#17 Someone Else: Ash Perlberg

A monthly feature of Some Sundays! Plus tips for getting started with photography, when New Year's resolutions are a pass, and don't sleep on this South African band for your kitchen dance parties...

Jan 05, 2025

Someone Else is a feature of Some Sundays: Once a month, I ask people I really like and am inspired by some questions about what they like and are inspired by. 🙂

I’m so happy that we get to spend time with Ash Perlberg of Weeno Photography today!

I met Ash in 2019, when I contracted with her to take photos at Cedarwood — one of the best professional choices I’ve ever made, because her photos do all the heavy lifting when it comes to marketing the school (which was my job).

Ash is a people’s photographer: although she no longer shoots big weddings, she does photograph intimate gatherings, families (with no limits on what that looks like), creatives, people being people. And she does so in a way that is saturated with energy, and is so, so dreamy.

She lives in Portland with her best friend, Kellen, their three kids, and two dogs. Ash and Kellen have made the most beautiful home together: think massive skylights cut into the living room ceiling, a second kitchen in the basement, and a deck that extends their living space far out into the yard with a big couch for hanging and a long table for outdoor dining (wood fire pizza made tableside is her specialty). They’re the fun parents you always wish you had, the kind that throw nightly pre-bedtime dance parties with disco lights and an annual kid-friendly Christmas party that no one wants to leave.

Today Ash shares the piece that can make any outfit complete, the mindset that makes Portland’s winter gloom bearable, and the sweet potato dish that makes an appearance every Thanksgiving — it’s that good. I started hankering for pizza so hard while working on this one…

Go-to denim:

I’ve still not adulted enough to go for the quality jeans — even though I’ve eyed many. I always turn to my tried-and-true fitting Old Navy jeans. They’re usually on sale and last me 2-3 seasons. Just current enough to be trendy, they fit perfectly right (on my ever-changing body) and if I’ve ruined them, it’s not such a big deal. Three kids and two dogs always means someone is on me, near me, or making a mess.

I’ve also been collecting denim chore jackets. It’s my favorite thing to wear. Just enough room to move around, it makes any outfit feel complete. And it can hold all my things when I’m working and need many a pocket!

Favorite way to spiff up an outfit:

I’m not a big jewelry person, much to my dismay. I’ve tried hard. So these days I have a good array of hats, beanies, and corduroy baseball caps. One of each color for every mood. I also love a good bandana wrapped around my neck. And always, always that chore jacket!

Favorite spot for a photo editing sesh:

These days I’ve been snuggling up in my room on my bed. I know it’s probably so bad for my back, but it’s so cozy and I love my room and the windows.

I drop my kids off at school early, so when I get home I grab my warm coffee, computer, hard drive, and phone. I scroll a little, catch up on the news, and then hit the email and start editing. I’m usually still in my PJs!

A design trend you’re into:

My mind immediately goes to color drenching a room. I love when trim is painted, and I love when it’s a darker color. I want all my rooms to feel cozy and comfortable, to look different and bold.

Something you let go of last year:

Control.

The universe taught me more times than not last year that control is an illusion and I actually have very little of it. I feel more secure when I think I have control over things, but when I let go of this idea the expectation of what “should be” also disappears. There is a sort of freedom and beauty in letting go and just being curious.

Something you gained in 2024:

This feels hard to answer. I feel like I lost more than I gained. But as my therapist tells me, feelings don’t always tell truths. I think I’ve gained some self-certainty. Martha Beck talks about the warm knowing in us, and I’ve had to go back to that feeling and gain trust in myself to know what that knowing is. And to follow through on that trust, even when it feels like it’s the hardest, toughest path.

Survival tip for the Portland winter gloom:

When I learned about the Winter Solstice and what winter means, it really made the gloom a lot more enjoyable. It’s all about candles and warmth. When I’m able to change my mindset to enjoy the shorter days and embrace night… I’ve learned to love it.

I light candles in the dark morning with meditation music. At night I relight the candles for dinner and the rest of the evening. Embracing the seasons for what they are instead of longing for the longer days helps.

I’ve lived in places with no seasons, and that was hard. You never fully enjoy it. Here the change of seasons is a direct reflection of how the life cycle works — and it’s actually quite beautiful.

Something you’re really into right now:

Last year I consumed a lot of poetry, and even wrote some. I never thought of myself as a writer and dreams of being a poet feel far-fetched. So I love that I’m exploring this place and realizing how warm it makes me feel.

