Photographer Ashley Johnson offers a unique perspective through the evocative images she creates. From her deeply personal photos that ask complex questions about race, femininity, identity and culture to her creative client work with brands and companies, Ashley’s images make the viewer stop and think. Her work is not only inspirational, it’s important.
We’re pleased to include artist Ashley Johnson in our “UNLIMITED — Conversations with Changemakers” series, made possible through a partnership with Fujifilm, and we hope you enjoy this peek inside her creative genius mind.
Meet Ashley Johnson
Ashley Johnson is a writer and creative entrepreneur living in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Ashley draws inspiration from the contemporary “flash-form narrative, as it’s an art form that neither requires nor offers resolution.” Through her work, Ashley shifts perspectives through her study of popular culture, race relations, identity evolution, Southern womanhood and African American femininity.
Noted for asking complex questions on Black identity through staged portraits, the central thesis of her work employs photography, performance, textile and live floral woven and braided masks to navigate themes in relation to intra-racial conflict, identity evolution, intergenerational impact, Southern femininity, and studies of relative time as it relates to African American/feminine beauty practices. Recent performances and solo exhibitions include “Reach: A Live Exhibition on Hair Identity and Southern Womanhood,” “Mark Yourself Safe, “Behind the Mask,” and “Through the Lens” in partnership with SoHo House.
Ashley also owns a boutique creative agency offering such services as photography, creative consulting, copywriting, web design and content creation, brand identity development, and social media management. For more on her exhibitions and venues, visit hiaj.co and Instagram.com @hiaj.
Q: Can you talk about how photography is an expression of identity for you?
A: In my girlhood, I didn’t believe I had much to love or be proud of, especially in the context of living in a very white world. Not being able to see myself in media, but having broad and diverse interests that were mostly white-aligned, caused me to engage with Black identity in a harmful and nearly separatist way. I’m happy I no longer feel this, and I do so much to prioritize representation in all spaces — especially in my work.
My work sometimes navigates a journey into a now, very proud Black and radical self. And when documenting young women, especially my nieces, I lean into darker, more textural edits, because there’s so much beauty there, so much that is so unlike anything outside of Blackness. I’m seeing myself and documenting myself the way I wished I’d seen myself as a young girl.
Q: What or who are the biggest inspirations or influences on your work?
A: Nothing inspires me like curiosity — both my own and the curiosities of others. Following the threads of ideas, theories, milestones, science, anomalies, culture and history — and connecting plot points within these subjects fuels me! I’ve always romanced knowledge and research. My work is incredibly Socratic — born of questions and begging questions.
I also love impeccable design of all types: interior, print, digital, even experience design. I’m obsessed with organization and love the feeling of smaller pieces meeting a well-configured whole. Experience design is immersive and places someone inside a world. I lean into installations and performance during opening receptions because I want people to feel consumed by an idea. I even love the experience of objects on a table or in a space. @abimarvel and @vollective come to mind as folks who understand how to curate and arrange objects in space and create something truly immersive.
Print design, editing and publishing is so inspirational to me. I’ve been following along with Candor Arts for some time, and watching how they edition art books or create unique publications for artists is deeply influential for how I want to consider how I want to serve artists down the road. There’s never one or a few great names. I flow from place to place within inspiration.
Artists tugging my heartstrings at the moment are Noah Davis and Betty Saar.
“My work is incredibly Socratic — born of questions and begging questions.”
Q: What do you do to ensure your voice as an artist remains strong, pure and true to yourself?
A: I journal, usually by hand, and I talk to myself aloud about concepts and artistic process. Only with free journaling and chatting through ideas do I find phrases I hadn’t considered, deeper entry points into concepts, layers of focus I may not have found using Pinterest or scrolling on Instagram, and most important, tapping into and connecting all the “ingestibles” (books, works of art, politics, movies and other media) to create critically through layers of influence.
To me, artistic practice has to be tactile, even for digital artists. I love weaving. Using my hands, doing repetitive things, places me in a meditative state where I unearth memories and really useful ideas.
Q: Tell us about your 2020.
A: I was fine for a while, and then I was not.
I was forced into a deep state of introspection while watching the world grapple with race in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Guilt fueled an economic boom for Black businesses; it was my most successful year as a business. It was fulfilling in that brands were intentional and forthcoming about hiring me to do their work, or purchasing my work, but I can’t help but look at the fact that this would never have happened had the outrage shaken the entire world.
I saw racism differently. I radicalized in my criticism of whiteness. I adjusted my social circles based on insensitivity and ignorance. I redefined what labor truly means for me, both intellectually and physically. I fine-tuned my discernment. I’m kind, always, but I prioritize people who look like me — dark-skinned black women — I prioritize the marginalized. I speak with and support them.
I’m so glad that 2020 incubated me in myself. There was so much sadness and darkness socially and personally. But I know who I am more than I ever have in my life and I’m grateful.
Q: Your personal work is so personal and distinctive. When it comes to your commissioned work, how would you characterize your clientele?
A: My business has evolved so much in the last few years, especially with the pandemic. I used to take on lots of lifestyle portraits and maternity shoots. Now I tend to find more fulfillment in brand and still life photography. My latest still life work has drawn clients who are interested in presenting their products in styled and tactile ways. Clients naturally gravitate to that vulnerability and openness, and it has turned into a very beautiful type of client base.
Q: How do you market yourself as a photographer?
A: I don’t do any formal marketing unless I’m promoting a show. I’ll send email blasts perhaps once or twice per year, which I’m looking to change. I believe what’s gotten me hired over the years is my personality online. The quality of my work is intentional and well-made, but who I am is a natural process sharer.
