TROY, Ala. (TROJANVISION) — Troy alumna Gabrielle Jent is working to grow her business using skills she learned at Troy University.
Jent graduated from the University last spring with a degree in interdisciplinary studies.
Her classes focused on marketing, entrepreneurship and her favorite photography. She has loved photography since high school, when she first started her future career.
“In high school, I was part of the yearbook, and I got really connected with the teacher of that class,” Jent said. “I fell in love with the class, both the digital design part, and also, the teacher would let me borrow a camera, and I would go take photos with it.”
While other artists might face criticism from their family, Jent says her family has been nothing but supportive of her career path.
“They love it,” the small business owner said. “My mom will get on the Troy Parents [Facebook] page, or even like my sister went to Mississippi State, and so she is on the Mississippi State parent page.
“Anytime someone is like, ‘Oh, I need a photographer,’ she tags me and puts me in the comments. I have been able to get some photoshoots and some business from that. My dad, also, keeps a business card in his wallet.”
The one issue Gabby J Photography consistently faces is setting prices that amateur photographers cannot undercut, but high enough to pay the bills.
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“Pricing is hard because you do not want to undersell yourself, but also it is like, ‘Hey, I feel like I am worth this,’ and people are like, ‘Oh, but I can go to my friend for cheaper,” Jent said.
The Troy Idea Bank Wall of Fame inductee hopes business will pick up this spring and into the summer, with graduation and spring weddings underway.
“The majority of my business is graduation and portrait style photoshoots, but I have done a few weddings, and I hope I can do more,” Jent said. “I have a lot of availability, especially during the week. I am open to anything.”
Jent hopes to keep her business going because her favorite part is helping capture people’s memories.
“You go to people’s graduations, proposals, weddings. I have done a maternity shoot to celebrate people having a baby, and I get to capture the important memories of their life,” Jent said.
To stay up to date on Gabby J’s photography, you can follow her on Instagram at gabbyj_photography or on Facebook at Gabbyphotography. If you want to reach out or see more of her work, her website is gabbyjphotography.com.
