Black Business Stories: Behind the Camera

Indie Soul Photography, Je’Dah Madison

Princeton, West Virginia, 01/30/2025

Je’Dah Madison Crews is a very talented photographer, capturing authentically captivating pictures of those around her. Centered inside the Arts District of Princeton, West Virginia, her self-made photography company, Indie Soul, is able to efficiently portray the passion living in others whilst allowing the owner to exhibit her own. Being such a successful Black business owner, BBG needed to know, what happens behind the camera?

“I was just kind of taking pictures on my phone of everything, but then I started doing portraits just for fun of friends. I didn’t have a camera or anything, but it was really fun…” Crews enthused when asked how it all began just three years prior. She continued to describe how she proceeded to fall in love with the process of capturing someone’s soul through the lens of a camera. She found her passion in exposing the beauty inside a person’s authentic self which is something she soon noticed that most photographs lacked. “Most photographers… They’ll have people dress up, and with some sessions I do, but a lot of my sessions are simply raw and authentic. Not all of them, of course, but I try to make it as natural as possible, make people feel comfortable and feel like themselves. I do my best to let them see themselves through a different lens. I’m not setting up the stage for anything, I just want to be there to capture the moment. That’s why the self love sessions I offer are so important to me.”

However, nothing is ever achieved without struggling and when asked what sort of obstacles she faced when beginning her company, Crews said, “Photographers around here… it can be a very competitive business and most of the time, owners are going to mainly look out for themselves. Other people I know also struggled with this.” She continued to point out that for her personally, this wasn’t the only obstacle she found herself facing. “I feel like as a Black woman, owning a business, you just always have to work ten times harder than everyone else. You have to figure out everything on your own because most times, people look down on you almost immediately. It’s like trying to run a race when everyone else has already been given a head start. No matter what, I always feel like I’m at the bottom and I have to fight my way to the top.” She accredited the support given to her by those she cared about as well as her own drive and passion for her reasoning to overcome such difficulties. She mentioned that she couldn’t afford her own camera growing up despite her love of taking pictures. “Then, my husband, Jorden, gave me my first camera, and I just knew that this is what I was supposed to do, and I was going to make it happen no matter what.”

Three years later, her determination has allowed her business to evolve in so many ways. “It’s my full time job… I was finally able to purchase my own photography equipment and I even have a studio that I’m currently renovating,” Crews said. She continued to convey how incredibly fortunate she feels for her business to play the role it does in the Appalachian community. Having the opportunity to showcase someone’s beauty as well as their talents is what she aimed to do in the beginning of her journey. Now, clients utilize her talents in ways she hadn’t even imagined. Local entrepreneurs tell her just how grateful they are for her help in promoting their own work and businesses. “It’s such a blessing to wake up and have my passion as my job,” she commented.

With her photography company growing so fruitfully, Je’Dah Crews expressed her hopes for the future: “I hope to expand,” she said. “I want to work more out of state, representing West Virginia based businesses in other places and traveling more.” However, this sentiment isn’t the only one she offered and her Appalachian roots aren’t the only aspect of her business she wishes to one day share. “Teaching others that are part of the minority or anybody wanting to start a business, is something I hope to do. I want to offer the information I wasn’t given to those who are trying to pursue their passions.”

“In the near future, however, I have a few projects that I’m looking forward to. I plan on photographing a book signing for a local author whose book releases in March. She’s a good friend of mine and I can’t wait to see where her own passions take her. Having the chance to capture her first author event for her book A Crown of Deceit is a gift.” She also continued to express her enthusiasm for her most beloved project: “My self love sessions are also really taking off and I can’t wait to see what they grow into. Hopefully one day I’ll be able to host a sort of retreat; a getaway of some kind for them.”

When asked what advice she would give to aspiring Black entrepreneurs in West Virginia, Crews didn’t hesitate in her heartfelt reply. “No matter how many times you get discouraged or someone tells you that you can’t, you can. As long as you believe in yourself and you have other people who believe in you, you can.”

She continued to express the changes and improvements she would like to see for Black-owned businesses in West Virginia. “I hope to see them recognized more as well as respected.” After successfully building a business from scratch despite the odds that were stacked against her, recognition and respect is owed to the photographer. With it, she impressively is able to work in a field that she is passionate about, exposing the beauty in authenticity and inspiring other Black entrepreneurs as well as the Appalachian locals.

Photos distributed by Indie Soul Photography:

La Rouge- Red Dress Event by the Riff Raff Arts Collective. Featuring model: Jasmine Day (Princeton, WV).

Self Love Session, Indie Soul Studio.

Self Love Session, Indie Soul Studio.

Self Love Session with local artist, Maddie Jackson, Gary Bowling’s House of Art (Bluefield, WV).

Self Love/Senior Session, Downtown Bramwell, WV.

Family Session, Downtown Bramwell, WV.

Couples Session, Glenwood Park, Princeton, WV.

Family Session, Glenwood Park, Princeton, WV.