Capturing the Color of Life

I’m Wendy Solomon, owner of Wendy Jade Photography in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  I think I fell in love with photography when my sister gave me a camera as a high school graduation gift.  From then on, I was the annoying friend who brought my camera everywhere, and photographed everything, no matter how mundane.

It was so important to me to document the events in life.  Because even back then, I understood that even though “you always have your memories”, your memories are greatly enhanced by the detail photographs can provide.  And I never wanted to forget a single person, life event, or shiny object!

So there are a lot of reasons why I do what I do.  It’s an honor to me to get to know you, to hear your story, and most importantly, to work together to preserve the most memorable times of your life. I'm sentimental. I've saved every birthday card, thank you note, mementos from trips, and photos for as long as I can remember. I believe it's more than just a photo, it's a keepsake.

Plus, a little confession…  All the people I work with are beautiful!  When I look through that lens, I see the sparkle in your eyes, your long legs, the quirky way your eyebrow goes up, that one gesture you do.  Your personality is shining through all of your features, and creating a unique, perfect you!  And I am so excited to find the best angle, the right lighting, and the best poses to help you show that off to the world.

In those early years with that first little 35 mm instamatic, I don’t think it occurred to me that photography could be a profession, so I became an esthetician and sold skin care and cosmetics. I loved that work as well, but I was also doing photography as a hobby at the same time. Along the way, I met my sweetheart, Roy, and we got married on Friday the 13th of December, 1985.  He is my rock and helps out – sometimes willingly – when I need him to be a test model.  Having a husband/best friend by my side for that long reinforces my love of photographing weddings and getting to be a part of the beginning of another couple’s journey.

In my photography business, I shoot a variety of things, but I really focus on weddings and engagements, and on business branding and headshots.  I know, I know – it would be simpler if I chose just one of those things.  But the things I like about both types of photography are the same.  People plus details.  With weddings, I really get to know the wedding couple and their families -I often feel like I'm part of the family by the end of the day -  which helps me to find and capture in photos what is unique and special about them.

Plus, I get to have a little bit of everything – portraits, families, events, food, still life, macro, outdoor landscapes, interior scenes, architecture, etc.  I like the blend of multiple niches in one day!  

With business branding, it’s the same thing.  I’m learning about a person or persons and their business, how it works, who their customers are, how they market their brand, and more.  So again, it’s all about the people – and about the variety in the work.

But the single thing that defines me is that I live my life out loud, in color!  I see things in color, and am attracted to color.  My décor and clothing are typically vibrant.  And for my photographs, I seek out and edit for full, glorious color.  My clients usually are on the same page about this.  One of my clients told me, “We like your work because we are artists and we love color.  We’re not pastel people!”

I would describe my work as colorful (obviously), bright, and “unposed”.  Unless you are comfortable posing, and know what you want, I will give you direction for photos that have that editorial feel.

Outside of work, I like nature walks, chocolate, animals, sparkly things, chocolate, reading books or watching movies (especially horror), and did I mention chocolate?  Past pets have included cats, dogs, rats, frogs, and spiders, and I really do like all living things except for mosquitos.  I’ve been known to be a risk-taker at times, and have been skydiving and bungee jumping, so if those skills are ever needed at your event, you can count me in!

Connect with me on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram, or set up a time for a free call to talk about your photography needs.

Check out my galleries for samples of my work.