Today we’d like to introduce you to Abby Miller.
Hi Abby, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
At the start of 2021, I left my old school and turned homeschooled for a semester before coming to my school I’m at now. I was doing club track and school but was really missing an aspect of track, racing. Due to the fact I was competing with club and not under a school, I had limited racing opportunities. I ended up racing three times that year, but I’m thankful for every minute I did spend with my club team. Because of that, I came out to my friend’s races and took pictures. It started as an athlete with some free time and turned into a passion for showing emotion in running.
Not long after I launched my Instagram, I got a message from MileSplit asking me to take photos for them. It was a shock to say the least. Reaching out to a girl who has taken pictures for about a month! Praise to God for that because it’s what lit the spark. Soon I was at invitationals taking pictures and meeting local high school runners in the area. Now that I had responsibilities in photography, I had to learn how to balance shooting track alongside the racing and training part. This meant I needed to be committed. I couldn’t be more grateful for my club coaches. They walked me through this process of achieving your big dreams. Wanting to run D1 while still shooting is a very hard task, but they showed me what it takes.
Within the last couple of months, I have been able to meet a group of runners just like me. They strive to make a difference in the running community through their writing, videography, photography and more, but are also avid runners. The people I have met has enhanced my view at my work and how it can shape the future of track and field. You need to surround yourself with people who have the same goal as you and strive to do well. Being around them has made my passion of the sports even stronger.
This year I received an honorable mention award at the Middle Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibition at Lipscomb University. This was my first time ever entering a photo of mine, Students of the Pound, into any art show. This really opened my eyes into how I could do this photography thing. Because those two community support alongside my friends and family, it’s pushed me to where I am today.
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?
It would be a lie to say it has been easy. Mentally it has been one of the hardest things I have done. If all you do is take pictures for a living, that’s what all your time is focused on. You are not in school studying, having sports practices, and taking pictures too, while still keeping a stable social life. It’s always a constant back-to-back which can drain your energy. Just learning about what gives me energy with such a hectic life has been key to balancing everything.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a sports photographer, more specific running. If I’m not running a meet then I’m taking photos and vis versa. My goal as a sports photographer is to show emotion in my work so that it’s relatable to others and tells a story. What’s the point of a photo if it does not have a deeper meaning? Photography is not just a single photo but a work of art, it has its story. My best work has been moments when the athlete is deep in emotion along with some great camera angles. When your connected to a sport, it can be shown in the outcome of the photo. You know all the emotions the athlete is feeling and you can capture well because you have been in their place. Learning deeper into sports I’m unfamiliar with is key to deepening my work. I want to know how the athlete feels.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love and dislike Nashville for its running community. We have Percy and Edwin Werner Park and a fleet feet on every corner it feels like. It’s not out of the way to find a track near your local high school either. Not to mention Music City Track Carnival that’s hosted here! We have a great city for the ground contact of running, but what we don’t have is a group of elites. Compared to these other huge cities like Austin, Eugene, and New York, Nashville lacks its own professional running team. The high school group of runners is a great group of students who look at each other as friends not just compensators. While we have the smaller groups of professional joggers, we do not have professional runners. One thing I hope to do is to be able to create and/or be apart of such an organization our city needs. How come has professional football and soccer and not track?
Contact Info:
- Email: actionshotsbyabby@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.actionshotsbyabby.com/
- Instagram: actionshotsbyabby
Image Credits
@actionshotsbyabby
