Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabriela Jedrysiak.
Hi Gabriela, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I think photography found me long before I ever thought of becoming a photographer.
One of my earliest memories is watching my father transform the bathroom in our house into a darkroom. I was fascinated. He didn’t want me in there because I was just a curious little girl who wanted to touch everything, but one day he finally let me in after making me promise I wouldn’t touch a thing.
I can still see it. Three trays filled with what looked like magical liquids, a blank sheet of paper, and then, little by little, an image appearing before my eyes. It felt like witnessing magic. Even today, I think it’s one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen.
Years later, as a teenager, I lived in a high-rise apartment with the most beautiful sunsets. I wanted to photograph every single one, but film was expensive, and as a thirteen-year-old student, that wasn’t really an option. So photography quietly slipped away for a while.
It found me again many years later, almost by accident.
At the time, I was working as a product manager for a pharmaceutical company, putting in long hours and living almost entirely for work. A psychologist friend suggested I find a hobby—something that had nothing to do with my career. By the time I left the office every evening, everything nearby was closed except for a photography school next door. I walked in, signed up, and never looked back.
That was where I rediscovered the darkroom, this time through my own hands. Photography became my creative outlet, the place where I could slow down, create, and reconnect with myself.
Life, of course, had other plans. I started traveling constantly for work, became a mother, moved to another country, and photography once again had to wait.
Then, about fourteen years ago, I asked myself a question that completely changed the direction of my life: *If money weren’t an obstacle, what would I choose to do?*
The answer came immediately.
Photography.
That answer eventually became the business I have today.
From the beginning, I knew I wanted my work to communicate something beyond words. Portrait photography gave me the opportunity to help women see themselves differently—to recognize their own beauty, strength, and the parts of themselves that are so often overlooked.
Then something unexpected happened. Actors started coming to me. Soon after, dancers followed. One dance studio became another, and without ever planning it, I found myself immersed in the dance world.
Today, more than ten years later, I have the privilege of traveling across the United States photographing dancers of every age and every level. Every dancer has a different story, but they all share something I deeply admire: discipline, vulnerability, courage, and the willingness to express themselves without saying a single word.
Looking back, I realize photography has been quietly waiting for me at every stage of my life. It first appeared as magic in my father’s darkroom. Later it became my creative refuge. Today, it has become my profession, but more importantly, it has become my way of connecting with people.
The greatest compliment I can receive isn’t that someone loves their photographs. It’s when they tell me, “I never knew I could see myself this way.” That’s when I know I’ve done my job.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t really believe there is such a thing as a smooth road. Every journey comes with challenges, and every new step asks something different of you.
Photography, like many creative and technical professions, is constantly evolving. Technology changes, trends change, clients’ expectations change, and at the same time you’re trying to develop your own voice and stay true to what makes your work unique. Finding that balance is an ongoing process.
If you asked my closest friends, they would probably laugh and tell you how many times I’ve said, “Maybe I should just quit and get a job where I don’t have to think so much!” Running a creative business can be exhausting. There are moments when you question yourself, your work, and whether all the effort is worth it.
But somehow, every time I’ve reached that point, life has brought me something that reminded me why I started. A new client with an exciting idea. An opportunity I never expected. A project that challenged me to grow. Those moments have always pulled me forward.
Having a small business is never as easy as it may look from the outside. People see the final photographs, but they don’t always see the countless hours of planning, learning, practicing, investing, making mistakes, trying again, and continuing to improve. That’s the backstage of every business, small or big, photography or not, whether it’s new or well established.
Looking back, I’m grateful for every challenge because each one taught me something I couldn’t have learned any other way.
And I’m especially grateful that every time I thought about giving up, something reminded me why I wanted to keep going.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My work has two very different seasons. Part of my year is dedicated to volume photography, primarily working with preschools and dance studios. This side of my business requires a great deal of organization, consistency, and the ability to connect quickly with many different personalities. I love the energy of working with children and dancers, and I feel fortunate to document moments that families will often treasure for years.
The rest of the year, I focus more on portrait work, including professional headshots, personal branding, and more creative projects. This is where I have the opportunity to slow down, experiment, and explore the artistic side of photography. I enjoy combining in-camera techniques, lighting, and post-production to create images that go beyond simply documenting a person.
Recently, I have been dedicating more time to exploring photography as an art form, combining different approaches and techniques to create more conceptual work. This connects to a goal I have carried with me for many years: the desire to share my work through galleries and exhibitions.
Although these two areas of my work may seem very different, they are connected by the same purpose: creating images that tell a story and capture something meaningful about the person or moment in front of my camera.
What I am most proud of is the trust my clients place in me. Many of the children I photograph through schools and dance studios come back year after year, allowing me to witness their growth through my lens. At the same time, I love helping individuals present themselves with confidence through portraits and branding images.
I don’t know if there is one single thing that sets me apart, but I believe my curiosity and my desire to keep learning are a big part of who I am as a photographer. I am always exploring new techniques, improving my craft, and looking for new ways to create images that feel authentic, meaningful, and true to the person I am photographing.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
I am tempted to answer with “start with what you have,” but I think my advice would be: start walking the path that will open the doors, even if you don’t know exactly where you want to go yet.
When I look back, I realize that many of the things I do today were not part of a perfectly planned path. They came from trying things, experimenting, asking questions, learning from people I respect, and sometimes simply taking the next step without knowing exactly where it would lead.
Many people start a creative business with a specific idea or goal in mind, but that vision changes as you grow. While you are learning and gaining experience, you are also discovering what feels right for you, what you enjoy, what you are good at, and what makes your work different. Most of the time, you are developing your own way of doing things without even noticing it.
As an artist, finding your voice is important, but I believe finding your value is just as important, if not more. Understanding the value you bring helps you recognize what you can offer, how to communicate it, and how to build something meaningful around it—whether that means creating art, working with clients, building a business, or a combination of all three.
The process takes time. Give yourself permission to learn, adjust, and evolve. Your path may change many times along the way, and that is not a sign that you are lost. It is part of discovering where you belong.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @GJPhotoworks
