wallflower friends - wallflower blog - featured: jodee molina

Thursday

Aug122010

featured: jodee molina

meet jodee molina, another fabulous photographer, who attended our spring retreat. we are probably going to sound like a broken record but we can't help it -- we're so proud of jodee and her growth as a photographer and artist. her work is as lovely as she is sweet. we're excited to share her interview and hoping you'll take some time to check out the rest of her website and portfolio.

Name: JoDee Molina
Business Name: Clementine Road
Location: Oklahoma City
Website: www.clementineroad.com

How many years have you been a photographer?
I could say two years or fourteen. This journey has taken the scenic route. It began when I was nineteen and studied in Paris. Life at home was routine and orderly. In Paris, life seemed urgent and unpredictable. One could get lost and come upon a real treasure-- a lovely shop or a beautiful fountain. Women walked all over the city wearing high-heels and grandmas were around wearing hats and gloves. Existence there struck me as so picturesque, so beautiful, like a movie. People seemed to be in costumes, even though they were not. It was at this point that I began to try my hand at capturing images on film. I wanted to preserve the moments around me as more than a memory. I wanted something tangible to document the differences between my world and theirs. I grabbed the only thing I had, my point-and-shoot film camera, and snapped away. After this wonderful Parisian experience, and upon my return to the states, I began to see my world and the people in it as clips of life, perfect for film. To learn more camera skills I worked in the art department's slide library at the university I was attending. My main job, besides filing slides, was to take photographs of every new textbook the art professors chose to use that year. This was back in 1996 when digital cameras were too new to be in slide libraries. I used an old beat-up camera attached to a tri-pod and snapped away for hours in a dark room. Through this experience not only did I get to view thousands of pieces of art, but I also learned about taking pictures. Photography then became a hobby for me and I continued to hone my eye through more travel and by studying magazines and their layouts. Ultimate inspiration hit ten years later when I had my beautiful daughter, Georgia. Probably like most moms reading this page, I wanted to capture every single moment of my child's life! She was too wonderful of a creation to ignore. I set about more formally studying the art of photography and found that the shoe just fit. Clementine Road was formed in December of 2009!

How would you describe your style?
I grew up in a house of book-reading girls and cherish the many strong women that have influenced my life. My style, which is still forming, is greatly influenced by these women. I would say that my photographs lean feminine and like the story-bookish. The landscape of Oklahoma, giant sky and miles of open fields, is ever present inside of me too. I find this reflected in the places I like to take pictures. Right now I'm fascinated with light, especially bokeh, and really want to put more of it in my work. I'm a light-seeking pilgrim at the moment.

Can you share why you chose to attend the wallflower friends retreat this past spring?
I discovered Leah Zawadzki's work through Flickr and was hooked on her use of color and light, not to mention her sublime ability to capture the emotion of children at play. Her talent inspired me and I wanted to be like her! When I learned about the retreat I immediately called my husband and then after a 5 minute conversation, booked a spot. I NEVER make descisions this quickly, but I knew that this retreat was for me. I was at that point in my artistic journey where a retreat with a bunch of like-minded artists was just the thing I needed. I'm soooooo glad I took that bold step. The experience was exceptional.

What was your favorite part of the retreat?
I most enjoyed dinnertime where we had an opportunity to eat together as a group and discuss photography at a leisurely and enjoyable pace. Deb and Leah were very transparent. It was nice to not have an agenda and instead sit back like old friends and talk about life, love and art. Also the portfolio review was enormously insightful.

Have you (as a photographer) or has your business grown or changed since returning from the retreat?
If so, in what ways? I have most definitely grown. I learned much about framing the photo, backing up and taking in a wider perspective, lighting and post-processing.

What type of photographer do you feel would most benefit from the wallflower friends retreat?
Any photographer who wants to grow will benefit! We had a wide range of levels at this retreat and I believe we all were stretched and challenged. Many of us still keep in touch and it is nice to have a community of photographers with whom one weeps and cheers!

Where do you see your photography going in the next couple years?
Did the retreat help shape that vision? I hope to get a firmer grasp on being honest in my work. There is so much inside of me that I want to express but it is sometimes difficult to pull it out and put it in a form that is truly, genuinely me . It is very easy, especially when formulating your style, to try and mimick the artists you admire. The challenge is to take the things you admire and craft them into your own expression. I feel like true art is honest. The wallflower retreat uniquely affirmed this vision.

What photographers most inspire you?
There is a huge range of photographers I love. The oldest I can think of is Henri Cartier Bresson and the youngest is Antonio Ysursa!

featured: jodee molina

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