Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabriel Conover.
Hi Gabriel, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started doing photography like many did! My older brother was graduating high school and had gotten into photography at the time. So naturally, they asked me to take his senior photos. I loved it, and did a killer job. So all of his friends paid me to do theirs as well!
I did my first wedding at 17 and hated it. But every so often a family friend would ask me to do their wedding and I couldn’t turn down the cash.
One day, I went to a local coffee shop and overheard a couple talking about their wedding. I gave them a card and told them I was a wedding photographer. I don’t know why I did cause I still didn’t really love the work. But they ended up reaching out and booking me for their wedding in Washington! Because they were covering my travel, I took this wedding very seriously. And in taking the job seriously, I realized that I actually really enjoyed everything about it when I put my all into it. I shot the wedding, crushed it, and everyone was super happy. On the flight home, I told my wife, I want to do this. So a few months later, I quit my job as a store manager at Starbucks on a whim, and jumped right in to full time wedding photography. My first year full time was 2018. I shot 35 weddings that year and shot about 50 a year until 2022. I then took a year off to focus on my studio venue, “Gud Times,” and now I do weddings at a much lower caliber. My goal is to shoot only 12-15 a year. And that is the perfect pace for me.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It was smooth until covid ruined everything. When all of my work got cancelled/postponed in 2020, I rushed into opening my studio because I wanted to get a move on some sort of business that could supply income and future equity while I had free time. But then everyone and the mother still got married in 2021, so my studio suffered hard because I only had the capacity to focus on the weddings I had booked that year. I shot 62 weddings and all of my income went towards a lease that was not making me any money.
In 2022 I announced I would be taking time off and was finally able to pour myself into getting Gud Times where it is today. We have a new building as of January this year and things have really taken off hard. Which is amazing.
As you know, we’re big fans of Gabriel Conover Photography/Gud Times LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I have two full time businesses. The first is my wedding photography business which is obviously tied to my name, Gabriel Conover Photography. I have been full time since 2018 but have been in business for over 12 years. I’ve shot weddings all over the US and in Europe. I definitely see myself as a business man who happens to be very artistic. I am a people person which is why wedding photography as an art medium makes so much sense for me. It perfectly combines my passion for socialization and art. I truly think it’s a job I was made for, and my clients are constantly telling me the same thing.
Gud Times is a hybrid photography studio and event venue. It is roughly 3500 square feet of indoor studio space with 1000 square feet of storage. We rent the studio out to creatives and businesses at an hourly rate and rent it out to the San Diego community for events. We book everything from all day content shoots for brands, family photo shoots, baby showers, birthday parties, weddings and everything in between. Additionally, clients are able to book me as their in house photographer for anything from branding work, families and more. Some key features of the studio are the gorgeous interior, white walls, white floor, cyclorama wall, and all of the incredible furniture that comes included with all bookings.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Imperfect execution is better than nothing. I would rather put out an imperfect product or service than wait until it is exactly what I want it to be. Cause guess what, it will NEVER be exactly what you want it to be. And that’s ok. We learn from experience and we can continue to create a better product or service the more we practice. So put your self out there. Put your business and product out there, and then fix the problems as they come. Obviously, you need to be providing something of value and hold to your promises. Put your all into everything and then take the feedback you receive enthusiastically.
Pricing:
- $8500 average for wedding photography
- $100 an hour for studio rental
- $200 an hour for event rental
- $650 an hour for photoshoots
Contact Info:
- Website: https://gabrielconoverphotography.com and https://gud-times.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/gabrielconover and https://instagram.com/gudtimes.sd