I love making beautiful creative living accessible and that’s a draw for clients. For a business, in a social media-driven world, it’s a great attribute to have. It’s never forced, never pre-planned, and I genuinely enjoy sharing the processes of daily activities, not just curated “after” photos. When people can see me troubleshoot in real time, it demystifies the creative experience. I never want anyone to aspire to a false version of me, so I naturally use Instagram to navigate my curiosities, and it draws community in a shared creative space rich in diversity.
I’ve worked on a referral basis for years. There’s a lot of word of mouth and absolutely a lot of, “I saw you on Instagram.”
Q: What’s your approach to social media?
A: Community and authenticity. Social media is a place where folks find other people’s lives aspirational. I engage my following in discussions around anything from the way we eat cereal to the weird things our bodies are doing that we weren’t ready for. My greatest compliment will always be — because I get it every time I engage — “Wow, I’m so glad I’m not alone.”
Q: How much time do you spend getting to know each client?
A: Getting to know the client is such an essential part of my process. When it comes to more vulnerable sessions like maternity, or if they’re diving into a deeply personal area of their lives, it’s so necessary to exchange energy, gauge nonverbal cues and just share space. I want to know my client as best I can for the very short time we’ll have together.
Q: And how do you determine the direction for a shoot?
A: Each session begins with an intake interview to understand the level of effort needed. Then the digital creative brief can be created. It’s a collaborative process of assuring that the client’s personal needs are met and that the shoot is tailored to the client’s ultimate goal. The creative direction is based purely on what the client wants to feel when they see those photos, and how their energy and personality can influence the course of what we create.
Q: How much creative freedom do you have when working with clients?
A: Most clients work with me because they really want me to make the bulk of the creative decisions. For maternity shoots, I don’t allow much creative input from the mother at all. Their input is almost next to nil, and they know this before submitting an inquiry to work with me. It’s my dream scenario, really, because I don’t have to haggle with the expectations of what they’ve seen on the internet somewhere.
The client and I have meetings to manage those expectations, those vision boards, and they trust me to assess what would work best with them. For maternity, mothers are relatively in the dark until she shows up eager, ready, and willing to create something memorable. It’s always amazing.
I have a team of creative assistants that help me concept and generate ideas for the client. I’m only one brain with one set of tastes, so instead of risking creating the same image over and over again, I bring in other creative minds from time to time and it only serves to enliven the creative process.
Q: What’s your approach to collaboration?
A: You know? I really don’t collaborate often, and mostly because it’s difficult to find folks who align with my interpretation of collaboration. It’s about the relationship, genuine and with mutual admiration. It’s a process that builds trust and respect long before the first inquiry. You can’t have great relationships without radical honesty, and so you have to be forthcoming about why you’re interested in collaborating and what you hope to achieve.
I tend to find myself in leadership roles and guiding collaborative efforts. That’s the sweet spot for me.
Q: What kind of lighting do you use?
A: Strictly natural light. I love the sun and its angles. I study it closely throughout the year and can understand time based on angles and shadows. It’s the most diverse type of light and plays in so many different ways. I never get tired of balancing shadows and sun angles.
Q: You have had a lot of success being exhibited in art galleries. Any advice for other photographers?
A: My favorite advice is from Myleik Teele, who says, “Your opportunities will find you working.”
I’m always working. I’m always sharing, and not just my process but things that are important to me. Connect in ways that are honest to you while making your best work in every way — be kind to people.
If you’re dedicated to your highest quality work and being honest about it, opportunities will unfold for you. I absolutely promise.
“If you’re dedicated to your highest quality work and being honest about it, opportunities will unfold for you.”
Q: What advice can you offer photographers who want to partner with small business owners for branding or styled product photography?
A: Be honest with yourself about your capabilities; just because you can does not mean you should. Brands and products have identities, and when considering partnerships, we need to address the identity and ask ourselves if we’re the proper creative to be responsible for the way a brand or product will speak.
Photography is the access point for a web presence, a store, a social media presence — it’s the visual trust that will carry a business from a photo caption and through the purchase funnel. If our visuals compromise a brand, we are not serving.
Always be honest with yourself. Always ask intake questions about who the product or brand serves. Always ask yourself if you are the right creative to shoulder an identity.
Q: What messages do you hope to convey with your photography?
A: Oftentimes we think of work as something that is happening to serve us — or something that is happening to us. My art, or rather, the conceptual cloud that surrounds my images, asks a viewer to consider themselves and their experience with the art or ideas around a piece of art — and to voice it within themselves. Have conversations about it.
I mostly hope that people are honest with themselves about what they see, even if it’s alternative, even if it’s negative. And then I want them to do the hard work of turning all of the “whys” back in on themselves. Why am I uncomfortable? Why am I offended? Why does this give me joy? Why does this make me feel successful, privileged, poor, malleable? I mostly hope that people allow my images to be the mirrors I hope them to be.
Photos by Ashley Johnson
This post is made possible through a partnership with Fujifilm as part of our “UNLIMITED — Conversations with Changemakers” interview series. Unlimited honors powerful feminist photographers and spotlights the artistic voices of those seeking to change the narrative. We hope to help bring focus to storytellers with purpose who are sharing their diverse perspectives with the world. Through this beautiful tapestry of unique voices, we want to be part of a cohesive message of unity, equity and inclusion.
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Ashley, I am looking for a copy of the spring, 2023 click for the modern photographer, a Superfly magazine, a friend of mine’s granddaughter is in there that you took pictures of her in ballet pictures, and I would like to make a gift for her with these pictures. Can you please help me out with this?