Today we’d like to introduce you to Briana Jones.
Briana, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My creative journey began after graduating from Howard University, when I moved to New York and fell in love with photography. New York has a beautiful way of pulling creativity out of you that you didn’t know you had. It creates this freedom to experiment, try new things, and fail without judgment because literally no one cares! That freedom became foundational to who I am. The space to explore helped me discover my voice, my eye, my fashion and more.
I picked up a camera in 2015 as a way to meet people in a new city, but it quickly became so much more. Through it, I found a community of artists and creatives who inspired and challenged me. I began curating my own gallery shows in Brooklyn, featuring the work of incredible photographers alongside my own. Over time, I realized I wasn’t just taking pictures; I was shaping stories, designing experiences, and helping other creatives elevate their brands. At its core, I knew I wanted to do this on a larger scale so I went on to get my MBA at the University of Michigan.
After graduating, I moved to Dallas to launch my marketing career, focusing on brand building and experiential activations while continuing to grow my brand photography business. While in Dallas I also met my partner in life and love, who helped me to evolve as an artist, a person, an entrepreneur, and so much more. Together, we created 2Twelve, a lifestyle brand that integrates into creative spaces as a means to ignite intentional connection, conversation and ultimately strong community. We saw a gap in creative spaces, where genuine connection didn’t feel like the focus, so we decided to create it. Our launch event included tea-infused NA drinks, a gallery of local artists, live painting, and intentional details designed to spark conversation and connection. Since then, we’ve continued curating experiences across the city. You can find us next at our 1st event of 2026, Victory Lap: A Dry January Tea Experience, featuring bottomless tea infused NA drinks, a curated selection of tea infused light bites to pair, live painting and live music all evening. Tickets are now available in the @2twelvestudios Instagram bio.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has been far from smooth but I have been very blessed and I’m incredibly grateful for that. For a long time, I felt pressured to choose a single lane and doubled down on it. There was this underlying belief that focusing on too many things meant I couldn’t excel at any one of them. But over time, I’ve come to understand that my breadth is actually my strength. Navigating both entrepreneurship and corporate spaces has given me foundational marketing skills, access to resources and unique experiences, as well as a strategic lens that allows me to create more thoughtfully and move more intentionally. Leaning into that duality instead of fighting it has been a turning point. I now see how each experience informs the next, how every step along my journey has happened for a reason and equipped me for the next phase. Showing up fully as a photographer, a curator, and a brand builder makes my work stronger, more competitive, and more aligned with who I truly am.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a brand photographer, marketer, and curator. I help individuals, creatives, and brands bring their ideas to life by creating visuals that tell a story and clearly tie back to a strategic brand plan. For me, it’s more than just a creative photo but a collective of visuals with purpose, designed to support specific business and creative goals.
What sets me apart is both my range and my approach. My creative eye guides how I photograph and curate, while my business background strengthens the strategy behind the work and how it’s executed. I understand how visuals function beyond aesthetics, how they live across platforms, support campaigns, and help brands communicate more clearly and confidently. That ability to bridge creative and strategic thinking allows me to deliver work that’s not only beautiful, but effective.
I’m proud of many things, but most recently launching 2Twelve and the impact it’s already having. So many people, including myself, are looking for genuine community and intentional spaces and we’ve been able to create just that. Selling out our launch event and hearing people describe the experience specifically as “intentional” affirmed that the event resonated exactly in the way we hoped. I’m excited to continue curating spaces that resonate so deeply with people and help to grow our community.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
One of the qualities that’s been most important to my success is my ability to help people feel comfortable, seen, and valued. Whether I’m photographing a client, creating a marketing strategy or curating an experience, I’m intentional about creating energy and spaces where people can show up fully as themselves. Most people aren’t naturally comfortable in front of a camera, but something shifts when they feel safe and supported. My energy helps people relax into who they really are, and that’s the version I’m able to capture.
The Maya Angelou quote stays with me: people may not remember what you said, but they’ll always remember how you made them feel. The feeling of being seen or inspired creates a connection that sustains long after any shoot or event. It’s also what continues to attract the right people, places, and opportunities into my life and my creative journey. When someone feels good in your presence, they trust you with their stories, and for me, that trust is everything.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.iamjvisuals.com
- Instagram: @iamj.visuals
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/bjalexis
- Other: @2twelvestudios
Image Credits
DSC05722 & DSC05732 – Imani Black Studios
IMG _1530 – Sammy Lee Photography
