ABOUT ME:

My name is Maddy Giles and I am a freelance photographer and videographer. I have been involved with photography for about thirteen years now, and videography for about seven years. I previously worked at NC State University as a photographer and videographer for clubs and events on campus. Along side that, I have also done many graduation shoots throughout my time as an NC State student. After graduating, I got my first full time position working as a videographer and assistant editor for a content creator with over 9 million subscribers through Night Media. This experience really immersed me into the world of social media. I was able to go beyond working on just shooting. After working directly with a content creator, I wanted to branch out to bigger clients, that’s when I had the opportunity to work for a company called Fresh Content Society where I truly got the chance to grow and develop my skills in the social media world. FCS was by far the place where I gained the most growth in my skills. I learned how to track analytics, get on top of trends, and develop the challenging skill of having a brand voice for each of the clients I worked with. My main client at FCS was National Geographic’s show Wicked Tuna. Once I moved back to the RDU area, I started working at a marketing agency called Gelia. Gelia, was where I was able to continue using my knowledge of social media and advance my formal marketing skills. I am currently working at Racing America on the formal production side of content. In such a short period of time, I have gained so much knowledge on TV production and being immersed in the racing world. Overall, I have worked on countless projects, both short and long form, that I am extremely proud to have been apart of.

For the last seven years, I decided to document as much as I could. I never left the house without my camera in my hand and because of that I have grown my portfolio and knowledge significantly. I also learned that, for me, content creation and producing is so much more than just a career. It is all I have wanted to do, everyday. 2020 was a challenging year and as an extrovert, I struggled with social distancing, so to pass the time I put my all into creating this and starting multiple platforms to grow as a media creator. Despite 2020 being a hard year, if it did not happen I would have been going into a career that I did not love, and creating content would always be just a hobby.

A gadabout is someone who is a highly sociable person and a habitual pleasure seeker. Photography allows me to do just that which is why I named my freelance business Gadabout Media. I love capturing important moments and milestones in people's lives. Working for a big university has allowed me to document so many different kinds of events that happened on campus, and for each one, I was able to deliver photos or videos that they will get to have as a keepsake forever. Whether they were staged portraits or candids at event, I always enjoyed being the one to capture it all. I got to experience different cultural events, concerts, recitals, sporting events, and more. No two photo or video shoots are the same which is what makes photography and videography such an exciting career and I can’t wait to work with you and document memories that you will be able to relive forever through media.