Between the Ordinary

Abstract image with swirling pink, purple, and white colors, resembling a watercolor painting or fluid art.
Hauntingly Beautiful.jpg
Quiet Elegance Done web.jpg
A person standing with their back to a tree in a misty forest, with floral patterns of gold and blue superimposed on their body and the surrounding environment.
A watercolor-style digital painting of a person lying on a bed with another person beside them, holding a dog. The scene is hazy with soft pastel colors and abstract textures.
A woman standing behind a table with her hands on it, wearing a light-colored dress. Dried flowers cover her face and head, creating a surreal effect. There's a small vase with a branch of daisies and lavender on the table.
A woman in a white vintage dress holding a bouquet of flowers, standing in a misty outdoor setting with dry leaves and branches around.
A woman with blonde, wavy hair sitting on the ground, dressed in a flowing off-shoulder dress, near a greenish background.

From still life studies to painterly portraits, surreal symbolism, and landscapes shaped by water, Carly’s work exists in the in-between, part reality, part dream.

It invites you to linger, to pause, and to notice what is often overlooked within the ordinary.

Join Me Here

Upcoming Workshops & Talks

Professional Photographers of Michigan

INTENT TO IMAGE: Learning to Create from Within

This workshop is for photographers who want to create images that feel more personal and intentional. Through guided exercises and demonstrations, participants learn how to begin with what they want to express, then translate it into stronger creative choices, from subject and composition to light, mood, and post-processing. This program helps photographers move beyond automatic habits and beyond technical perfection as the main goal, into image-making rooted in authenticity and meaning. Attendees leave with a repeatable process they can return to, and a clearer direction for creating work that feels true to them. This isn’t about getting it “right.” It’s about getting it real, and making images that feel purposeful, personal, and undeniably yours.

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September 20 – 21, 2026

Grand Rapids, MI

American Art Therapy Association

Beyond the Snapshot: Exploring Photography as an Expressive Medium in Art Therapy

Photography is one of the most accessible art forms in contemporary life, with most people carrying a camera on their phone. Yet that same familiarity can make it easy to overlook the medium’s expressive possibilities. Led by an internationally recognized fine art photographer with art therapy training, this experiential workshop invites participants to use their phones to explore photographic techniques they may not have tried, or even realized were possible, including abstraction, light, composition, and editing. Through guided image-making and discussion, attendees will discover how photography can support more intentional and creative work with clients.

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October 14 - 17, 2026

Charlotte, NC

“As a photographer instructor, I coach through emotion and conversation, not just camera settings. I first learned that approach from Carly during one of her workshops, when I assisted her at ClickCon years ago, and it has stayed with me ever since. It changed how I teach, and it shapes the way I photograph clients with more ease, trust, and authenticity.”

— Kambua Chema

Headhshot and Portrait Photographer

Explore Galleries

  • Abstract swirl of pink, purple, and white colors with flowing, ribbon-like structures.

    Still Life & Water Studies

    Flowers, objects, and ink suspended in liquid poetry.

    Explore Gallery
  • Painting of a woman with long, curly blonde hair, sitting on the floor with her knees up, wearing a loose, off-the-shoulder dress in shades of blue and gray, against a pastel-colored, abstract background.

    Painterly Portraits

    Portraits transformed into textured, timeless expressions.

    Explore Gallery
  • A forest scene with a woman blending into a birch tree and floral patterns, and a bird on a branch to the right.

    Symbolic & Surreal

    Dreamlike images where metaphor and memory intertwine.

    Explore Gallery
  • Fish swimming under cracked ice surface.

    Frozen

    Ice and snow revealing fragility and impermanence.

    Explore Gallery
  • Person swimming in a pool on a sunny day

    Ebb & Flow

    Waterscapes and pools where reflection meets rhythm.

    Explore Gallery
  • A busy city sidewalk with pedestrians, streetlamps, and a city information billboard. A person is sweeping the sidewalk in front of a reflective glass building.

    Moments

    Cityscapes and fleeting glimpses that linger like echoes.

    Explore Gallery

Fine Art Photographer | Art Therapist | Creative Educator

Artistic & Transformational

Turning Photographs Into Portals of Story, Emotion, and Connection.

Carly Sullens is a fine art photographer, digital artist, art therapist, and educator helping artists move beyond technique into authentic expression.

Two women in vintage dresses sitting in a grassy field playing violins, with birds flying in the cloudy sky above.

LEARN

A woman wearing a long, vintage white dress holding a bouquet of flowers, standing barefoot in a misty, foggy outdoor setting with sparse branches and dried plants around her.

ABOUT

A snowy winter scene featuring a small house with a red-tiled roof, leafless trees, and birds flying through the air.

CREATE

What People are Saying.

  • “There are wonderful artists and wonderful teachers. Carly is both. Her ability to uncomplicate a sometimes very complicated process will not only motivate you but give you confidence and inspiration to make your own original digital photo painting."

    Mark Weber

    -M.Photog, Cr., M. Artist, CPP

  • "Carly is an amazing artist and just as inspiring as a teacher! Her expertise is evident in her artwork, but what sets her apart from other instructors is her passion for sharing her knowledge and her passion for unique digital creations. "

    Jim Cryer

    -Photographer for 15 years

  • "Thank you, Carly. It helps to see our work through your eyes, and teaches us to look for such subtleties as you described. We improve when we can see our work, not as just another edit, but as an outcome that is emotive, powerful, and communicates visually. You help us do that. Much appreciated!"

    Gene Grate

    -Photographer for decades

  • "You don’t want to miss a chance to learn from Carly! Just after taking one class with her, I was able to elevate my photography and creativity! Now I am producing digital art that people are amazed by!”

    Frank Sreshta

    -Photographer for 7 years

  • "Carly is incredibly knowledgeable, sharing practical tips and tricks through each lesson, and is thoroughly inspiring. Any ounce of overwhelm was quickly replaced with fun and allowed for my own creativity.”

    Shaunti Kelley

    -Beginner Photographer

  • “I’d long aspired to transform my photographic images into expressive digital art. Had tried, many options and was frustratingly never satisfied with the outcomes. Her clear, inspiring guidance finally made that possible. Her approach gave me both the confidence and the tools to bring deeper emotion and creativity into my work. As one of her statements mentions… ‘Helping artists move beyond technique into authentic expression’. That truly happened and am very grateful of Carly’s efforts to share her talents.”

    - Rob Meiring A photographer for decades, ranked amongst some of the top Men’s ASP competitors during the late 70s.