Meet Abby Smithers | Wedding & Portrait Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Abby Smithers and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Abby, what do you attribute your success to?
As a portrait and wedding photographer I feel as though the most important factor behind success is being able to provide an excellent client experience. After all, it is all about my clients. But you have to go on a journey as a creative to find what niche, style, target market, and process you can serve best. After several years of experimenting, putting myself out there, trusting God, and learning as much as I could, I can now confidently say that I strive to ensure that from the beginning of an inquiry to the delivery of a gallery, my clients feel as though they were valued. I have procedures and goals in place to help ensure that my clients receive adequate communication throughout working together, and that they feel comfortable and relaxed during our sessions. I want to make working with Abby Malia Photo LLC memorable and so enjoyable that they want to come back for another session later on! I desire to serve my clients with joy and kindness, and to do everything I can to help them along the way. I believe that connecting with people and creating lasting impressions is so rewarding. All of these are factors that I attribute to my success as a business owner and creator, but most importantly I give all the glory to God, because I know that I couldn’t do it without Him leading me and providing.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have been doing photography professionally for about 3 years now, and I just find so much joy in what I get to do for a living. Because my job is to capture the joy in other peoples lives, I get to first hand witness the love, laughter, and emotions that come with milestones in life and relationships. These experiences are what give me motivation each day to sit behind a screen and edit for 8-10 hours a day. It’s not always easy, especially during busy seasons when I begin to feel burnt out, but delivering a gallery and receiving feedback about how special the photos are to the individuals always makes it worth it to me. I think every season of life is worth celebrating, so it is always a joy to get to capture sweet moments in the lives of others. My career has truly evolved into something I treasure and look forward to. When I first went to college to pursue a marketing degree, I never would have imagined that I would have taken that and created a full-blown business by my junior year! The Lord is so good to have brought me to where I am today with Abby Malia Photo.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I currently live in Cedarville, Oh. but I grew up just outside of Columbus. Every time someone visits from out of state I always have a list of places to go and things to do. If I am in the Cedarville area, that would probably include exploring some of the many beautiful parks nearby, or venturing to Cincinnati for a day exploring coffee shops like Deeper Roots, or walking down the Newport Bridge. Or if I was in the Columbus area I would take them to the Scioto Mile to walk, and stop in at Parable Coffee or breakfast at Northstar Cafe. Then I would take them down to Hocking Hills to enjoy a few days in a cozy cabin and exploring the many scenic trails. Ohio has a lot to offer! I have grown to love the state and the explored places.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband, my dad, and my friends have all played really important roles in my business journey. My friends and family have all encouraged me in my work and praised my efforts when I felt like I wasn’t enough. They are the ones that encouraged me to take it seriously and go professional! The photography world is very saturated which means you have to differentiate yourself, but it also means it is very easy to compare. And I definitely fell into the comparison trap which only discouraged me. But the people in my corner encouraged me and supported me every step of the way! And my now husband has played a large role in aiding me in my success. He does so much to help me by assisting at weddings or sessions and by helping with the behind the scenes aspects of owning a business. I truly don’t think I would be where I am with my business if I hadn’t had all of this support from the beginning.

Website: https://abbymalia.wixsite.com/photo

Instagram: abbymaliaphoto

Facebook: Abby Malia Photography