When Abbi and Callen Hearne pack up their Subaru for another road trip across the American West, there’s always a third passenger ready to hop in: Charlie, their black-and-white “soul dog.” Together, the trio has explored sweeping deserts, snow-dusted mountain ranges, and winding trails from Texas to California—documenting not only breathtaking landscapes and love stories through their photography, but also the simple joy of sharing adventures with a loyal pup.
interview
Adventure as a Way of Life
Abbi and Callen set up an itinerary each year to travel North America, undertaking photo shoot commissions at incredible locations. Abbi explains:
“We are photographers and adventurers with a love of the outdoors! We are based in Houston, Texas, but we spend a huge percentage of our time traveling around the western US in our Subaru Outback with our dog, Charlie. We love to camp, hike, rock climb, kayak (Callen), slack line (Abbi) and of course take photos.”
Childhood trips inspired them to travel. “Callen and I both grew up on road trips with our families, and Callen has a deep love of adventure, so when we got married it just naturally became part of our life. We always like to say we are adventurers first and photographers second! While getting amazing photos is very important to us, we don’t want it to control our adventures (unless it’s shooting for a client, of course). Luckily most of the places we explore end up being pretty dang photogenic. That being said, there have been a few times that we found a ‘spot‘ and I insisted that we return at sunset when the lighting was nicer,” says Abbi.
Each year, they list their traveling itinerary on their web pages. People can contact them to book a shoot at one of their locations, taking advantage of the special pricing available at these dream places for portrait shoots. This year, it includes fantastic places like Yellowstone, Salt Lake City, Yosemite, and California. It is a style that has resulted in meeting some fantastic people doing fantastic things — including tight rope walking in the Yellowstone park!
Naturally, their most favorite subject for inclusion in as many photos as possible is Charlie. He is extremely photogenic as Abbi indicates. “He will pretty much always sit, stay and pose beautifully when I want him to. As long as he’s not close to a cliff (he hates heights!), he’ll give me a gorgeous pose and look right at the camera. He’s a photographer’s dream dog!”
“Charlie is really my soul-dog”, says Abbi. “I got Charlie for my 15th birthday when he was just six weeks old! My mom and I drove 45 minutes out of town to a little animal shelter in Giddings, Texas to pick him out. There was a little cement cage with about five puppies huddled in the corner, and I sat down in the opposite corner and waited for my pup to pick me. Sure enough, the cutest little black and white puppy ran straight for me and I knew he was the one! We’ve been attached at the hip ever since.”
"I love him deeply and I cherish every little thing he does to tell me he loves me back!"
From college classrooms to cross-country road trips, Charlie has grown into a symbol of loyalty and joy, teaching Abbi about responsibility, friendship, and trust. His love for snow, open trails, and off-leash freedom makes him the heartbeat of their travels.
She continues “After seven formative years with him, I don’t know what difference he hasn’t made in my life. He has been my dog through my first heartbreak, getting my driver’s license, meeting my husband, going to college (I even brought him to class a few times!), getting married and now traveling the country. Ever since I was 15, I’ve had a little buddy that depends on me to take care of him. He’s taught me so much about responsibility, friendship, and trust. I love him deeply and I cherish every little thing he does to tell me he loves me back!”
Charlie loves traveling. “He is pretty much happy anywhere that he can run around off leash, but he especially loves shallow water that he can play in. As of right now, his favorite place we’ve ever been is Mt Whitney Portal Rec Area in Lone Pine, California because he got to play in really deep snow. We didn’t think he’d like snow very much but it’s pretty much his favorite thing in the world.”
Whether camping under the stars, hiking to remote vistas, or simply finding a quiet spot to let Charlie explore, life on the road means endless discoveries. Abbi says their perfect days are the ones when each of them can do their own thing—“Charlie exploring and chasing critters, Callen mountainboarding, and me taking photos.”
These shared adventures aren’t just about destinations, but about creating memories as a family in the wild beauty of the outdoors. “It’s always worth bringing him along” ends Abbie.
For Abbi, Callen, and Charlie every road trip is a way of life, filled with sunrise hikes, spontaneous stops, and the joy of exploring together. If you’d like to follow along or even book them for your own adventure shoot, check out their Instagram, Facebook, or visit their website.
Now I’d love to hear from you! Have you ever taken your dog on an adventure or road trip? Where did you go, and what made it memorable? Share your stories in the comments below—and don’t forget to tag your photos with #pawsymagazine so we can see your four-legged explorers in action.
And if you have a heartwarming dog story, run a dog-related brand, or offer a pet service and would like to be featured on my blog, I’d love to hear from you. Get in touch —I’m always looking to share inspiring stories that celebrate the bond between humans and their four-legged best friends.
- TAGS ― Featured, Home-Influencer
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