We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Abby Carlyle a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Abby, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I fell in love with photography when my grandfather bought me my first ever 35 mm film camera from a flea market when I was in middle school. My passion grew more throughout high school when they still taught film photography courses and I learned how the different settings, chemical combinations and timings could create an image in the dark room.

In high school, I always felt like a third (or 7th) wheel in a group, never truly melding into one single friend group. I think it was because of this fact that photography brought me so much joy. As a photographer, I might help coordinate a moment, but I am only there to capture it, not be a part of it. I give people back their memories of a wedding day, or their first child, or when they felt their best. But I am not an integral part of that memory, I am on the outside. I felt this way in high school, and I still feel this way today. I market myself as a professional third wheel and in that position, I find so much joy.

I always knew I wanted to be a photographer, but wedding and lifestyle photography was not the path I was searching for. It found me. I photographed my first wedding my senior year of high school for a family friend for less than $300, and I am proud to say they still post those photos on their anniversary over 12 years later. Back then, wedding photography was not at the standards it is today. That was my first and last wedding as the main photographer for about 5 years.

I started out as I feel like most wedding photographers do. We photograph some senior photos for friends, maybe some sports photography, then get asked to do family sessions. We slowly grow enough to be asked to shoot someone’s engagement. Then the question comes, “do you photograph weddings?” “Sure, I’ll give it a shot (no pun intended)” And you either love it or you hate it. I loved it. I thrive in the organized chaos that a wedding day brings. I find true joy in meeting new people, traveling to new places, and being a small part of their grand love story.

With the immense support from my now husband, I quit my desk job and became a full-time photographer over 8 years ago. I have met an innumerable amount of people and been a part of some of the most beautiful moments of their lives. Not only do I get to photograph the beginning of their love story, but am fortunate to get a call back from them when they buy their first house, start a family, or just want to capture another important moment. I might always be on the outside, but it’s my photos that they decorate that new home with, or look back on when their first child is grown, or sadly use when a loved one has passed.

I give people their memories, and to me, that is the best job and one I fall in love with again and again.

Abby, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a midwest based photographer that loves to travel and capture people on their best days. I focus mainly on wedding photography, whether it’s a 300 guest wedding to an intimate 2 person elopement on the other side of the world. Each one is just as important and special as the other.

I co-own a studio in Delphi, Indiana called 116 Studio photography where I photograph lifestyle session and my favorite, boudoir. Boudoir is my second favorite type of session to photograph. Being able to watch someone’s confidence grow in themselves and their body in a span of an hour is one of the best feelings. Being able to be the person that helps them see themselves in a new light is a gift I would give a thousand times over if I could.

I want to make everything feel as (the most over used word in photography) authentic as possible, but let’s be honest, being in from of a camera is awkward and uncomfortable and something I even hate to do myself. I strive to make people feel comfortable in their own skin. Whether it’s during an engagement session, wedding day or boudoir, I try to make each person feel like they can be their weird, corky selves. I do this by also being my weird, corky self.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding part of being an artist and a creative is the freedom. I am fortunate in my success and with that success comes the freedom to be my own boss, make my own hours, and choose to do the things that I love to do, and only the things I love to do.

In the past few years I have started to dry and frame bridal bouquets, I become a bee keeper, I work with youth in my community and just got my pilot’s license.

The freedom to do all of these things and to actually build a life where I get to learn new things and meet new people is something I will never take for granted and something I know I wouldn’t be able to do in many other career fields.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I got started in the boom of social media. I lived in many states and worked with magazines, sports groups, and non profits. I truly wish I understood back then how to utilize social media before it became so saturated. I wish I wouldn’t have followed the nuclear steps that my generation was told we had to (college, job, marriage, kids) and went my own path sooner. But I am happy to say that I found my own path eventually and what works for me and my happiness.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.beyondthepines.in
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthepines_photo
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beyondthepinesphoto
• Other: https://TikTok.com/@beyondthepinesphoto

Image Credits

Abby Carlyle Headshot – Bohemian Lights Photography
BTP1-8 – Beyond The Pines Photography (myself)