It’s Wednesday! It’s been insane around the Abby Grace studio. And when I say studio, I mean Matt and I’s one bedroom apartment. Studio just sounds more chic, though, don’t you think? But I digress.

Today’s post is all about my favorite photographers, the people that inspire me, the ones I turn to when I feel completely spent. These photographers have, whether they know it or not, played a large role in how I’ve developed my business, my brand, and my all around attitude about the photography world.

Up first is Jasmine Star, aka J*. She’s like a firecracker, armed with a camera, a smile, and one of the most generous hearts in the industry. Jasmine blogs every day (you’ll find this is a commonality between my favorites!) and often does FAQ posts about how she does her thang (see what I did there? Southern twang!). Her website. is. AWESOME. The entire site flows like a magazine- it’s the best photography website I’ve ever seen. AND she just announced that she’s published her first magazine! So if you like what you see on her blog, I strongly suggest ordering the ‘zine. I was allll over that janx when I saw the announcement.

Next up is Katelyn James. If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you’ll know that I’ve been squealing over the fact that I’m attending her workshop NEXT WEEK! Katelyn is a huge dose of sunshine, Southern charm, and cheer. Her blog posts are always chocked FULL of images that make me yearn to be outside shooting. She does a ton of creative entries for her Wedding Wednesday posts and has been the main reason I built up enough courage to design my first wedding album (post coming soon!). She’s incredibly generous with her knowledge and maintains that she’s an open book about her business. I can’t wait to finally meet her next week and learn from her firsthand! Oh, and I might also love her because she’s a photographer and her husband’s a youth pastor, just like Matt and I :). And cuz she has awesome red hair. Jells.

Finally, Justin & Mary. Oh, J&M. They’re a husband and wife photography team, my favorite kind! Their images are like… an autumn Honey Crisp apple. Sharp, resonating and delicately sweet. They too blog every day and never fail to have an abundance of gorgeous imagery, clever quips and freeflowing wisdom. Every so often they publish entries call Pancake Sessions. I get REALLY excited whenever I see these pop up because they’re full of incredibly valuable information for someone that’s still really working to grow and establish their business, like me! I don’t really know much about off-camera lighting, so their Pancake sessions have been crucial in helping me know what I need and how to use it.

The work of these four photographers can sometimes make me want to throw my camera away. Because I see their gorgeous imagery and think to myself, “I’ll NEVER be that good.” But then I pick up my ShootSac, head out to a session, and photograph the absolute best way I know how. And every time, I get a little bit better. I learn a little bit more, and push myself a little bit further.

All because these four, whether or not they’re aware of it, have pushed me to outdo myself.