Brie Golliher, owner of BGB Photo & Design at 422 E. Main Street, has lived in Bowling Green since she was born.

That’s why, when she got the chance this the summer to expand her photography business from Alvaton to Bowling Green, she jumped at the chance.

Her Bowling Green storefront faces Fountain Square Park, which Golliher often uses for portrait sets.

“The square is such a supportive community,” she said, while keeping a close eye on her 13-month-old son, Brady, in the studio. “There are opportunities here that just don’t happen at my other store.”

Golliher said organized gallery hops in the square bring new customers into her studio.

She graduated from Western in 2007 with a degree in photojournalism. But she got her business license while in college as a portrait photographer, she said.

“I’m able to look through a journalist’s point of view at photographs, and it really helps me,” Golliher said. “I’m able to capture an image my clients aren’t expecting.”

She opened the studio in August after extensive remodeling of the building, Golliher said. She said she books photo sessions regularly, and the business is thriving.

Sylvia Gaiko, associate dean of the College of Health and Human Services, said she’s used Golliher’s studio for family photos over a dozen times.

“Every Father’s Day, we have new family photos taken, and she always has new and creative ideas every year,” Gaiko said. “She does excellent work.”

The basic sitting fee for any portrait is $50, Golliher said. Her base fee for weddings is $1,500 and includes two photographers.

“My favorite sessions are weddings,” she said. “I’m with the brides from the very beginning, and I capture memories of the couple’s most special and intimate moments.”

She works with another Western photojournalism graduate, Alex Eckert, during weddings.

“We think on a similar wave length,” said Eckert, who primarily works in Louisville. “We can shoot the same moment from different perspectives. It’s a really well-rounded partnership.”

Golliher displays other photographers’ and painters’ work in her studio. She said her studio doubles as a gallery for local artists who don’t have the space to display their work.

She will become the recommended photographer for Bowling Green’s David’s Bridal store this Sunday. She said she hopes it will bring in a lot of new business.

“I love taking pictures,” Golliher said, reaching to pick up her son. “I would do it even if I didn’t make money, but I’m extremely lucky to be able to live off my love of photography.”