My Creative Hero: Maddie Meyer

Carly Mackler is an account executive at PETERMAYER who moonlights as a professional sports photographer. A proud Florida Gator, she got her advertising (and photography) start in college and is now accomplished in both disciplines.

LBB> Who would you say is your creative hero?

Carly> My creative hero is Maddie Meyer, a Getty sports photographer based in Boston.

LBB> How long has this person been important to you and what are your first memories of meeting them or coming across their work?

Carly> Maddie became important to me when I first started sports photography in college. I followed photographers of teams I liked. Maddie, who works across various Boston sports and major events like the Olympics, stood out to me. Her ability to capture the emotion and passion of athletes in the moment deeply resonated with me.

Athletic photography is tricky. You’re capturing a moment of competition, but alongside that, you’re documenting a point in their journey. It takes a lot of dedication to become an elite athlete, and a photographer who can capture that, in the moment, creates more than just an image. 

When I was starting my freelance journey, I reached out to her, and she replied. This interaction meant a lot to me as a young photographer and helped me navigate the industry. Maddie had just returned from the Tokyo Olympics, and her willingness to help others was truly inspiring.

(This photograph, by Maddie Meyer, captured a moment of joy for US swimmers at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Courtesy of Maddie Meyer)

LBB> If it’s someone you personally know, how did you get to know them and how has your relationship evolved over the years? If you don’t know this person, how did you go about finding to learn more about them and their work?

Carly> Although I don't know Maddie personally, we continue to follow each other on Instagram, maintaining a connection that way. Observing how other photographers work daily inspires me to challenge myself and take risks to capture new shots and different angles. Instagram has become a valuable platform for me to get inspiration from others’ work. Recently, the Olympic swimming trials have provided me with a fresh perspective on my craft.

LBB> Why is the person such an inspiration to you?

Carly> Being a female photographer in the sports industry is challenging, and there are more women entering the field every day. Maddie is an inspiration because she broke barriers in this industry. 

Now, I receive messages from young photographers, some of whom are even better than me, and I feel a responsibility to share my knowledge and advice with them. Seeing someone like Maddie succeed reinforces that it is possible for women to thrive in this field.

LBB> How does this person influence you in your approach to your creative work?

Carly> I’m not a creative “strictly speaking.” I started college as a PR major, but I switched to advertising because it was so much more visual. Along the way, I leaned into account management, because you really get to touch every part of the agency. I like to see things come together.

Photography is surprisingly similar to account management, because there’s so much learning on how to adapt to different situations. That can mean on the field, or in day-to-day client engagement. You need to adapt and think on your feet to create photographs and great client work.

For instance, you can be set up on one end of a football game when there’s an interception that flips the field. You have to be ready to shoot that player taking it to the house. How often do clients’ situations change? I’ll let the reader answer that, ha!

(Carly in action at a college basketball game)

LBB> What piece or pieces of this person’s work do you keep coming back to and why?

Carly> Her work with the New England Patriots during Tom Brady’s tenure initially drew me to her photography. Her Olympic work also moved me deeply; think about the pressure to capture the raw emotion of that event. The athletes may be living their once-in-a-lifetime dream to compete for their country. I’m in awe of the photographers who can bottle all of that energy into their images.

Beyond the craft, Maddie’s success and the barriers she has broken serve as a constant source of inspiration. Not that the work is done. I’m often called an intern when I’m shooting professionally, but the inclusion of women in sports is changing. When I first interned at the University of Florida, all of my colleagues were women. This ground-up shift is encouraging for me personally, and I’ll always think of Maddie as one of the first people who let me see myself in this profession.