Meet Abigail Sykes

Today we’d like to introduce you to Abigail Sykes.

Abigail, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Some kids know what they want to be from a very young age. For others — most of us, I believe — that knowledge comes much later in life. At the very least, that was the case for me. The only things I knew from a young age were a. I probably wouldn’t make a lot of money because b. I would be doing something creative that c. somehow helped people.

I have been down many creative roads. I began school with the intent of becoming a middle school choral director. When I decided that education wasn’t for me, I moved on to film. When I felt that wasn’t quite hitting the mark, I decided I’d become a music journalist. I got a degree in Music, another in Entertainment & Media Studies and a certificate in Music Business. I also interned at and wrote for Flagpole Magazine in Athens, GA to gain experience in the field. I’m /obviously/ using all of those credentials now. “C’mon, c’mon, get to the point.” Hold your horses, don’t you want to hear about the romance? You don’t? Oh, well.

While I was in school, I met this super cute, goofy, sweet guy who loved the Lord and was studying to become a photojournalist. We ended up dating, broke up, I had a summer fling, we went back to school, flirted, got back together, and, well, now he’s my husband.

In the midst of all that chaos, he taught me a bit about photography. He even gave me a hand-me-down camera at one point. It all came full circle when a fellow classmate in the Music Business department needed some photos for a single release. I offered to shoot with her to see what we could get. It was my first ever portrait session. And you know what, I still love those photos!

Once I learned I had some sort of natural knack for portraits, I started diving in. I still had much to learn. My now husband, Casey, taught me pretty much all of the camera and editing basics. I essentially got a free secondhand education from what he had learned in his classes; do I know how to work the system or what?

Upon graduation, I was still hoping to work in music journalism. However, I learned pretty quickly that getting a full-time job in music journalism is very near impossible. So, you know what my first job after graduation was? Stocking at PetSmart, baby.

Thankfully, I was able to find work doing multimedia fairly quickly. I did video, photography and social for a couple of companies. I was able to learn a lot, for which I’m so grateful, BUT it. was. soul. crushing.

On the side, I was doing portrait sessions, educating myself, shadowing other photographers for weddings, making my friends let me photograph them and figuring out what setting up a business looked like. And let me tell you, it was just the most fun. I was able to make people laugh, go on adventures, get outside, witness some of the best moments of people’s lives and make people feel confident & happy with themselves. Having the soul-suck of commercial media juxtaposed with the life-bringing joy of relational photography, I knew what I wanted to do. The nail in the coffin was moving to Atlanta. Commuting to my job in Alpharetta every day was taking over my life. I decided to quit, and the rest is history.

I now go back to the elements of a career that I knew I wanted as a child: to be creative and to help people. While I’m not creating media for non-profits, I love being able to make a bride relax on her wedding day, talk with a senior about the emotional turmoil of everything that is being 18, see a mom light up when she sees that photo of her baby, and just make people feel confident and comfortable with themselves. I love what I do, and I’m so grateful to be able to do it.

Has it been a smooth road?
NO. Having a degree does not mean the same thing it did 30 years ago. I mentioned before that my first job right out of college was stocking at PetSmart. Part time. Paying rent with my credit card just to keep up. Living in a somewhat decrepit building that was infested with bed bugs. BED BUGS.

As someone who has always been a high achiever, this period was a pretty huge hit to my ego. Résumé after résumé went unanswered. I was living in a state where I knew no one and had no connections apart from my then fiancé. It may be cliché by now to state this, but being able to do something that is truly fulfilling, especially as a creative, AND pay the bills is a struggle.

It took time. It took waking up at 3 am to drive on snowy Michigan roads to my part time job. It took living with my parents once I moved back to Georgia. It took accepting a job that didn’t have anything to do with my degrees and slowly evolving the job into what I wanted. And eventually it took saying, “this is what I want to do,” giving up security and going after what I wanted.

And this is not to say I am now without struggle. Running a business — especially during a pandemic — is not easy. However, I am loving this path, and I hope that I am able to photograph and love on couples, individuals, and families for many years to come.

For each struggle, I am thankful — even for the bed bugs. Yes, my struggles have taught me to work harder, to pursue my dreams, to not give up, etc., etc., but more importantly, they have taught me to fully submit to the Lord and rely completely on His provision, to always be thankful, to have peace and joy no matter the circumstances, to actively look for the good in my current state, to humble myself, and to always live generously. If I’m not able to be these things when I’m struggling, then I won’t be able to be them when I’m thriving.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
I am a relational photographer who aims to tell people’s stories. I have always been a sucker for stories. At a young age, I was devouring just about any book I could get my hands on. I regularly indulge in books, articles, live storytellers, music, movies, true crime podcasts. Of course, isn’t that what we all want? To consume stories, to tell stories, to live a story. And how do you connect to a story? Emotion. My photography style is based on these two core elements: storytelling + emotion.

The story is captured through the moment. I aim to capture real moments by shooting photojournalistically. I don’t want my clients’ wedding day to fit into a mold. I don’t want it to be confused with any run-of-the-mill wedding day. Everyone’s story is unique to them, so their photos should be, too.

The emotion comes through the light and tones. Overall, my editing leans towards a warm + cinematic style. I believe that a filmy, cinematic style is timeless and won’t age the photos that you’ll pass on to future generations.

Now, that’s the end product, but how do I get there? I want my sessions to not only be focused on the end product, the photos. Instead, I want each session to be something to remember. An adventure full of laughter, intimacy, built-up confidence and new memories. I want couples to leave a little more in love, families a little closer, seniors a little more confident in their futures and everyone knowing that they are worthy of being seen.

And everyone is worthy of being seen. My end goal is not to photograph large, luxe weddings. My goal is to photograph people who want to capture these periods in their lives but don’t think they can afford to. I am here for the nature lovers, the couples who value sentimentality over glamour and those unafraid of a little adventure.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
It really depends on what you’re starting out in. If it’s in photography, it might not be the best city just because it’s such a saturated market. On the other hand, there are so many smaller communities to serve within the greater Atlanta area, so if you’re able to concentrate on a smaller area in the beginning, that might help for you to get a foothold in the market.

Pricing:

• All portrait sessions are $175 (Couples, Family, Senior, Individual)
• Wedding start at $1,000 for 6 hours of coverage

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.abigailsherrodsykes.com/
• Phone: 770.298.2518
• Email: abigailsykesphoto@gmail.com

Image Credit:
Casey Sykes

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