.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The fear of not being seen.
Not as in someone seeing me on the street.
But the fear that no matter how beautiful my work is or how kind of a person I am, that I wouldn’t be seen.
For a long time that fear held me back from creating to my full potential, it allowed the fear of comparison to sneak in.
It stole my joy for along time.
Until I realized I saw myself and that was good enough,
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
That you have to be published to be successful.
I was published in PEOPLE for a wedding I photographed and didn’t get a single bit of business from it.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: When do you feel most at peace?
For me peace is when I have no expectations of myself. When I can sit down with a good book, a kdrama, or a journal and just fully dive in. There is no chores to do, no editing to do, I can just focus on me.
Contact Info:
- Website: www,ashleyhowlandphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleyrheaphoto
- Facebook: Ashley Howland Photography
Image Credits
All Photography is Ashley Howland Photography
