Meet Ashley
The story begins with the storyteller...
I believe the most meaningful images are born in the in-between moments — the laughter, the glances, the quiet pauses.
For more than seventeen years, I’ve photographed weddings, portraits, and boudoir with calm direction and heartfelt connection. My style blends candid storytelling with an editorial touch, creating images that feel timeless and true.
Behind
Behind
The Lens
The Lens
Photography, for me, is about presence.
Ashley Biess is the photographer and founder of Artistrie Co., based in Chicago. With over seventeen years of experience, she is entrusted to photograph weddings, engagements, and boudoir sessions with an approach clients describe as calm, thoughtful, and quietly intuitive. Known for blending candid storytelling with a refined editorial eye, Ashley creates photographs that feel elegant, authentic, and alive.
Recognized among Chicago’s top boudoir photographers by publications including The Knot and featured nationally, Ashley is sought out by clients who value presence, connection, and timeless imagery. From intimate portraits to multi-day wedding celebrations, she brings care, intention, and artistry to every story she tells.
Ashley Biess is the photographer and founder of Artistrie Co., based in Chicago. With over seventeen years of experience, she is entrusted to photograph weddings, engagements, and boudoir sessions with an approach clients describe as calm, thoughtful, and quietly intuitive. Known for blending candid storytelling with a refined editorial eye, Ashley creates photographs that feel elegant, authentic, and alive.
Recognized among Chicago’s top boudoir photographers by publications including The Knot and featured nationally, Ashley is sought out by clients who value presence, connection, and timeless imagery. From intimate portraits to multi-day wedding celebrations, she brings care, intention, and artistry to every story she tells.
Ashley Biess | Artistrie Co
“I was genuinely moved to tears looking through our photos. Ashley captured our entire essence and made us feel so secure in the process. She is warm, kind and incredibly talented — I’ll forever be grateful.”
I bring calm to the busyness of the day so you can breathe and be present.
Steadiness in the whirlwind
Subtle prompts, never stiff poses.
Direction that feels natural
The laughter, the glances, the pauses often become the images you love most.
Candid, unscripted moments
Photographs created to feel as alive in twenty years as they do today.
Crafted with longevity
Photographs created to feel as alive in twenty years as they do today.
Crafted with longevity
The laughter, the glances, the pauses often become the images you love most.
Candid, unscripted moments
Subtle prompts, never stiff poses.
Direction that feels natural
I bring calm to the busyness of the day so you can breathe and be present.
Steadiness in the whirlwind
What It’s Like to Work With Me
The way you feel in front of the camera matters just as much as the images themselves. Whether it’s your wedding, an engagement session, or a boudoir portrait, my clients describe the experience as grounding, joyful, and effortless.
"It was the care, kindness and love that Ashley poured into the entire experience that made the difference. The time, commitment, and experience she provided calmed our nerves, injected fun and silliness, and gave us BEAUTIFUL photos we will cherish for a lifetime."
My Approach
For me, photography begins with people. The more connected we are, the more comfortable you’ll feel, and that ease is what allows real moments to unfold.
I take time to build trust so you can be fully present, whether that means laughing with friends, savoring a quiet glance, or simply enjoying the atmosphere around you. With gentle direction and an intuitive eye, I look for the gestures and details that often go unnoticed but hold the most meaning.
The result is imagery that feels honest and elevated. Photographs that reflect not just how your day looked, but how it felt.
“Her calm demeanor made us feel so relaxed all throughout the day … Every picture transported us back to that incredible day … Ashley had captured the entire day more perfectly than we could have ever imagined or hoped for!”
A Glimpse Into My Life
I share life with my boyfriend, Joe, and our pup, Rory — equal parts joy and comic relief. Away from photography, I gravitate toward other creative outlets: gardening, cooking, hosting dinner parties, and even experimenting with homemade ice cream (Artist Cream Co., naturally). Music has always been part of me; I play French horn in a local symphony orchestra, a rhythm and flow that shape how I see photography.
Travel also fuels me. I return often to places that feel like home — Northern Michigan and Sedona — and I’m dreaming of Cornwall, Switzerland, Spain, and Portugal. On slower days in Chicago, you’ll find me at the Art Institute, catching a concert, or around a bonfire with friends and a glass of wine. These everyday rituals, art, travel & community, keep me curious and inspired, the same spirit I bring to my work.
The Clients I Work Best With
The clients I connect with most want to be present — soaking in the atmosphere, cherishing their people, and trusting me to capture the story as it unfolds. They care about details, not for the sake of perfection, but because those choices reflect their story and style.
Above all, they value connection: with each other, with family and friends, and with me. That connection is what allows me to create photographs that feel alive, personal, and enduring.
If this sounds like you, we may be a wonderful fit.
"Ashley is such a breath of fresh air amongst the wedding industry that you will feel like you are speaking with a friend in planning some of the biggest moments of your life."
If you see yourself here, I’d love to hear your story. Shall we begin?
If you see yourself in these words, chances are we’re a wonderful fit. My clients value presence, intention, and connection — with each other, with their loved ones, and with me.
That’s where the best photographs begin: in trust, in ease, and in stories that feel alive. If this resonates, I’d love to hear yours.
Let's
Let's
Begin
Begin
