Behind the Business: Abbey Henderson Photography

Where the people perish,

there is no vision. 

Proverbs 29:18

The girl behind Abbey Henderson Photography has a vision of greatness, a vision of purpose, and a vision of beauty. And I had the privilege to talk to her about those visions this week. Now I have the honor to share them with you. Meet Abbey (and her lovely husband Jonathan):

Abbey's passion for photography began during a junior high project. She was handed a camera, and instantly fell in love with it. Through high school and into college Abbey tried to talk herself into following a more "normal" career path, but a photographing internship showed her she could pursue a career following her passion for photography. So she went for it. And is now working full-time as a portrait, wedding and lifestyle photographer out of New Braunfels,Texas.

Constantly evolving, Abbey's photography has been described as "pure and simple." She sites Anthropologie as one of her greatest inspirations, but is always looking for inspiration and ways to refresh her mind. "I find myself just driving around town looking for new places to shoot!" she laughed.

Her work is truly beautiful. I love to scroll through her blog (AHP blog) and look at all her hard work, her posts about her latest inspirations, and even some informational posts for the aspiring photographers out there. Abbey strives to make every photograph true to the person she's documenting. The most fulfillment for her comes when moments are captured, not just poses. Take her favorite photograph (at the moment) for example:

Here's the story behind it: After a long day of a product shoot for KidKnits (more on that later), the kids were getting tired. This 3 year old girl began hanging on her mom, tired and upset that she wasn't home. Abbey began to notice the little girl would peak out every once in a while with a really distressed look on her face. So, Abbey pointed her camera towards this scene, and in a moment caught this perfect, genuine, fleeting shot. 

That's the creative, spontaneous talent behind Abbey's photography. 

What I particularly love about Abbey is her use of her entire brain, not just her creative-half. I asked her about her future goals, and she immediately, without hesitation, spat off her top 3 current goals...

1. Pursue mission photography (documenting activities for non-profit organizations for their promotional use)
2. Diversifying into branding for small businesses
3. Continue to gain recognition and become an active competitor in the Central Texas region

Great goals, in my opinion! I really wish Abbey all the best. Her self-taught talent is indisputably amazing. The heart behind the business is also indisputably amazing. Abbey has begun to give back to deserving entrepreneurs and organizations with her A Life Inspired series. This series allows Abbey to use her gift to encourage others in theirs. It allows her to talk to other people, and give back to hard workers just trying to make our world a better place. 

With a focus on non-profit and Christian organizations, it is no wonder KidKnits was featured on Abbey's blog. (KidKnits was founded by 9 year old Ellie, and sells products to raise money for relief in Rwanda. Read more about this amazing little girl, her family, and Abbey's experience here.)

It is in her life outside the camera that you begin to really understand the heart behind the business, and the passion Abbey has for her craft.

On a more personal note, I actually went to high school with Abbey in New Braunfels. Although we weren't really in the same circle of friends, I still had the opportunity to watch her from afar and see someone truly living a beautiful life. Moving off to college, I lost most contact (sans Facebook, of course) with Abbey, but caught wind of her wanting to start photographing professionally. 

I called her up and hired her for a "sweetheart" session with me & C for Valentine's Day. It would've been our 2nd official V-Day together, and I wanted to do something special for him. Many, many years later, those are still some of our favorite pictures! Abbey had a wonderful eye way back then, and I know it's only gotten better.

Left: My favorite picture of C & I ever.
Right: Jonathan took a quick shot of Abbey while she was photographing us :-)
Credit: Abbey Deetjen, 2007

 So whether you're looking for a wedding photographer, a portrait photographer, or just a great blog to grab inspiration from, I highly recommend you pay Abbey Henderson Photography a visit. You won't be disappointed.

Here's a little look at more of her work... to see even more, you can find Abbey Henderson Photography on Facebook.

{All images are property of Abbey Henderson Photography and cannot be used without the permission of the company.}