Former Trojan looks beyond the lens

One Troy alumna is working to grow her business using skills she learned from attending Troy.  

Gabrielle Jent, a spring 2025 graduate from Jasper, Alabama, earned her degree in interdisciplinary studies. She now runs her own small business, Gabby J Photography. Her classes focused on marketing, entrepreneurship and her favorite: photography. She has loved photography since high school, whenshe first started her future career. 

“In high school, I was part of the yearbook, and I got really connected with the teacher of that class,” Jent said. “I fell in love with the class, both the digital design part.  

“The teacher would let me borrow a camera, and I would go take photos with it.”  

While other artists might face criticism from their family, Jent says her family has been nothing but supportive of her career path. 

“They love it,” Jent said. “My mom will get on the Troy Parents [Facebook] page, andanytime someone is like, ‘Oh, I need a photographer,’ she tags me and puts me in the comments. 

"I have been able to get some photoshoots and some business from that. My dad also keeps my business card in his wallet.”  

The one issue Gabby J Photography consistently faces is setting prices that amateur photographers cannot undercut but are still enough to pay the bills. 

“Pricing is hard, because you don’t want to undersell yourself, but also it is like, ‘Hey, I feel like I am worth this,’ and people say, 'Oh, but I can go to my friend for cheaper,” Jent said.  

The Troy Idea Bank Wall of Fame inductee hopes business will pick up this spring and into the summer, with graduation and spring weddings underway.  

“The majority of my business is graduation and portrait style photoshoots, but I have done a few weddings, and I hope I can do more,” Jent said. “I have a lot of availability, especially during the week. I am open to anything.” 

Jent hopes to keep her business going, because her favorite part is helping capture people’s memories. 

“You go to people’s graduations, proposals and weddings,” Jent said. “I have done a maternity shoot to celebrate people having a baby, and I get to capture the important memories of their life.” 

To stay up to date on Gabby J’s Photography, follow gabbyj_photography on Instagram or on Facebook at Gabbyphotography, or visit gabbyjphotography.com.