We were lucky to catch up with Gabe Herrera recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Gabe, thanks for joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

Yeah, full-time. And I’ll be honest, it still hits me sometimes that this is my actual life.
My first “creative job” was working in the print department at OfficeMax. Graphic design, print jobs, and learning how to make things look good on a deadline. From there, I spent almost 7 years as the senior graphic designer at HCTC, serving as their creative director. I learned a ton there. How to manage projects, how to work with clients who don’t know what they want yet, how to build something from nothing. But the whole time I was building my own thing on the side.
The moment I knew it was time? I left for a week to shoot on a project in New Mexico, and made more than what I was making in a month at my day job. That was the aha moment. I went full-time for myself right before the holidays in 2022 and never looked back.
Could I have sped up the process? Probably. I would’ve raised my prices sooner. I knew the quality was there, I just didn’t trust the market to agree with me yet. I also would’ve learned to say no earlier. Not every inquiry is your client, and that’s fine.
The biggest thing though? Find your style and stop chasing trends. I live in the Texas Hill Country where light and airy is king. That’s what most people around here want. But my work is true to tone, editorial, cinematic. And instead of bending to fit the local market, I stayed busy with clients who found me from out of town. Turns out, a strong style attracts the right people. You just have to be patient enough to let them find you.
The one thing nobody tells you about going full-time? You don’t get more free time. You’re actually busier. You’re not just a photographer or a creative anymore. You’re running a whole damn business. Finances, marketing, client management, systems, all of it. It’s a hustle. And I fucking love it.

Gabe, 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’m Gabe Rene. I run Gabe Rene LLC out of the Texas Hill Country, and depending on the day, I’m a photographer, filmmaker, creative director, brand strategist, or the guy answering emails at midnight because my brain won’t shut off.
The short version: I’m an ADHD creative with a camera, a business, and a team behind that actually gives a damn and shares a same creative passion.
The longer version: Gabe Rene LLC operates now under a few divisions. GR Weddings is bold, cinematic, and editorial wedding photography and film. My fiancé Kyle has joined me on this side of things. He always had an interest in photography and wanted to learn more, so I’ve been training him up and now we shoot together. It’s turned into something pretty incredible, being able to build this with someone I love. GR Studio & Co. is our commercial and B2B side, where we handle brand photography, video production, content strategy, and brand audits for businesses that are ready to stop looking like a DIY operation. GR After Dark is boudoir photography. Empowering, not clinical. And Trendy Booth is our premium photo booth experience for events.
What problems do I solve? Most of our b2b clients come to me because they know something isn’t working visually, but they can’t articulate what. Their brand looks inconsistent. Their photos don’t match the quality of their actual product or service. On the wedding side of things, our clients’ have seen wedding photos from a previous photographer that look like everyone else’s or they had a terrible experience. I fix that. I give people imagery that actually looks like them, not some watered-down version of what’s trending on Pinterest this week, and packaged up with experience that feels like you hired your friends (who are actually badasses at what they do).
What sets me apart is that I refused to follow most trends. My style is true to tone, editorial, with a cinematic touch, and sometimes moody. I don’t blow out highlights to make everything bright and airy because that’s what the algorithm wants. I photograph what’s real, and I make it look incredible without making it look fake. That approach has made my work age well. Clients come back years later, and their photos still hold up because I wasn’t chasing a look that expired six months after I delivered it.
What am I most proud of? Building something that’s mine. Going from the print department at OfficeMax to running a multi-division creative studio with my fiancé, a small crew, and clients who trust us with their biggest days and biggest investments. I’m proud that I stayed stubborn about my style when the market told me to soften it up. I’m proud that the people who hire us feel something when they see their images.
What I want people to know is we’re professional, but we cuss a little. We show up, we handle chaos, and we deliver work that makes people coming back. If our vibe feels like your vibe, we should talk.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

A CRM. Specifically, actually using one.
I ran my business on copy and paste for way too long. Same emails retyped, same info scattered across notes and DMs, no real system. I knew I needed it. I’d looked at it a hundred times. But my ADHD brain couldn’t power through the setup without overthinking every single step, and I just never had the bandwidth to sit down and build it out.
And here’s the funny part. I preach this stuff to my brand strategy clients. CRMs, staying on top of socials, consistent blogging, all of it. I tell them exactly what they need to do. And for the longest time, I wasn’t doing it myself. It’s the classic “the cobbler’s kids have no shoes” situation. My clients still find me through strong SEO, referrals, community events, and digital ads. But the backend? That was a mess for longer than I’d like to admit.
What finally kicked my ass into gear was hiring a Dubsado expert to help me set it up. Having someone walk me through the structure and get the bones in place lit a fire I couldn’t ignore. Now I have a working funnel, automated workflows, and I’m not losing leads in my inbox anymore. It keeps this whole operation organized in a way I genuinely couldn’t do on my own for years.
If you’re a creative running a business and you don’t have a CRM working for you yet, just know: it’s not optional. It’s the thing between you and actually scaling. I just wish I’d gotten out of my own way sooner. And if you’re like me and you tell your clients to do things you’re not doing yourself yet, that’s your sign.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

The long game has always been the same for me. I want to build a full creative production studio. Think ad agency meets content hub. A space where businesses can come to create the visual content they actually need, where podcasters can record, where creators can rent studio time, and where my team can produce at the level I see in my head.
I want the warehouse. The toys. The setup that lets us say yes to bigger ideas without limitations.
That vision drives everything I’m building right now. Every system I put in place, every division I develop, every client relationship I invest in is a step toward that. I’m not just building a photography business. I’m building infrastructure.
That’s all I’ll say about it for now. But it’s coming.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.gaberene.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gaberenephoto
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gaberenephoto
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaberenephoto/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@gaberenephoto
• Other: www.instagram.com/gaberene_afterdark
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