Photo by Hannah Scott
Abbie Flanagan
Abbie Flanagan
Abbie Flanagan is a photographer who specializes in many facets of the medium including weddings, couples, families, personal branding and boudoir. She embraces the principle that the most beautiful moments are captured either between or just after poses, where people are most authentically and tenderly themselves. Flanagan has over 15 years of experience with the camera. Her business is Citrine Pine Photography, with the website reading, “Our value lies in our commitment to capturing you and your love, exactly as you are, where you are, and who you are in that very moment.”
Born and raised in the Milwaukee suburb of Hales Corners, Abbie Flanagan looked up to her father growing up, a talented artist himself. “He’s a painter, sculptor, glassblower…he’ll work with anything he can get his hands on,” she said about him. “I loved that he’d express himself so freely.”
Flanagan never saw herself as a drawer or painter but became interested in photography once she got her hands on a digital camera in middle school, recalling, “Whether it was little photo shoots with my friends or I was taking pictures of landscapes, I just fell in love with it.”
From there, she stuck with photography as a creative outlet. “With my first job, instead of saving to get a car, I saved to get a camera,” Flanagan laughs.
She began taking photography more seriously in 2017 and officially launched her own business late that year. She chose the name Citrine Pine Photography as a nod to her love of pine trees and how they glow during golden hour.
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Love Story in Pictures
“I started mostly with portraiture and families, but I really wanted to get into weddings and started doing them pretty quickly,” Flanagan continues. “I thought it was just so cool how curated and beautiful weddings are. I get creatively inspired by putting pieces together, so when I have an awesome love story to tell through pictures, it really feels magical and fulfilling.”
Capturing mementos that people can look back on and show their kids and grandkids is what Flanagan feels is her calling. “The big emotions really draw me to it,” she said.
But Flanagan never wanted to stick to just one niche. After having a kid of her own a few years ago, she fell more in love with photographing children and families. “Kids are pure magic,” she contends. “The way they see the world is so full of spirit and curiosity. They fill me with so much joy.”
While branding shoots are currently the smallest part of her business, Flanagan enjoys them because they allow her to get a peek into the world of other entrepreneurs. “I recently did a shoot with two sisters who are psychic mediums, which was super fun and cool,” she gave as an example.
Boudoir Shoots
Flanagan loves doing boudoir shoots for their empowerment and self-esteem-boosting aspects. “It’s important to celebrate your body for exactly how it is,” she elaborates. “That’s something I experienced for the first time a few years back. Boudoir truly lets you see yourself in a new light that you never would have imagined. Even though it’s often meant to be a gift for a partner, boudoir is definitely a gift to yourself.”
She asserts that the post-posed moments during shoots are the most beautiful because that is when subjects do not overthink what to do, affirming, “The genuine emotion is always going to win in my book.”
Flanagan makes jewelry under the name Heart of Jade as well, primarily necklaces and bracelets. Similar to why she loves shooting weddings, she loves jewelry for the aspect of putting pieces together. “It’s a passion project that is so calming and freeing to me,” Flanagan shares. “I named it Heart of Jade after my daughter because that’s her middle name.”
In terms of goals, Abbie Flanagan is going into 2024 with more intention and prioritizing self-care. She is taking the “less is more” approach this year, explaining, “While the artistic side of photography is where the magic is, the business side can be stressful, and it can take away from work-life balance a little bit. I’ve found that I do my best work when I’m rested, so I plan to hone my craft and build up new skills.”
To book a shoot with Abbie Flanagan or view her work, visit citrinepine.com. To shop Heart of Jade Jewelry, visit etsy.com/shop/HeartofJadeJewelry.
She concludes, “Quality over quantity is my take, and I think it’ll yield the right results for sure.”
