Today we’d like to introduce you to Abby Shadle.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Photography has always been something I found myself gravitating toward. I’ve always loved the idea of having a photo I could look back on and remember the exact moment and the feelings fastened to it. I never thought much of it, until people started calling out this gift in me that I didn’t recognize as something I would be able to pursue. The last three years I have grown tremendously in every area that comes with photography. I have fallen in love with this aspect of timelessness and these photos I take being something that will carry on for generations to show.
Please tell us about your art.
I like to think that I create moments of memory — moments that speak volume and can be a vessel of remembrance. I don’t like the idea of creating a moment to then capture it, but instead creating an environment where my clients feel comfortable for a moment to happen naturally. Poses can only take photos so far – It is so much more genuine and beautiful to photograph a moment that would have happened whether or not I was there.
To capture moments, moments in time we will never get back is my passion; those moments that one day we will look back on and cherish because they were priceless – they were everything.
I want people to know that vulnerability is beautiful and something to be cherished. I want people to know that working toward an image of perfection, more oftentimes than not, leaves you with a lack of identity. The most thrilling shoots are with the clients who let loose, embrace who they are and find themselves leaving it all on the line to be vulnerable — those are the most beautiful photos.
As an artist, how do you define success and what quality or characteristic do you feel is essential to success as an artist?
It is so easy in today’s social-media driven culture to define success in terms of how many followers you have on your social media platform. I used to not consider myself “good” at what I do because I had less followers than I thought I needed to have to be considered successful. However, I have learned that success is not found in a number, but it is found in the joy of creating. Success shouldn’t be a goal, but a process that is constant, every day, and unconditional. I consider my work to be successful when I get out of my head, no longer push my own agenda or aesthetic, but seek to spring up joy and fulfillment in others. When I know that I have created something that others love and want to share, that is when I find peace with myself and feel successful.
Passion is essential for success as an artist. If there is no heart behind what you do, why are you doing it? Passion is the thing that stirs up a fire in your bones, the thing that propels you forward. You should never be content with not pursuing your passion. It is your passion for a reason; it’s your gift – use it to bless others.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I update my Instagram page, @abbyshadlephoto, more than anything else. Instagram is the easiest way for me to show how I edit photos, before and after shots, behind the scenes of my shoots, etc. I also have a website, abbyshadle.com where more information can be found!
The biggest form of support, in my opinion, is simply in following my work on social media, recommending me to others, and of course, booking me for your photos!
Contact Info:
- Website: abbyshadle.com
- Email: abbyshadlephoto@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/abbyshadlephoto
- Facebook: facebook.com/abbyshadlephoto
Image Credit:
Abby Shadle Photo
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