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Meet Abigail LaFleur-Shaffer of Abigail LaFleur Photography in North Park Hill

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Abigail LaFleur-Shaffer.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Abigail. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
During my freshman year of college, I was known as the “camera girl,” always snapping photos of mine and my friend’s activities – I figured I was having a lot of fun with it and thought about investing a little money into a small, cheap DSLR. After months of playing around with my new camera and posting images onto Facebook (sheesh, that was almost ten years ago, when I actually used Facebook), I was offered a small gig at a summer camp in the mountains of Colorado as their photographer and videographer. After that, I figured it was worth trying out as a potential career, whether it was a central career or just a side-gig.

Fast forward a few years, through living in Japan and struggling to maintain three jobs, I landed a rad six-month studio photography internship at a publishing company. After that amazing learning experience, I found myself working in the Topo Designs store in Fort Collins, unsure of where I was going to go with it. During this time, I gained two new little family members, Kodi and Kuma (my two pups), and as silly as it may be, I started instagrams for them so my mom could keep up with them and our outdoor excursions. While their Instagram accounts began gaining attention, Topo Designs used a couple of my images in their marketing, after months of word-of-mouth jobs, Instagram DMs asking for work, I’ve found myself here: working full-time for myself as a freelance photographer, specializing in the outdoor industry.

Has it been a smooth road?
Is there such a thing as a smooth road for a freelancer? Haha! I can only speak out of my own personal experience on this subject, but as a freelancer, the road is usually a good ol’ dirt backroad weaving through the mountains – some spots are smooth, some sections are spicy, some may make you question if you’re on the right road at all. The feast or famine times of this journey are REAL, but I wouldn’t say that is the biggest struggle I’ve experienced. For me, the thing I wrestle with the most is imposter syndrome; it sneaks up on me sometimes, and there are times it’s short-lived, and other times it has made its presence known for far too long. It’s definitely my biggest battle, but I’ve embraced it as something I will forever wrestle with, grow from, and just get stronger for the next time it comes around.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Abigail LaFleur Photography – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Haha, I get this question a lot, sometimes it’s really tough to answer because I dabble in a few things. While I’ve dabbled in a lot of different jobs (assisting on photo and video production shoots, production work, etc.), most of my work is freelance photography, social media influencing (which I hate using this word, but it is what it is), and lifestyle/fit modeling. My work is specialized in the outdoor industry, working with outdoor brands to tell meaningful/impactful stories, and sometimes I work on commercial shoots assisting brands in creating beautiful content of their products. As far as what I’m known for. . .probably photographing my dogs (hence the social media gigs).

What I’m most proud of is probably creating meaningful connections with people I genuinely admire and want a friendship with; networking is a skill, I’m proud of how far I’ve come in developing that, but mostly networking must be genuine, and I’m proud of the opportunities I’ve not only been given but also have taken to make a genuine connection with someone. As a result of that, I’ve met some of my closest and dearest friends, and have not only had the honor of watching them succeed and achieve their dreams and goals within their businesses but also I’ve had the honor of collaborating on some of those goals/dreams. Networking has opened doors of collaboration, inspiration, and growth for me, that makes me happy.

I would say what sets me apart is not only my eye and the way I see things but also that I have skills in a few areas that all tie together. I can go from producing a shoot to photographing it, to modeling in it, to even assisting a fellow photographer/videographer and supporting them in pulling off their creative endeavors.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
What I love best about our city is that there is ALWAYS something going on, from jazz in the park, to an indie film playing downtown, to a good concert going on at the Bluebird, to shooting pool at a dive bar on Colfax, to playing games in the park, there is always something to do. Our city feels alive to me.

The thing I like the least. . .that could be I-70.

Contact Info:


Image Credit:
My personal photo is photographed by Brandon Tormanen.

Getting in touch: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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