In this lifetime, in my career, I am an artist first. I am on a journey to express myself and my drive rarely wanes. I want to leave something behind that is from my brain alone. My most personal work consists of my paintings, collages, and artistic photography.

When I am invited to your home or your wedding, I come with an open mind. I have photographed numerous weddings, a lot of pregnant mamas, a lot of interesting people. There is, however, always something for me to learn, something being reflected back to me or some creative challenge ready to teach me and expand my vision for future work.

I am a mother and the process of bringing two children into this world has taught me more about how I want to live my life than any other single experience. The desire to be a supportive, nurturing, positive mother has helped me work on my personal struggles and I think I am finally learning what it means to be compassionate, what it means to be patient, what it means to be committed. This I learn every day, with plenty of mistakes made along the way.

I give you this insight into my intimate thoughts because photographing another individual can be personal. Every person is a miracle. Each human looks different, acts and reacts in their own unique way. To truly capture a person's existence is not a quick process, it takes a thoughtful approach which at times adds to the length of time I spend with my clients. Sometimes my shoots take a little more time than the traditional photographic session.

During a photography shoot I do become aware of physical details, but I’m also busy perceiving something else: a person’s essence. How they carry themselves, what tone of voice they use, what kind of body language they have when interacting with others. More importantly, I become aware who they are inside. While I don’t assume to know everything about a person upon first meeting, I do have an ability to perceive visual and soulful clues that help me depict who this person is today.

The skills I use in photo shoots are a culmination of 15 years of experience. I earned a Bachelor’s degree in photojournalism at the University of Texas at Austin then worked as a writer and photographer at the Athens Daily Review. My focus began to shift towards artistic photography as I studied the photography collection at U.T.’s Harry Ransom Center where I worked for over a year. I also began shooting weddings and served as a wedding assistant for a local wedding photographer. Eventually I earned my teacher’s certification and taught in the Austin school district for several years, then stopped to have my two children. My work in photographic art continued to evolve and soon an interest in three dimensional work, sculpture, photo collage and painting developed. I am currently working on my portfolio which will lead to someday earning a Master’s degree in fine art.

I approach shoots with an open mind and gather input from my clients. I enjoy getting to know the people I work with. We talk and converse as we go and develop an ease with one another. Over time I will perceive something interesting and capture it. At once, an original record is created. A moment in time encapsulated. A memory transformed to a symbol that will last forever.

I look forward to working with you to capture the heart of an important event in your life.

--- Heidi Schlenk