Current dance party playlist:

We’ve gone through an ABBA phase, a Beyoncé phase, but there’s always dubstep if we’re gonna go hard. Enter the Ninja by a wild South African band called Die Antwoord is not exactly kid-friendly, but it makes for amazing dance party music!

A great recipe you’ve made recently:

Hands down, Modern Proper’s Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Labneh. I make it for Thanksgiving every year and I’m shook by it each time.

Thoughts on New Year’s resolutions:

I think some people really thrive with resolutions, looking back on the past year and digging in deeper. For me, it makes an anxious little monster in my belly that doesn’t talk very nicely to me. It doesn’t bring me that warmth.

If it does bring someone warmth, then I’m all for it. I believe that if it serves you, I will 100% support you. But please don’t ask me mine.

Perfect date night in Portland:

I just recently did something called Dance Church, and it was one of the best things I’ve done in awhile. It was dancing hard with a group for 1.5 hours as a way to reconnect with your body. I’d do this, then hit a good spot for dinner after. I LOVE pizza, so Ranch Pizza, Baby Doll, Straight from New York, Grana. Maybe Grana — you’d have to be prepared and bring an extra pair of clothes for a nicer spot after you sweat so much!

Something you’re currently shopping for:

Dress-up clothes. I don’t know what to wear for “dressy” occasions anymore. I’m not sure I want to wear dresses right now, maybe something a bit more androgynous with some femininity. I don’t have the opportunity to dress up often, and when I do it feels stressful. But I think that’s more because of how I’m feeling in my body, and I don’t want to wear something that doesn’t fit me or my style. It feels hard, can’t I just wear jeans and a cut off?? Lol.

Where you find inspiration:

In the light. I often see shadows and they always speak to me. I love the way light hits different with each season. The distance of the sun to us creates different shadows and I’m constantly looking, seeing, and observing.

Creative influences:

I love following my friends’ art. Often it’s not the same kind of art I make. It’s Chelsea, writing this newsletter. It’s my friend drawing and making the illustrations for Straightaway Cocktails. It’s another friend making graphic novels. And another who puts together the most beautiful outfits. But I also love a good IG poet, Rick Ruben, and some other artists I follow on IG but can never remember their handles.

Favorite photo taken:

This feels like a BIG question. I have taken many that I feel deeply proud of, so I’ll share my favorite photo I’ve taken THIS season.

I made it black and white, which is not something I usually do. It’s a dad and his kids, and I know the connection between them is so deep, and they’ve struggled a lot. They started as foster kids and are now adopted. The connection of these three is strong, and I think this image catches exactly that.

Advice for someone just getting started with photography:

Forget the gear and shoot as much as you can. Make the camera a part of you, and see what you can make with what you have. Photography isn’t about how many megapixels you have or how much money you invest in gear. I often use trash in front of my lens to make some really beautiful images, but I never would have done that if I were worried about expensive gear.

Observe light and notice how it hits different things at different times. Shoot during the morning and afternoon and evening. Push yourself and move your body: lay down, sit down, take a big breath and observe.

Rick Ruben speaks a lot to creativity, so I’d suggest his book, The Creative Act: A Way of Being.

Hiring Ash wasn’t just a great professional decision; she’s become a dear friend, someone whose way of seeing the world makes me want to find new ways of looking. Her’s is a perspective I deeply value.

Despite my kids being almost twice as old as hers, they all love hanging out and making big old cuddle puddles. 🥹 There’s so much love and warmth in the home Ash has made.

As the people’s photographer, Ash brings incredible thought and intention to the sessions she holds. Whatever joy, beauty, magic you have — she’ll capture it.

I love how she sees us.

I missed you last week!

I didn’t actually intend to take a break. But I brought a stomach bug home from my trip to San Francisco and it worked it’s nasty way through our household. I didn’t sleep for five nights straight (that mom-thing kicked in, where you’re just half awake listening for something to happen all night 🥴), and was manically deep cleaning and sanitizing during the waking hours. Everyone was able to keep food down by Christmas, but we were all exhausted and not interested in our traditional raclette (Orion said it would “freaking kill him” and that’s only a small exaggeration). Then my brother came in town for a visit and the days just got away.

That’s a long way of saying that I just didn’t have it in me, and gave myself the grace of a week off.

I’m really happy to be back. Xx