For the Love of the Destination: Abbi Hearne

As an adventure wedding photographer, Abbi Hearne eats, sleeps, and breathes destinations. It’s not just a part of her livelihood-- it’s a passion of hers to find these special places. In focusing on these destinations for the past couple years Abbi’s built up a successful photography business, traveling in their campervan to cover some of the most stunning locations in the western US with couples wanting to take a less traditional approach to getting married or celebrating their love. Abbi’s wielded a camera in almost every scenario-- from hiking on mountain tops to suspended 400 feet in the air for wedding held over a canyon in Utah that went viral late last year. From business tips to the challenges she’s overcome in building her dream business, Abbi’s stories and advice bring both reality and heart to what it’s like being a destination-focused, passion-driven traveling female entrepreneur.

About Abbi:

Abbi Hearne is an adventure wedding photographer living on the road full-time with her husband Callen and their dog, Charlie. Together, they run The Hearnes Adventure Photography, specializing in intimate weddings and elopements all over the western US. When they’re not hiking into the wilderness with a bride and groom, you can probably find them skydiving, climbing, soaking in a hot spring, or car-hiking random dirt roads. They consider Moab, Utah and Yosemite National Park home, but can be found pretty much fun where west of the continental divide unless they’re adventuring somewhere remote around the world.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

What it means to be a traveling adventure wedding photographer
What it’s like sleeping in an uninsulated trailer in Utah during the

winter
Why Abbi likes the simple, utilitarian build of her campervan
The moments Abbi loves most about her job as an adventure wedding

photographer
Abbi explains the work it actually takes to build a successful

traveling business
The two business-building factors that have led to gaining steady

clients
How Abbi balances travel, outdoor exploration, and work
Laura and Abbi share anecdotes of mishaps while working outdoors
The roles Abbi and her husband take in their business to make it work

while traveling
How to generate clients while traveling on the road
Gear and safety recommendations for photographers on the road
Why Abbi rarely discloses her photo and camping locations
The extreme way Abbi overcame her fear of heights
Abbi’s advice for people wanting to live more adventurously

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Follow Abbi on Instagram: @abbihearne
The Hearnes Adventure Photography on Instagram: @thehearnes
Website - The Hearnes Adventure Photography
The spacenet wedding session the Hearnes photographed in Utah

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Episodes air bi-weekly on Fridays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode. Follow along with Laura Hughes on Instagram (@howsheviewsit) and read her reflections on the road through her website, How She Views It.

Original music by Liam McNally, with additional music by Senchi and Josh Woodward.

WOTR podcast cover artwork designed by Dani Opal.