Granby's Indigo Images Photography Studio A Truly Involved Local Business

Granby’s Indigo Images photography studio is well known throughout the area for its high quality photography work, welcoming and warm atmosphere and community involvement. Those qualities are all reflections of its owner, Wendy Van Welie.

The studio, open in its current location at 25 Hartford Ave. since November 2006, is the result of Van Welie combining her passion for photography and existing home studio with a desire to operate a successful and community-oriented business. Her two internship programs, offered through Granby Memorial High School, are as important as her portrait work, which focuses on high school seniors, pets and babies.

Van Welie, a native of South Africa who came to Granby in 2000 with her family after a few stops in between, said her challenge is getting the look that the subject’s mother would love. A mother of two, she can connect with that challenge. She was quick to praise the local community — she loves "feeling the heartbeat in town” from her downtown location — and school system as significant benefits of being both a town resident and local business owner.

“We love the school district and the people at the school,” she said. “[Granby is] one of the hidden treasures of the valley."

As part of giving back to the community as well as sharing her talent, Van Welie has provided instruction in photography with a focus on action and movement to six students working on the GMHS yearbook each school year. That program is entering its third year and the owner of Indigo Images is happy with the results of the program.
“The kids love it,” she said.

A more intensive program, with two seniors from the high school working with Van Welie at her studio, combines developing photography skills with learning about running a business. That combination is important for students interested in a career in fine arts.

“My goal is to teach these kids,” she said.

Van Welie said she’s been happily surprised with the work and talent of the students under her wing.

“It amazes me, it inspires me,” she said.

Van Welie grew up with and trained in traditional film photography and said she was “dragged kicking and screaming” into the digital realm, but, having realized both the artistic advantages of digital work and the reality of the current marketplace for photography, wouldn’t switch back if given the chance.

But digital photography presents issues for professional and amateur photographers. Professionals have to deal with a flood of stock photography and placing more emphasis and effort on creating a unique look that customers want. A problem affecting all photographers, and even those who don’t look through a viewfinder, is that photographs that used to be displayed prominently in homes now sit hidden on hard drives and other digital storage and are eventually lost.

“Everyone should print one great shot per year,” Van Welie said.

With the advent of digital photography, Van Welie has focused on branding her business and images as well as giving her clients something they can’t give themselves.
“Anybody can get a picture, but it’s about getting the perfect picture,” she said.

Her work is characterized by an element of naturalness without being over posed.

“I have a specific look,” she said, noting that the look isn’t for everyone but her customers are almost always happy with the result. “It’s about the person.”

That philosophy has informed Van Welie’s newest focus, fashion photography with a focus on women between the ages of 35 and 65. She plans to emphasize and expand that concept in 2013. Included in that group are women who are dealing with breast cancer and breast cancer survivors. Van Welie said women who have or have previously had breast cancer often want to reinvent themselves and portrait photographs really help.

“Every woman is beautiful and they deserve to know it,” she said. “Who doesn’t want to remember themselves as beautiful?”