Gabriel Conover is a wedding and elopement photographer based in sunny San Diego, California. He captures fun-loving, honest photos and unique storytelling moments of weddings and elopements.

He's also the owner of Gud Times, a San Diego photo studio & event center focused on cultivating creative community and bringing people together in a comfortable and relaxing environment.

You got your start in photography when you were in high school. When did it stop being just an interest and start being a “I think I want to do this as a career” thing? What are the advantages and disadvantages of starting early?

GABRIEL CONOVER: I did my first wedding when I was 17. I hated it and never wanted to make a living of it. For the next 3 or 4 years, I started working my way up in the ranks at Starbucks and did 4-6 weddings a year for family and friends. I happened upon a wedding in Washington in 2017. A couple saw me editing at a coffee shop in San Diego and asked for my card. I thought it was weird but they ended up reaching out.

One thing lead to another, they booked me, and I was going to Washington. Because they were trusting me to come all the way out there and do a good job, I took it VERY seriously. It was the first time I created a genuine “experience.” And it was then that I realized the only reason I wasn’t passionate about it, was because I had never really tried to take it seriously. The wedding was ridiculously amazing and I was hooked. I quit my job 3 months later and decided to take the risk and go for it.

I ONLY think it is an advantage to start early. The sooner you pursue passion, the better because you can really figure out if you can make a living off of it. And you have more time to get more experience. The only disadvantage would be people not taking you seriously because of your age. But that never happened to me.

Your photography business is focused on wedding + elopement photography. Did you have a broad focus when you first started or have you always focused on a niche? In what ways has your focus refined over time?

GC: I pursued weddings and love from the very beginning. Weddings combine my two passions which are for art and people. It literally is the perfect job for an extroverted artist like me.

Over time, I definitely have gotten more into fashion and unique art. So my style is very different from the playful look it had before. Not that I don’t have a candid style, but I definitely have more of an editorial look now too.

How can you tell if you’re compatible with a prospective client? Do you have a process for disqualifying people who aren’t a fit for budget, style, or other reasons?

GABRIEL CONOVER: I don’t have many rules when it comes to who I will book with. The number one thing is making sure they don’t raise any red flags. For example, will they take advantage of me, will they be hard to leave satisfied, are they kind…nothing crazy.

Outside of that, I just ask that they trust me and hire me for what they see I can do, not what they want me to do.

I LOVE getting to work with a wide variety of unique people because nothing is ever boring! Every wedding is different and everyone photographs different. And that is my favorite thing about the art I get to create.

Your photography is gorgeous, so it makes sense that you’d have a waitlist! How far out do you like to book work?

GC: I will open my books about 18 months in advance. Which still seems crazy to me…but people book me that early so I guess I’m doing something right!

What was it like being a wedding photographer during COVID?

Everyone has million dollar ideas, but very few people actually act on them. No one cares what you are GOING to do. They care about what you are doing!

What does a typical day look like for you?

GC: Typical day is hard…on days I’m not shooting weddings, it looks something like this:

I hang out with my family in the morning for an hour or two and head to my studio around 9 or 10 am. I go through all of my daily tasks (which includes things from editing, to emails, to employee follow up and more). I typically am done around 5 or 6 pm and I head home. Maybe I’ll work out, maybe not, depends haha. Kids are in bed around 7:30 or 8 and Michelle and I will hang out for a bit until we fall asleep. I’m normally up until midnight.

How often do you get new ideas?

NEVER
coming up with new ideas is a challenge

ALWAYS
my brain is always overflowing with new ideas

SUPER EASY
I love carrying out tasks and completing things

...WHAT LIFE?
I live at work!

What’s your favorite non-work thing right now?

CLOSING: Any other thoughts or tips you’d like to share with fellow business owners & entrepreneurs?

Thank you, Gabe, for being generous with your time and sharing your perspective and advice!