Today we’d like to introduce you to Jen Wojcik.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I have been photographing weddings for 7+ years and for me it all began when my husband, then fiancé, came home with our first DSLR camera as a surprise for our upcoming honeymoon. I was instantly hooked and started booking as many sessions as I could to master portrait photography. I dropped everything I was doing, including my masters in Art History, in order to pursue photographing weddings.
In college I lived in Rome studying the Renaissance and Baroque periods. I loved Art History because it was about preserving people and their stories from long ago. People want to be remembered and I was fascinated by the mediums and lengths they would go to in order to do so. Wedding photography for me became the perfect blend of history, love, and art. I loved the idea that the photo I took would hang on my client’s walls for their children and grandchildren to see.
Looking back, photography was always there. As a kid I used to endlessly flip through my mom’s photo albums, fascinated by the preserved moments and memories I saw. And in middle and high school I always had a disposable camera in my purse. I wish I had been able to see it sooner.
Please tell us about your art.
As a photographer my tools are my camera, my subject, and my light. I love the simplicity of it. And also, the complexity, because the possibilities are endless. For years, I’ve worked almost exclusively as a fine art film photographer. I love using film because of the softness, texture, and depth that it lends to portrait photography. It simply can’t be replicated with digital photography and, I think, transcends whatever the current wedding photography trends are. Film is timeless.
Film also makes you stop and think before you take the shot for the simple reason that it’s expensive to develop. As a medium format photographer, you’re only working with 16 shots per roll before you have to reload, so you have to make them count. Shooting film makes me more focused, more intentional, and I think, a better photographer.
Recently, I’ve teamed up with some of my wedding industry colleagues and friends to launch a wedding stock photography company, called Sourced Co. and it’s pushed and challenged the skills I’ve built over the last 7 years. I’ve had to learn how to see things in new ways, to photograph with artificial light instead of natural, and to shoot tethered to a computer while my team pivots and adjusts throughout the shoot. It’s a challenge, but one that I love.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today?
I think the biggest challenges facing artists today are the same that artists have faced throughout history, they’ve just taken on new forms. Competition and plagiarism are something that we all worry about, but I truly believe that if we’re finding inspiration on our own and staying true to ourselves while bringing our creations to life, there’s nothing to fear.
I think artists today spend too much time thinking about who is seeing their work and how many Instagram followers they have. Creatively, it feels so refreshing to step out of those spaces and just play. Just create.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
My wedding photography can be found at www.jenwojcik.com or @jenwojcik. My latest business baby can be found at www.sourcedco.com or @sourced_co.
We launched Sourced Co. on May 31st of this year and the best way to support would be by spreading the word for us to anyone you think might need beautiful imagery. We are a team that thinks the beautiful images wedding professionals need to build their businesses and continue to help spark conversation with their ideal clients should be easy to get, work seamlessly beside their portfolio, and not break the bank.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sourcedco.com
- Email: jen@jenwojcikphotography.com
- Instagram: @sourced_co/@jenwojcik
- Other: www.jenwojcik.com
Image Credit:
Jen Wojcik
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