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September 16, 2024
EAU GALLE – Summer Blodgett, 24, said she’s always had an affinity for photography.
“I’ve taken pictures over the years with my family’s cameras and my phone, and people said I took good pictures, so I figured I’d turn it into something,” she said. “I love helping others capture moments to save for a lifetime.”
Blodgett said the birth of her daughter a little more than a year ago gave her the push she needed to take her passion further as she got into the routine of photographing the rapid growth of baby Reba.
“I started by taking monthly pictures of her,” she said. “Then I did a bunch of low-cost sessions for family and friends, and it kind of went from there.”
Today, Blodgett said her business – Wild Skye Photography LLC – offers an array of session types, including boudoir, branding, couples, family, graduation, maternity, newborn, pets and other animals and portraits.
“I have always loved photography and animals – especially horses – so I decided to combine the two,” she said.
Capturing moments in time
Blodgett said she describes her style as one that focuses on “true color that’s bold and vibrant with a moody feel” – avoiding posed subjects as much as possible.
“I go more for prompts, or I have people in the middle of an action,” she said. “The best are where you’re in the middle of doing something. Posed photos are not necessarily capturing a moment in time, and I like to incorporate what a person’s regular life is like.”
Blodgett said every photographer has to find their style – sometimes that stays the same and other times it changes over time.
“The best part about each photographer doing things a little different from another is that there is someone for everyone,” she said.
This comes into account, Blodgett said, during a session.
“When you book a session, you will receive a style guide that explains everything you’ll need to know,” she said. “I love moody earthy tones (browns, greens, dark oranges).”
With children, Blodgett said incorporating a favorite stuffed animal or toy in a session allows the subject to relax and enjoy the process.
She said that also applies to adults, whether it’s for a boudoir or branding session.
“Boudoir is becoming more popular than it used to be and more appropriate, really,” she said. “I would say boudoir is about expressing yourself, love and confidence.”
Branding sessions, Blodgett said, are designed for business owners who need photos for websites or promotional materials.
“I like to help business owners express their style and advertise their business with photos,” she said.
Blodgett said she offers various session options – including full (up to 60 minutes), mini (up to 20 minutes), every detail, build your own and pop-up mini – as well as a few extra add-ons, including in-depth single portraits to accompany large family sessions.
Natural settings
Blodgett has access to studio rentals when needed but said she prefers to shoot sessions outdoors – citing a love of nature.
“Because I’m here to capture your reality and preserve it for years to come, I’m here to capture real moments, not fake ones,” she said. “Each person is beautiful the way they are. Anyone can learn Photoshop and create photos, but you can’t create real-life moments and feelings on a computer screen.”
Blodgett said she is also passionate about horses – something that was cultivated at a young age.
“One day, my dad took me horseback riding (when I was in) kindergarten and that developed my love for them,” she said. “Every year since, I would do riding lessons or camps, and then I got my own at 16 – (Ravinia, who she still has).”
Blodgett said she also enjoys training horses and working with other trainers.
“In my journey, I learned to love helping them grow,” she said. “Seeing them go from nothing to something, and grow and mature, is incredible.”
Outside of photography, Blodgett said she also feeds calves at a local farm.
“I absolutely love working on a farm, being around livestock and being outside,” she said.
Positive feedback
Blodgett said the feedback she has received from customers with online reviews – including from Melissa Melcher – has been very positive.
Melcher, who worked with Blodgett on a horse session, wrote that at first, she wasn’t sure what to expect.
“When I signed up for a slot with her, I wasn’t sure what to expect, I was just hoping to get a couple decent pictures,” Melcher wrote in her review. “What I didn’t expect was 100-plus stunning photos of my horses and myself. Seriously, I can’t praise her enough.”
Though the weather on the day of the shoot was less than cooperative, Melcher wrote that you’d never know it by looking at the finished shots received from Blodgett.
“I’m looking forward to another session,” she said.
Blodgett said she wants to be prepared for anything when it comes to photography – which means practice and education.
“(As a self-taught photographer), I have been spending my time researching everything I can up and down about photography,” she said. “I spend hours on YouTube watching videos, learning and then practicing what I learned.”
Like many things in life, Blodgett said photography is much more difficult than it seems.
“There is (always something to) learn – settings, modes, lighting, angles, colors and so much more,” she said. “The best part is that the learning is never-ending – even the best photographers, like the best athletes – still need to learn and practice.”
Passion-inspired name
Blodgett said the name of the business is a nod to her passions.
“It was very difficult to come up with, and I went back and forth on a lot of different names,” she said.
But in the end, Blodgett said she chose the word “wild” as a nod to horse photography with Skye being her daughter’s middle name.
More on Wild Skye Photography, LLC can be found at unscriptedphotographers.com/wildskye.
