Meet Olivia Wenger | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Olivia Wenger and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Olivia, how do you think about risk?
When thinking about risk and how I approach it in my own life and career, I remember the story my mom has always told me about teaching me to snow ski. She started by teaching my older brother who, after a few runs down the bunny hill, was ready to conquer some harder slopes… even if he wasn’t necessarily skilled enough to do so. I, however, spent a ridiculous amount of time on the bunny hill. I wanted to practice and be sure that I had my technique perfect before graduating onto the bigger hills. I wanted to ensure that I wouldn’t fail (or fall). She had to literally force me into trying some harder hills. After giving it a go, I realized I was actually very capable of skiing down the more challenging slopes and what was holding me back was not my skill, or lack of, but my mind.

Much like this story, I have always been very cautious when making moves in my business. I always assess all angles, run all the assessments, practice, and make sure I am set up as much as I possibly can for success before taking the plunge. BUT, the key is that eventually you do have to take the plunge. If you stay in the exploratory phase forever you will never be able to see what you are truly capable of. It is only with risk that you will see your business or career grow beyond what you ever imagined it was capable of.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I now have two different brands, Olivia D. Wenger Photography and VIA studios. Both are photography businesses but they offer different things and have completely different brand identities.

Olivia D. Wenger Photography was my first business. It started as any kind of photography people would hire me for, but as I grew, I found my niche in documentary style wedding photography. As a documentary style wedding photographer, I am always searching for the real and intimate parts of the day. I believe in the authenticity of a moment and genuine connection. I look for moments that unfold naturally, nothing forced, because wedding photos should be a reflection of who each individual couple is and the connection that they have. When the couple gets their photos back, I want them to be able to relive these moments and feel everything that they felt on their wedding day through their photos.

After being a wedding photographer for several years (6 to be exact), I started to venture into branding photography. At first it was something I did for a few friends to allow me to be creative in a different way outside of weddings but the more brands I worked with the more I fell in love with the process. Branding photography is such a different process than wedding photography. I have so much more creative freedom…I really get in the weeds of planning with my clients and the end result is always so cool to see. It is a true collaboration between the client and myself. So, about 1 month ago I officially launched VIA studios which is now my physical studio space as well as branding photography and videography.

I think at this point in my business, I am most proud of opening VIA studios. It has been a dream of mine since I started photography to own my own studio and have a place that would allow not only myself, but my clients to dream and create. I have put a lot of work into the physical space to make something that is unique but also transformable to allow creative freedom. It was also probably one of the hardest and most terrifying things I have done in my business. For so long my identity has been a wedding photographer. It was comfortable for me and it’s what people knew me as. I know what I need to do when I arrived on a wedding day, the moments to look for, how to direct my couples, my exact editing style… it was my bunny hill. I knew I needed to step beyond that though. I actually had the studio for a whole year before launching VIA studios. I spent that year getting the studio set up, doing photoshoots and figuring out exactly how I wanted to offer these branding experiences in a way that was set apart from the normal branding photoshoots. Finally, after a year I decided I had to do it. I had to launch the new brand and share what I was doing. It was now or never. I have come together with some of the top hair stylists, makeup artists, and set stylists to give my branding clients an entire experience. From start to finish they get to work with an entire team. We spend weeks beforehand creating art direction for their shoot, they get glammed with professional hair and makeup the day of and they have help with wardrobe selections. It is really a fun experience.

I would not say this journey has been easy. It has been a lot of hustle, working long hours, and a lot of trial and error. I look back at some of the first branding shoots I did or the first weddings I ever shot and I think wow, thank God these people took a chance on me. I’ve had so many people trust me and believe in me before they ever saw the end result. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them allowing me to show up on their wedding day or pitch them my big idea for their brands.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in Cleveland, Ohio so I am really hoping they are visiting in the summer because the winters are brutal and there isn’t a whole lot to do. So, for the sake of a better answer let’s say they are visiting in the summer. I would take them to Cleveland Chop for brunch. We would rollerblade around the lake at Edgewater park and have a cookout on the lawn by the lake. We would definitely enjoy a day on the lake either by boat or jet ski. I would also take them to the spotted owl, which is a cocktail bar in Tremont who specializes in creating cocktails based on the specific pallet you choose. In cleveland we also love our sports, so we would either hit up a Guardians game or Browns game. Even if they aren’t into sports, clevelanders are die hard fans so it’s an experience just to be there.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would definitely have to shout out my parents for this one. I am very fortunate to come from not only a family of business owners and entrepreneurs but parents who have supported what most of society would deem a “hobby” as a career path. From day one, when I told my parents “OK, I want to be a photographer” they’re reaction was not, ok great but go to college for something else so you have a backup plan, it was “awesome, how can we help you make this happen.” My dad was the one who helped me set up my business and still to this day is my biggest mentor. I am always blown away at his knowledge in business and incredibly grateful that he is willing to help shape my own career and business.

I also have to shout out the whole photo community in Cleveland, Ohio. We are a small group but everyone is always so willing to share experiences and encourage each other. It’s been really cool to be a part of.

Website: www.viastudioscle.com and www.oliviadwenger.com

Instagram: oliviadwenger and via.studios