Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gabby Galloway. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Gabby thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. So, we’d appreciate if you could open up about your growth story and the nitty, gritty details that went into scaling up.
When I first began my photography journey, I did photoshoot sessions for families in my neighborhood for $25. I would ask my friends if I could take picture of them and would send them a concept of an idea I had in my head. I think the best way to scale up, and I still have plenty of growing to do, is to plan and execute. Just like anything, to be great at one thing you have to practice your craft in order to master it! Photography quickly became apart of my everyday life, I became obsessed with it! I was dedicated to trying new techniques and experimenting. This past year I have tried to become very intentional about what I share on social media. Often times I would find myself putting together very beautiful imagery but was not displaying it correctly on my social media and website for others to recognize the way I was anticipating. I want my gallery, posts and portfolio of portrait sessions to emulate a specific mood and tell a story versus it just being a landing page for a bunch of random images together.
Gabby, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am a photographer focused in fashion and portraiture. I have a deep appreciation for capturing portraits that embody a feeling of intimacy, warmth and energy inherent in each subject. I have a deep appreciation for film photography throughout all my work; editorial, brand and event imagery. My style is defined by vibrant colors and warm skin tones, infusing images with subtle undertones of nostalgia and an effortless quality. I have a strong sense of direction when working with my clients and hope to come across as very inviting. I think photography is really an exchange of personal expressions. My subject is going to express themselves in a way that feels natural and comfortable for them and it is my job to capture those qualities about them and translate it into a photograph that is meaningful. I do my best to capture an individual’s best qualities, and I do so through direction and being personable. It is so so important to make someone feel confident in front of the camera, my responsibility is to capture a moment, if they are nervous in that moment the photographs will relay that. I’m most proud of my recent film photography it causes me to be extremely intentional since I only have so many takes and honestly think it has made my digital photography and artistic eye much better. My commitment to viewing the world through a creative lens extends beyond my professional work; I find inspiration in the people around me, making my personal projects some of my most cherished images.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I said and still do say yes to almost everything. Some days it is very tiring and the work days can be long, doing multiple shoots in a day while also working a full time job but I often remind myself that great things take hard work and diligence. I want to be great at photography, everyone can be good at something but I am driven toward being talented and taking the time required to do so. I also did so much free/collaborative work my first year or so of starting honestly. I think people found my eagerness and passion to learn and work so often with no payment very respectable. Photography has never been about the money for me, it’s really an outlet and apart of who I am.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
When I graduated college, I was in a rough place. For everyone obviously its a turbulent time going from the most euphoric weeks of your whole college career to moving home and almost starting over. For some moving home is very easy but for me I knew that if I wanted to grow and be independent I had to move out. During graduation season, instead of going to class for the last 3 weeks of school I was doing almost eight graduation photoshoots a day. I ended up making enough money in a few short weeks that changed my career and trajectory. I had a hard time getting something full time upon graduation but landed an internship for the summer that I prayed would lead to something better. I started working immediately after graduating and was really unhappy with where I was and unhappy with myself. I quit within 2 months, applied for a new job found something I really enjoy. From there I was able to move downtown, and the community I have found here. The spaces I have found myself have been so empowering and given me perspective that everyone’s journey is so far from linear.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gabbygallowayphotography.com
- Instagram: @gabbysaywhatt
