Today we’d like to introduce you to Carlie Gabrelcik
Hi Carlie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve had a camera for as long as I can remember- from “borrowing” my mom’s Nikon CoolPix, to getting my first DSLR in high school and taking my first photography class then. I went to Kent State for photojournalism, but was so burnt out after college that I didn’t really pick up my camera again until the pandemic, when a friend from high school asked me to photograph her wedding. I had it on full-auto and had absolutely no idea how to edit the photos, but they really didn’t turn out that bad! I honestly haven’t stopped taking photos since then- I always have a camera with me, and I’ve been running my business as a wedding & elopement photographer full time since 2023!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely not! College alone was really hard; its a lot of criticism of your work, and it can be really defeating. In a journalism class, you also don’t really have the freedom to edit or have an artistic style, so what you shot was what you delivered, with the exception of cropping a photo if needed. Leaving that environment and figuring out my artistic style behind photography has been a lot of work, but that part of it has also been so much fun! Looking back on my work over the last few years, I definitely have moments of thinking, “why the hell did I think that looked good?” but I’ve watched my work evolve with me and that is really satisfying and empowering.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in photographing weddings & elopements, and couples primarily! I definitely have more of a moody editing style, and I take the journalism knowledge with me and try to approach weddings with a more documentary style approach. Aside from family photos and a moment for some “posed” couples photos, on a wedding day, I am really more of a fly on the wall! I don’t want to interrupt a moment and say, “ok, now look at me and smile!” I am looking for the grandma’s crying in the crowd, the hugs from your cousin you haven’t seen in years, and all of those in between moments.
I’m really proud of the way I connect with my couples- I want them to send me a photo of their dress, I wanna go grab a cup of coffee or a margarita with them. I’m with you more than any other vendor on your wedding day, so I want to be a friend! And I really am- I have past couples now who invite me to their birthday parties, who invite me out for girls night, or who come over for game nights with my partner and I! I love making those genuine connections that extend beyond the wedding day!
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Is it cheating if its photography related? Well it kind of is! Every year my grandparents would take me on vacation to Oak Island, North Carolina. We rented a beach house, and just spent a week playing in the waves & soaking up the sun. My grandma, however, has always loved taking photos, and every year we’d bring a roll of black and white film to use while we were there and those are some of my favorite photos ever.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.carliegabrelcikphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carliegabrelcikphotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarlieGabrelcikPhotography
