We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Gabrielle Danthine a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Gabrielle, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

Being a business owner is one of the most bittersweet things there is in my opinion. Do I sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Of course! Being able to go to work 9-5, clocking out at the end of the day and not having to think about it until I step back in the next day. Having a guaranteed, consistent paycheck at the end of every week. Paid time off?? Benefits?? What the heck are those?? But its easy to think about the what if’s. Instead I try to think about all of the benefits that come with being a business owner and doing something that I love. Being able to make my own schedule, and be home to raise my son during the days. Meeting new people and capturing lifelong memories. Or having a couple (who was once one of my first clients) come back to me for their 10th+ session, now with their little ones and getting to watch their family grow. Sometimes I do wonder what it would be like but then I also remember why I stopped the “regular job” and became a business owner in the first place.

Gabrielle, 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?

Hi there! My name is Gabrielle Danthine but most know me as Gab or Gabi. I am a part-time lifestyle photographer, owner of Captured by Gab and Mom to a sweet little boy with another on the way! I started photography professionally in 2020, when I was laid-off from my job during the pandemic. Although my love for photography stems way back to when I was a little girl.
When I was 6, my parents moved my siblings and I to live on a farm in Schoharie County. Growing up on a farm there was always plenty to do. Feeding animals, fixing fence, swimming in the pond, riding four-wheelers and horses. And as you can imagine there was also plenty to take photos of as well.
My earliest memories of taking photos goes back to snapping a shot of the first flower in spring or the brand new calf that was just born, all on my flip phone of course. From then on it was just something I had always loved to do. I would be filling water buckets or riding my horse in the field and snapping photos!
It wasn’t until I found myself without a job in 2020 that I traded in my phone camera and purchased my very first DSLR. I was going to stick with photography as just a hobby until I realized I could continue doing something I loved and financially support myself at the same time!
From there I begged all of my friends and family to let me take their photo whenever possible and just practiced and practiced. I watched all of the YouTube videos on photography, editing, and camera settings, took some photography courses and used my camera whenever and wherever I could. I eventually found my first client and through word of mouth and some social media advertising I was able to gain new and returning clients!
While I started off with and still do, couples, family and milestone sessions I also recently have gotten into wedding photography. Being mostly self taught up until this point I knew I would need a mentor if I wanted to get into weddings. I reached out to the amazingly talented and absolutely lovely Beth Cleveland who took me in with open arms, answered all of my questions and showed me all the ropes of wedding photography. As I am still constantly learning every day and every wedding, I will be forever grateful for all of the help and guidance Beth has and continues to give me.
Originally from Upstate New York, my family has recently relocated to Upstate South Carolina in the beginning of 2024. While I still travel back to New York from time to time for weddings and other clients I am also trying to expand my business in the Upstate South Carolina area. I am so blessed to continue to be able to do what I love and am looking forward to meeting new people and seeing where my business takes me next!

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele has been word of mouth and positive client experience. I find that most of my new clients come from friends/family of my current clients. As the photographer, its easy for me to say “my work is great, book me” but if I go on to Instagram and my best friend just had her photos done and is raving about the photographer, I’m of course going to take her word. On top of that, I find many of my clients are returning clients. Although I’m sure liking the outcome of the photos has a big impact, I think a lot of this comes from a positive client experience and this starts from the very first message they send inquiring, to after I have sent them their final photos.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

One of the most rewarding aspects is getting to see the joy that my photos bring to my clients. So much time and energy goes into each photo, from both my and my clients end, and to see it all come together and be exactly what they were looking for is the most rewarding for sure.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://capturedbygab.com
• Instagram: captured_by_gab
• Facebook: Captured by Gab