GABBI | A MODERN ARTIST'S BRANDING SESSION IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA + A GLIMPSE INTO HER HEART

This past fall, I had the joy have traveling to Los Angeles and Catalina island to shoot a wedding with this sweet friend. Click here to see the wedding gallery! Gabbi and I became good friends a few summers back. As I was a part of Bristol House Music's residency program, she was (and still is) managing their social media. What is so special about Gabbi is that was she does goes far beyond her job description: it is worship, an offering, and a Heavenly creative expression. I have been so blessed and built up by our friendship. She is a dear friend, a deep well, and a devoted friend of Jesus. 

​I cannot wait for you to hear more of her story. My questions and her responses are as follows!

How to connect with Gabbi:
https://www.instagram.com/eyestoseecreativeco/
https://www.instagram.com/gabbacado/
https://www.instagram.com/bristolhousemusic/

What is your story behind pursuing photography?

I do social media for my church and for our worship collective called Bristol House. About a year and a half ago, the Lord put it on my heart to start capturing worship moments in church to post about each Sunday. It felt really important, and I wanted it to be a little better quality than my phone. I reached out to our media team and asked if they had anything better than a phone that I could use, and they so kindly and graciously let me use their cameras and taught me the basics of photography. I shot my first Sunday in June of 2024 and have captured almost every Sunday since. I immediately fell in love and realized that looking for and capturing beautiful moments is a way that I have always connected with the Lord. His hand has been on every step of this journey!

How has the Lord met you through this journey?

He’s met me in the most beautiful and kind ways throughout this journey. It was hard for me at first stepping into something that I felt SO unqualified and not knowledgeable in— but that has actually become one of my favorite parts about it because He gets all the glory. It’s felt like the first passion in my life that is FULLY His because it was never in my plans and I’ve tried to take each step with open hands. He’s touched and healed my heart in so many beautiful ways throughout this journey— i think because it’s been marked by surrender.

Can you share the story behind the name and phrase, "Eyes to See?"

Something I always try to pray before I capture is this: “Lord, would you give me the eyes to see your heart and capture it.” As I was praying over a name for my photography business, I was reminded of this and “eyes to see” just felt right. I sat with it and prayed for confirmation and the Lord confirmed it through a prayer from a friend, a letter from another friend, and even a prophetic drawing that I received. Again, His hand has been in every step of this journey.

How has the Lord taken the broken to make it beautiful?

This has been a way that the Lord continually meets me in my life— in the midst of the brokenness. I traveled the world alone and worked as a fashion model from ages 18-22. Those were some of the most broken and lonely years of my life. Throughout those years though, I remember specifically going out just to take photo and video of beautiful things as a way to cope. I would edit little travel video diaries and take photos (just on my phone) when I was feeling lonely and empty. It helped me see and magnify the beauty that was still present even in the midst of the pain— It helped me see and connect with Jesus. The Lord has healed and restored so many areas of my life that were once broken. Beauty in the midst of suffering and brokenness is the only way that people come to know The Wounded savior--
I believe He is alway in the business of taking the brokenness in our lives and creating the most beautiful art in the world out of it (beauty for ashes is His promise to us). Everything beautiful in my life has been the result of Him meeting me in my mess and brokenness.

Where do you see your creativity play a role in the greater story, in the great commission?

Every single one of us play a role in the greater story— as hard as that may be to grasp. God is THE creator, and I believe that when I create alongside Him with prayer, I’m helping tell the story of the gospel as something lived, not just spoken. Creating through photography and videography has a way of speaking the gospel and sharing the heart of God in a way that words never could.

Could you share about what it looks like to co-create with the Holy Spirit?

To me it starts by saturating everything in prayer and submitting to Him in each step. It can be easy to get distracted by capturing the best photos or trying to capture every single beautiful moment possible when I’m shooting worship and song writing. A lot of times co-creating with the Holy Spirit actually means putting the camera down in beautiful moments and opening my hands in surrender/worship— I believe these moments are even more important than the beautiful moments captured. Sometimes a moment in worship is only supposed to live in the room, and I believe the Lord honors this submission and breathes His life into you in these moments of surrender and obedience. This allows a purer fragrance to come out of the photo and video that you actually do capture. 
The simple answer to this is just inviting the Holy Spirit into every single part of the process and trusting that whatever is surrendered to Him will be beautiful. It’s all an offering.

Thank you, Gabbi!