Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Justin Gamble. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Justin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I began my journey in photography during high school. I was terrible at other art forms, so I thought I’d give photography a shot for my art credit and ended up finding my passion. From there, I went to Ohio University to study commercial photography and graduated with my bachelors in 2017. During college I worked a summer internship where I learned arguably more than I did in a year of photography classes and I began to realize that real world experience was going to take me a lot farther in photography.

After graduating I began working for a portrait studio where I focused on learning how to turn photography into a viable business and not just a hobby/side hustle. After 2.5 years at the studio, I decided it was time to branch out on my own and try working for myself. Since graduating I realized just how important it is to continue education whenever the opportunity presents itself.

I wish I would have invested in mentorship sooner. After hiring a mentor to help me get my business off the ground, within a couple months I had found enough clients to quit my job and go full time. I learned that there’s so much value in learning from someone who’s already gone through the rough points in business and can guide you to the next level.

As far as obstacles, in business you may not know what the next obstacle is going to be or where it’s going to come from. Mentors and business associates are great resources to learn from so you can overcome those obstacles.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have been a photographer for 11 years and have worked full time in photography since 2017. I started Justin Gamble Photography in 2019 with a focus on portrait photography. Leading up to the formation of my business I spent 3 seasons as a second photographer for weddings. In 2020 I switched my business focus to wedding photography and it’s become my passion as well as one of my favorite things to photograph. I love being able to tell a couples story and document one of the most important days in their life. The relationships that I build with my wedding clients are unmatched and have led to me making some incredible friends. I’ve expanded my wedding photography business now to include wedding videography and photo booth services.

In 2022 I started BRIGHTN Commercial Productions, a commercial photo and video company that helps small to mid size businesses BRIGHTN their brand for engaging storytelling and quality visuals. My commercial services range from headshots, to ad campaigns, to corporate event photography.

This past year I also began hosting Pet Portrait Days in my studio in Cuyahoga Falls. I absolutely loved when my clients would bring in their furry friends for me to meet and will definitely continue to offer pet portraits in the future!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think the key to finding success in running your own business is consistency, communication and networking. I make it a priority to always show up for my clients. Excluding my girlfriend, my family and my dogs, my clients are the absolute most important people in my life and I make sure to make them a priority, and I know they appreciate that. If I say I’m going to do something, I will give 100% of my energy towards that thing.

Communication is the second pillar of success because without good communication, relationships fall a part. I make sure to stay in regular communication with my clients and business relationships to make sure I’m as up to date with them as possible.

Finally, networking has opened more doors for me than anything else. It’s cliché, but sometime it’s really is who you know. Business relationships are just as important as client relationships as they’ll lead you to opportunities you never knew existed.

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

For me, the most rewarding part is being able to create art for clients that invokes emotions. When my clients get to relive key moments of their lives by looking through their photos, it brings me so much joy. Something as simple as a client making their social media profile photos a photo I took is such a touching feeling. It make me feel like I’m creating work with purpose, not just for myself, but also for the person who’s commissioned me to create the art.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.justingamblephotograpy.com
• Instagram: @whatsupimjustin
• Facebook: @whatsupimjustin
• Youtube: @whatsupimjustin

Image Credits
Justing Gamble Photography and BRIGHTN Commercial Photography