November 2011
Behind the Lens
by JoAnne Lee
A love of skiing, photography and sharing knowledge keeps Wende Woolley on the slopes and busy snapping her shutter in and around Angel Fire. Married to her husband, Mike, for forty years this summer, the Woolley's are proud parents and grandparents.
A transplant from Rockwall, Texas, Woolley moved to the Moreno Valley 18 years ago. Even with a thriving photography business and a husband who was a worship leader, Woolley knew it was the right time to make the move. "Our sons were grown, we had always loved the mountains. The time was right to leave the city, so we did," Woolley says.
Many Enchanted Circle residents know Woolley for her beautiful images of Wheeler Peak and surrounding valleys. "From my earliest memories I was painting, sketching and sculpting the human figure," Woolley says. "I wanted to be an artist. Late in high school, I got into singing. I was a vocal music major in college, and art was not my focus. After my first son was born, I thought I would take up painting again, but he kept finding ways to grab the paints and brushes for tasting. So I packed the paints away and picked up a camera. With my cute little first subject to train me, I realized this was my niche."
Name
Wende Woolley
Resides In
Angel Fire
Co-op Member
Kit Carson Electric
Occupation
Photographer
An Unforgettable Moment
Halfway through a wedd-ing reception she realized her camera had no film.
In Her Words
"I shot, and still shoot a little bit of everything, but to me the most fun subject to photograph is a tiny, little, squishy-faced baby sleeping peacefully."
From her lifelong love of art, Woolley has built a business from her passion. Over the years, she has created numerous memories of the people and places her photography has exposed her to. "I guess the scariest stuff for me was having a flat tire after a late shoot at the World Trade Center in Dallas," Woolley recalls.
"When I lived in the Metroplex, I made the mistake of mentioning in an ad that I did boudoir portraits. How was I to know that would be an invitation for every creepy dude with strange fantasies to call and describe the portraits they wanted? For the record, I do not shoot boudoir now or anyone naked except for little, itty, bitty babies."
Woolley finds peace and serenity when capturing her smallest clients on film. "I shot, and still shoot a little bit of everything, but to me the most fun subject to photograph is a tiny, little, squishy-faced baby sleeping peacefully," Woolley says.
Through her portraits, Woolley makes connections and helps families preserve memories. "I tell people that a portrait is not for now, it is for 20 years from now. It is so we can remember the people that have brought us pleasure in our lives and shaped us to be who we are," she says.
Twenty plus years behind the lens has brought a myriad of experiences to Woolley and with that wisdom, she passes on to others. "Once I was halfway through a wedding reception and realized my camera had no film in it," Woolley confessed. "Fortunately, I was able to re-shoot everything and no one was the wiser. But I learned to triple check after that experience and it hasn't happened since."
Woolley's clientele and style of photography morphed from early childhood photo sessions to shooting groups and landscapes. "My niche here seems to be family reunions and events," she says.
Based out of the Angel Fire area, Wende Woolley is easy to reach via e-mail at wenwool@aol.com. Her photography website is wendewoolleyphotography.com.
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