Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashlee Young-Gibson.
Hi Ashlee, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi! My name is Ashlee Young-Gibson, and I am a Wedding and Lifestyle Photographer in Middletown, Ohio! I am smack dab between Cincinnati and Dayton, so I love serving in both areas!
My love for capturing life on camera started when I was 13 years old. It was Christmas morning, and my mom had one final gift for me. It was my late dad’s old camera, which had been refurbished just for me. With my eyes lit up like the tree and my smile from ear to ear, the first thing I did was take a picture of the moment I was in.
After that morning, the Nikon 5D and I were attached at the hip. I fell in love with capturing moments of raw joy. From goofing off with my friends, to shooting my mom’s wedding reception, to taking portraits of my sister for practice, I could not get enough of that feeling.
As time went by, and I got older, I wanted to be able to branch out and catch other people’s life moments. With patience and a lot of encouragement from my now husband, I started posting my work and offering to do sessions for a low low low price.
A local couple (now friends of mine) took a chance on a stranger with hardly any experience and hired me for their wedding day. I researched a ton, practiced all of my newly learned skills, and went head into that wedding with hope and a little bit of fear.
That’s when Ashlee Young Photography came to be! Since that day in May of 2023, word of mouth and Facebook Discount Wedding groups have helped me do what I have loved for 12 years, capturing life’s moments one click of a shutter at a time.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Well, almost every road has a pothole or two (especially in Middletown). There are absolutely some learning curves when it comes to photography, and being self-taught, the curves are much bigger than anticipated!
My very first BIG issue I had was in October of 2024, a beautiful wedding gallery was finished for the nicest bride and groom. 13 files were corrupt, and in the worst place possible. Their cake-cutting pictures were gone. They were super understanding and incredibly patient with me, and I still adore them to this day. Immediately after I delivered their gallery, I’m talking hours later, my entire hard drive that had all of their photos on it crashed.
There have been a few technological errors and one lens that I broke, but other than that, things have been pretty middle of the road (I’m knocking on wood).
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a photographer, and that means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. I specialize in Wedding Photography and Lifestyle Photography.
I would like to say that I’m most known for my personality. I love helping people, and I will do a backflip if you ask me nicely (I can’t do a backflip). I am a very honest person, even if it makes me look bad at times, or if it costs me profit. Honesty is the best policy in my book, and I stand by that with my practices. I want to make sure that on your wedding day, or during your engagement session, or your kid’s first birthday shoot, you have everything that you have ever dreamed of.
I hate picking favorites, but if I had to choose, it would be my work with a dear friend named Carrington. The last two years, she has hired me to do a Lifestyle session for her birthday. It’s incredibly empowering, and her themes always make me excited and push me out of my comfort zone. The first year we worked together, we got into a lake nearby to do a “water goddess” themed shoot. I took my camera chest deep in a lake to do these pictures, and it was 1,000% worth it, and I would do it again. This past year, she did an “Alice and Wonderland” themed shoot, we thrifted tea cups, playing cards, and a little rabbit, and did an amazing shoot in the woods! Her birthday is coming up soon, so wait and see what we’ve got going on this year!
The thing I believe sets me apart the most is my pricing. My philosophy is I believe that photography services should not be unattainable for people who want them. I get a lot of push-back from other photographers when they see my pricing and say that “since you’re shooting for practically nothing, you don’t value your time.” To that, I say, you’re wrong. The time I spend taking pictures, editing, and delivering means more to me than a few dollars in my pocket. I want to offer quality photography at a price that people can afford.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
There are so many people who deserve credit, mainly my husband, Nathan. He has encouraged me to pursue this with my entire heart, and has always been a guinea pig for when I want to try anything new. He shares everything I post (just to help with numbers), he assists me during studio sessions by carrying my things, and always stays up late with me on the long nights of editing. His faith in me has helped me pick the camera back up at times I didn’t want to.
I also want to give credit to my mom, Angie. She is always there with a loving smile and advice when I need it. She is also there when I need someone to tell me that I am being irrational or silly. She was the first person to believe in me with their full heart. By refurbishing my dad’s old camera and asking me to photograph her wedding reception, she has jump-started a passion in me that is still burning 12 years later.
Pricing:
- Lifestyle Sessions – $150 an hour
- Wedding Photography – $75 an hour
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ashleeyoungphotography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleeyoung.photography?igsh=am40Mmh3YWN5dmI0&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CMafwy7pz/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@ashleeyoungphotography?_t=ZT-8xW4lKx1vYl&_r=1
