Hello from the other siiiiide… of the screen! If you’re new here, this is a perfect place to start. And if you already know me and my work, thank you for sticking around to learn even more.

I’m Carly Piersol, a portrait & branding photographer who firmly believes that everyone (including you!) is gorgeous exactly as they are. My mission is to tell your stories, to make photo shoots fun, and to help you see your own beauty inside and out.

I live and work in New York City, a place I never thought this introvert would live, but one I’ve come to wholeheartedly love. Who can resist a city with so many talented people and so many beautiful spots to shoot*?

*Want to book a shoot but don’t live in NYC? Never fear! I love to travel and my camera comes with me everywhere I go, so feel free to reach out :)

learn more here

When I’m not on a shoot, editing a shoot, or doing all the little necessary things to run a small business, you can probably find me doing the following:

Reading a book (I was raised by a writer, a reading teacher, and a state librarian… I can’t help myself)
Wandering around New York City in search of beautiful light, the perfect used book store, or a new-to-me tea shop
Snuggling up with my husband, Michael, and watching Big Dumb Fun* shows and movies

*I have a whole theory about what constitutes proper Big Dumb Fun; if you want to know and you’re ready for a total geek out, message me!

But let’s talk about three of the moments that shaped who I am as a photographer.

This is the first film photo I ever captured.

Picture a twelve year old girl with a film camera that’s at least twice her age. She’s standing in front of a magnolia tree that’s just beginning to blossom, listening to her uncle explain the technicalities of aperture, shutter speed, and composition. What she’s hearing is that the machine she holds has the power to capture any moment she wants and keep it forever. To that girl, grieving the loss of her father, it sounds like a superpower. She lifts the camera to her face, frames this fragile blossom, and hits the shutter.

That was the precise moment I decided I wanted to do this forever. I shot rolls and rolls of film until, exasperated by the cost, my mom invested in a digital camera. (Was it technically a gift for my stepdad? Yes. Did he get a chance to use it for the next few years? No.)

As I continued to study photography and learn more about it, I became more enraptured with photographing people. But I myself struggled with feeling comfortable in front of the camera.

When this photo was taken, I was just getting my start as a photography assistant in Baltimore, Maryland. Despite my big grin, I hated being photographed (a common experience!) The most important thing I learned as an assistant was what it takes to make a client look and feel comfortable in their images and on set.

During one particular shoot, the star was not your typical model, but an older gospel singer who had just recorded her first album. Wanting the shoot to go well, she hired a posse of fashionable stylists and hair and makeup artists. The team helped her look amazing, but crowded her on set—nitpicking little things about her poses, constantly fixing her clothes and makeup—to the point where she got so overwhelmed, the photographer called for everyone to leave the set. He then walked up to the woman, crouched down next to her, and started showing her the images from the back of his camera.

“You don’t need to listen to any of them,” he insisted fiercely. “Look at how gorgeous you are.” After flipping through several of the photos, she began to tear up through her smile.

“I can’t believe that’s me,” she said.

That was the moment I realized how powerful photography could be for people who don’t see themselves in the mainstream. Those were the people I wanted to photograph and the feelings I wanted to create.

Ten years later, I’m doing exactly that! I’m so grateful every time I work with a client who gets to see their own beauty through my lens. Every moment I hear, “Oh wow! I didn’t know I could look like that!” or “I thought I would hate being photographed, but I love these images” is a moment I know I’ve chosen the right career.

Take it from some of my clients: