Today we’d like to introduce you to Asher Greene.
Hi Asher, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started my photography career in September of 2021. I’ve been a creative for as long as I can remember, I was the go-to guy in high school when my friends needed their photos taken at school because I would always “get their angles right”. During the track season, I would put my phone on a tripod with a self-timer and photograph our runners during meets. Before I left for college, I decided to buy a camera but I never envisioned myself at the level I am at today. My athletic director Henrietta George allowed me to photograph our football team for their first game vs Riverside Military Academy. After that game, the players asked me to come out again and eventually started building a following and reputation in Dekalb County. By the time basketball season rolled around I was granted media credentials in collaboration with Dekalb County Athletics and began shooting every game I possibly could. I would spend all day at tournaments capturing every team and every player and as time went on players would ask me to come out to specific games and coaches/teams would book me for tournaments where they were playing. During the end of 2021, I began shooting the College Park Skyhawks, the Atlanta Hawks G-League Affiliate which I believe was one of the turning points in my photography career. I started the season freelancing for myself but was blessed to have the opportunity to cover games in an official capacity for the team. Having that opportunity to showcase your work and a brand as big as the Hawks to entrust you to carry out their vision was a huge boost of confidence for me that I took and in turn applied to other areas of my work. At the start of 2022, I began to create content outside of sports. I worked on collaborative projects for brands while also entering the entertainment industry by shooting weddings, events, concerts, etc. As of now, I currently cover all sports, concert and event photography and offer studio bookings. I love to create and capture moments and emotions with my camera and I am glad that I’m in a position to express myself creatively.
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?
I wouldn’t say it’s been an extremely difficult road to where I am today but it also hasn’t been easy, to say the least. When I started as a freelance photographer, I didn’t have a reputation… no one knew me. One of the most common frustrations I’ve dealt with is players asking for their photos for free or attempting to screenshot photos from my page and reposting them without tagging me. From a personal standpoint, being a freelance photographer can definitely take a toll on other aspects of your life if not managed correctly. From editing to posting on social media and replying to direct messages and emails, I am almost always on my phone. It’s important to develop a system and workflows to make the process go smoother and allow yourself to have downtime from work. From a networking standpoint, especially trying to break into the sports world, I’ve found it hard to establish yourself on a professional level. It’s easy to get into high school games but when you attempt to shoot on a collegiate and professional level unless you’re affiliated with a newspaper or agency, it’s borderline impossible to gain acceptance. When I’ve been afforded the chance to step into those rooms, I’ve made it a priority to create work that stands apart from the rest and I’m blessed to have met people and cultivated relationships with people in the industry today.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am an 18-year-old freelance photographer. I specialize mainly in sports and portrait photography. If I had to say I was known for one thing, I would say people associate Asher Greene Photo with sports and they wouldn’t be too far off. I’ve covered almost every sport from basketball to lacrosse to beach volleyball. At the root of it all, I love creating and I love freezing moments in time to capture the perfect emotion. While I’m most known for sports photography, I also constantly collaborate with models and other creatives with concepts and photoshoots. I am most proud of myself for committing to a vision and a dream and following through on it. I am a self-taught photographer who had to learn (and still is) the industry on my own. I’ve logged 12+ hours days constantly, shooting from 8 a.m to 10 p.m at tournaments. I take the train and bus to every shoot I do and during those times, I reflect on how blessed I am to be able to live out my dream job and that I discovered my passion so early on in my adulthood. I would attribute my drive and my energy to what sets me apart from others. In this industry, you have to have a calling card, I believe that my ability to capture a subject and fulfill their vision without them telling me sets me apart from others. The ability to shoot a beauty product shoot in the morning and then a basketball tournament after. I believe my versatility grants me a huge advantage in networking and helps me do my job to the best of my ability.
What does success mean to you?
I believe that everyone has their own definition of success. In regards to my business, I started my own photography business as a college freshman student-athlete. I would define that as a success, between balancing classes, practice, and recovery on top of work. I’m beyond proud of myself for what I’ve accomplished this year and look forward to being able to create more in the future.
Contact Info:
- Email: ashergreenephoto@gmail.com
- Website: https://ashergreenephoto.myportfolio.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashergreenephoto/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashegreenephoto
- Other: https://gondola.cc/ashegreenephoto
Image Credits
Scoottookit Sharife Cooper Jamaria Haliburton Saba Trae Young – Atlanta Hawks Lena Stephanos Serayah Scoot Henderson Tony McCray Jr – Georgia State Football
