Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Curry Wingrove
Hi Jennifer, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was the principal Ballerina for the California Ballet Company for many years. I ate, drank, and breathed ballet for decades of my life, studying in the US as well as in Russia and performing internationally. It was my everything. I worked diligently through physical challenges, emotional breakdowns, and artistic breakthroughs, and was so very blessed to earn the opportunity to dance the roles of my dreams. I was part of a magical world, a world designed to pull the audience into a surreal moment in time through beauty and imagination and atmosphere. During my dancing career, I would pick up a camera in my in-between times and capture moments of beauty and realism both onstage and off. My mother was a professional photographer herself, and I learned by watching her craft, as well as taking photography courses in high school and winning awards in local photography competitions. It was a real film back then, and we had a darkroom set up in our garage. I still remember the smells of the processing chemicals! Later in college, I became a photographer for the USCD college newspaper, covering campus events. I continued my dancing profession into my early forties. With retirement on the horizon, I looked for other ways to continue expressing my artistry and creating magic for the audience.
After a bit of a photography hiatus, I picked up the camera again and starting shooting dance portraits for fun. Some of these portraits were down in an urban setting in downtown San Diego, and some in the studio that I was using for my Pilates business. I did not have a lot of fancy photography equipment at the time, but what I did have was the eye for what makes great dance photography. So I made due and created some good images with amazing dancers. It sparked the fire to want to create more – with all types of subjects, not just dancers. I started doing headshots for actors and musicians, family portraits, engagement portraits, baby portraits, and even pet portraits! Eventually, I took the risk and officially leased a space. Developing that space to what it is today has given me so much fulfillment and joy. I finally feel confident in what I have to offer to my clients and excited about the business process. I feel such great satisfaction in creating something that my clients are proud to share as representations of who they are and what they stand for.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
“Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.” -Oprah Winfrey. Struggle is the pre-condition for growth. The moment we stop struggling is the moment that we stop taking on big enough challenges. There is no place for entitlement in entrepreneurship. As a dancer, we are always in the mindset of being “not good enough.” We are constantly comparing ourselves to the success of others and never feel like we are perfect enough. The same mindset followed me into the world of the business of photography. There are SO MANY amazing photographers out there that I respect and admire. When I compare my work to theirs, there is always what seems like so much room for improvement in my art. But what I’ve come to realize is that we all have our own voice and expression and that mine is just as important as theirs. I kept shooting, kept taking workshops, kept asking questions, and continued on the diligent journey for knowledge and experience. I originally struggled with the idea of opening up my own studio for a long time, thinking, “what if I’m not successful” a mindset that creates stagnation rather than creation. But through risk and courage and the thought “now or never,” I went for it. And it has been nothing but amazing. I have had the opportunity to work with so many different types of clients, and each session has been a learning and growing experience.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Wingrove Studios Photography?
Wingrove Studios Photography represents high-quality portraiture and the opportunity for clients to walk out with something they will treasure forever. WSP is a creative space developed for clients who want to explore through photography or film genres, either in front of the camera or behind. The expertise in Dance Photography sets me apart from other professional photographers. As a retired Ballerina of the California Ballet Company, I know what makes great dance photography. I had the opportunity to study the art of ballet with the greats in Russia and here in my hometown San Diego. I have performed lead roles nationally and internationally and have had the opportunity to choreograph award-winning pieces along the way. During my career, I would pick up the camera to capture dancers’ dance images both onstage and off. Upon retirement, my passion for dance portraiture grew, as it kept me within a world I knew and loved my whole life. Not only do I understand dancers and their language, but I understand what movements and lines are the ideal moments to capture. Though my forte is dance portraiture, my client is anyone who desires to get images that best represent who they are and what they stand for. I always ask my clients to describe themselves in three adjectives before we shoot, and I try to capture the way my clients desire to see themselves. I tend to have fun with my clients during our sessions, and they leave feeling good about themselves as well as excited and fulfilled about the experience overall. The moment that makes me the happiest in the process is that moment a client sees their image and exclaims, “Wow! That’s me!”
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
What might surprise some that do not know me is that I became an experienced aerialist upon the retirement of a professional ballet career! My love for dance and movement took to new heights, and I quickly fell in love with aerial dance. My forte is silks, and in fact, I have a 25′ rig in my backyard for practice and fun. I founded the Astraeus Aerial Dance Theatre with an incredible group of local aerialists. I produced and choreographed award-winning shows for the San Diego International Fringe Festival and the Great Salt Lake City Fringe Festival. Honestly, I am surrounded by the most incredible people and Artists, and I feel extremely blessed for it!
Contact Info:
- Address: 4698 Alvarado Canyon Road San Diego, CA 92120
- Email: wingrovestudios@gmail.com
- Website: www.
wingrovestudiosphotography.com - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wingrove.studios.photography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wingrovestudiosphotography
Image Credits
Jennifer Curry Wingrove / Wingrove Studios Photography
