Today we’d like to introduce you to Cindie Wolf.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Cindie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I took my first photograph at 15 and fell in love with the medium. My entrepreneurial journey started when my husband and I started our own business. In that business, I spent a lot of time photographing automotive racing and documenting our business. This expanded over time along with documenting life, travel and our family.
Everything changed for me the day I took some art to have framed and the owner of the gallery mentioned to me that she’d liked the art I was creating and would like me to display it in her gallery. At the artist reception, I was surprised that my art started selling. My girlfriend and fellow photographer signed up to continue our education at UCSD Extension in their Certificate of Professional Photography Program. Here I found and focused on my passion for portraits.
Then, everything changed again when my youngest daughter and I started preparing for her upcoming wedding. We sat down to put together prints and digitals as a slideshow that was needed for the event. We sifted through the crates of film photographs I had collected over the years, looking for the pictures that would portray our family and her childhood. We laughed and cried celebrating the different moments we re-lived in those pictures. It was hard for me as I went through them because I knew these times were over. Then, she looked at me and said: “Mom, you’ve done an amazing job of documenting our lives, but you’re not in any of the pictures”! And she was right.
The more women I photographed, the more I realized that most women were so busy taking care of their families and jobs, they weren’t really taking care of themselves and didn’t measure up to their own standards. I realized there were a lot of women like me that focused on their children and were not in the photographs with their kids. I made it a mission to get moms in the picture with their children and families. I became focused on creating the most beautiful portraits my clients had ever seen of themselves by increasing my education and studying with some of the great names in photography. Then I found this quote by Freida Kahlo and it became my mission statement:
“If I could give you one thing in life,
I would give you the ability
to see yourself through my eyes.
Only then, would you realize
how special you are to me”.
This is what drives me, it’s my “WHY”.
Has it been a smooth road?
Haha! No, this has not been smooth at all. Through all the twists and turns of life, it’s been a bit crazy, but it’s made me realize what a strong drive I have to record the truth and value of someone’s life and provide them memories in a tangible way.
I had a few freak accidents where I ended up breaking both shoulders and my wrist. While all the injuries happened in the same year, it took more than a couple of years after the injuries happened to repair all of them. In physical therapy, I had to strengthen my hand and teach my wrist and fingers to bend again. Then, I had to strengthen my wrist so I could hold my camera, let alone carry my gear. It was long, painful and hard. I learned the power of starting over, again and with intention.
And then, I photographed a couple from out of town. We met at the beach where they danced in the water, played with their dogs, ran and laughed, hugged and acted like teenagers in love. It was a day of joy. A few months later, the husband called me crying to tell me that that day was his wife’s last best day; she had died from cancer. He cried again when he thanked me for the fun and for the portraits of them together.
That was the day I learned somethings you don’t get over. I am thankful to have served them and given them a great experience. It reinforced the power of a printed portrait that hangs on the wall. When you walk by a portrait, it calls you to linger, to remember and to live that moment again.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I specialize in Vanity Fair style contemporary Fine Art portraits of women, parenting, relationships, generations, and children. To me, creating beautiful art that tells a story and can be a legacy is valuable and important. I offer a pampering experience where each client feels safe and not alone in front of the camera; they quickly learn they can trust me to be coached into the most flattering poses for them. There’s magic that happens when photographing a anyone who is self-conscious and honestly, most of us become self-conscious in front of a camera. In the process she finds her confidence, becomes comfortable in her skin and commands attention with her own unique beauty and joy. The same magic happens with a camera shy “warrior type” dad that doesn’t show emotion; when he holds whoever is dear to him, or let’s his guard down playing in front of the camera, well, his face shows it all. It shows in the art, and then they will never forget how beautiful or powerful or how much they love and how loved they are…
What sets you apart?
I’ve lived a bit and am older now, I think this helps me connect with people in a deeper more relaxed way. I enjoy and can anticipate connecting with different moments, and difficult moments. My experiences to this point help me understand the importance of those moments. I can see what’s going to happen next, so to speak. I see the deeper value in our struggles and interactions, valuing it all so much more than when I was younger. When an angry child climbs into her mamas’ lap and finally relaxes with her to be photographed, or when a woman who has been so broken down by her circumstances says: “I want you to photograph my soul”, I get it and I’ve done my job well.
I’m always studying to learn more and be better. I have had the honor and pleasure to study under some of the incredible top named artists in the industry. With the education I also make sure to compete in professional image competitions. You learn really quick when the professionally trained judges (trained by Professional Photographers of America) are telling you what you did right and especially what you did wrong. I have won numerous awards in multiple professional competitions in local, national/international competitions.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I did a project in one of my classes at UCSD. We were to find a leading photographer in the field we wanted to be in and interview them about their success. Everyone in the class reported back the same thing I found in the interview I did. The people we spoke to said: “You could be the best photographer in the world, but if you’re not a good business person or a good marketer, you won’t get anywhere and you’ll go out of business.
If someone is just starting or struggling in a photography business, I would recommend looking into the science behind setting a price for your service and products. Know what all your costs are, including the cost of paying yourself a salary, retirement and especially taxes.
Pricing:
- Session Fees start at $250
- Gift Prints start at $85
- Framed Wall Art starts at $495
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ownthemoments.com
- Phone: 619.208.1282
- Email: info@ownthemoments.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ownthemomentsphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OwnTheMomentsPhotography/
Image Credit:
@Cindie Wolf Photography
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