Conversations with Ambershaun Byrd

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ambershaun Byrd.

Hi Ambershaun, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a Toledo-born and raised mother, entrepreneur, and advocate. I’m a proud University of Toledo graduate with degrees in Business Management, Higher Education Administration, and Municipal Administration. I am a dedicated community and servant leader. As the current President of the Toledo Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., I work to uplift women and underserved communities. I also serve as a consultant for the Toledo Minority Business Assistance Center, where I empower underrepresented entrepreneurs.

As the founder of @abyrdseyephoto, a photography business I’ve nurtured for over 13 years, I capture resilience and empowerment through my lens. Balancing motherhood and a thriving career, I continue to inspire with passion, purpose, and perseverance. I’m a Toledo-based photographer specializing in portraits, event photography, headshots, and branding images, proudly serving clients in Ohio and across the country. I’m passionate about community activism, family, and entrepreneurship. My goal is to capture images for active and fun individuals and organizations throughout the Midwest who value high-quality, engaging visuals to promote their personal or business brand.

I help small business owners prepare for branding and growth. With over 25 years of experience as an event planner, grant writer, and business administrator, I’ve developed a keen eye for detail and a passion for capturing life’s moments from a woman’s perspective.

Toledo has played a significant role in shaping my career by providing a vibrant community and diverse opportunities that have helped me sharpen my skills and build my portfolio. The city’s cultural richness and active local scene have allowed me to focus on capturing dynamic and meaningful images—especially in event photography, community activism, and personal portraits for high school seniors, weddings, and celebrations of life. Toledo’s supportive environment has also helped me establish strong connections with clients and fellow artists, reinforcing my dedication to serving both regional and national audiences.

Before I pursued photography full-time, I fulfilled a lifelong goal of a 15-year career at the University of Toledo. I served as a program manager, assistant director, grant writer, and faculty member—positively influencing the lives of students. I used my position to ensure student voices were heard and their needs met, both in the classroom and in student affairs.

I’m a proud mother of three amazing and intelligent children. My two daughters currently work in higher education, and my son is a dedicated student and athlete, preparing to graduate high school next year. As the oldest of four siblings and the first in my immediate family to earn a four-year degree, I’m proud to say that all of my siblings also hold degrees from the University of Toledo.

I’m a Toledo Excel Scholar, a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and a graduate of cohort 2 of the Jumpstart Impact Program.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My obstacles and challenges are also my strengths. As a woman, in a male-dominated industry, I faced challenges in being taken seriously, mistaken for my ex-husband (also a photographer), and challenged on my prices. As a black person, I am expected to charge significantly less than my peers in the same field. I was laughed at many times when I quoted my prices in the beginning, and chastised when I decided to leave my career at the university to pursue photography full time. 10 years later, My biggest challenge now is myself, and my quest to prove how capable I am, while remaining respectful, humble, and aligned with the ways I was taught that women and black people should present themselves.
Additionally, mental health issues with entrepreneurs is a real thing, and as a full-time photographer I spend a lot of time alone while most people are at work. The isolation can lead to overthinking, and anxiety.

But as a woman, minority, and professional that studies human behavior and people, these challenges make me empathetic, patient, and a great person to capture diverse families, authentic emotions, events with impactful images, and assist business owners with business strategy to propel them forward to higher levels, and increase their income.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am most proud of my children. In spite of everything we all have endured, my children learned resilience, business, take education seriously, and thrive independently. And 2 of them are great photographers! Creatively I am most proud of 1. still being full-time after 10 years in Toledo, providing for and traveling with my children as we please and need to; and 2. creating spaces for thousands of Toledoans to create and capture their authentic experiences through my camera and in my studio.

What sets me apart from others is the many experiences that I have lived through that make me empathetic, authentic, resourceful, and able to create fun and professional experiences for my clients! I come from a background where I was blessed to be raised by the village; including church, youth programs, and organizations such as my sorority that shaped me as a successful woman and entrepreneur.

I understand people, because I have endured pain, trauma, and sacrifice and use my experiences to see people as souls. God blessed me with a big loving family, full-ride scholarships, leadership opportunities, and career/entrepreneurial success.
Creatively, I love to sing, dance, and make people feel seen through photography.

I am known for being a great headshot photographer, event and corporate professional, and I capture important moments for “dignitaries” and large organizations such as my alma mater UT, the city of Toledo, and non-profits such as the March of Dimes, the Mental Health Gala, and the Flourish Conference in Chicago.

A favorite line I say is, “I do not want to be known as a black photographer, but a photographer, that is black.” Distinguishing myself as a professional that you can count on to deliver is my goal as a black entrepreneur. I am proud to have over 50 positive reviews on Google.

What are your plans for the future?
My future plans include expanding my opportunities as a destination/traveling photographer to capture weddings, celebrations, and document servant leaders across the globe.
I still dream of owning a stand-alone studio space in Toledo that supports other creatives in media that cannot yet sustain a full-time space. That plan was put on hold during covid, but I believe the space is still needed in our community.
I also plan to be dually located in Toledo and another metropolitan area, close to a beach, that supports black photographers with opportunities to succeed without the barrier of a small town mindset.

Pricing:

• Most Portrait Sessions start around $350
• Headshots $200
• Weddings start at $1650
• Corporate Photography average is $1500
• Brand Strategy sessions $750+

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.abyrdseyephoto.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abyrdseyephoto
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abyrdseyephotostudio
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abyrdseyephoto