Capturing life moments and art
Todd Wildenauer, a Stillwater native, has been taking photos since he was a kid in the ‘80s. As a high schooler, he’d put himself to work snapping photos of concerts, events, and landscapes.
Working in a pre-digital world, you had to be more deliberate in the photography process and settings. There were no digital views or post-production touch-ups and fixes. All the work was done on the front end, with light, composition, and careful development.
Todd honed his photography skills – capturing life, events, and natural beauty – that would shape his art today.
While photography was always a passion, Todd studied accounting in college, and became a CPA. He enjoyed this work and succeeded at it for many years. But unlike pre-digital photography, a career can change – and be improved – at any time. Eventually, Todd became a stay-at-home dad. Besides doing the important work of caring for his family, it also gave him the chance to return to the work he’d loved since he was a kid. He threw himself back into photography with a passion.
Being a dad at home, he says, allowed him to “go with [his] passion.” Capturing life’s beauty. Immortalizing the ephemeral moments that make a life worth living. And because he had training as a CPA, it was no trouble at all for him to go about starting and running his own photography business. In the following years, Wildenauer Photography has flourished.
As a professional lifestyle photographer, Todd has been with families during some of their happiest moments. His portfolio is full of sunset weddings, newborns, giggly kids, and beaming high school seniors. Often, those high school seniors become happy newlyweds and parents themselves, and again and again, they return to Todd to capture their special moments.
He’s also been with families during moments of grief. His photos have appeared in obituaries and memorials. Some of the people he’s come to know on the other side of the camera lens are now remembered in captured moments. These photos hold treasured memories for family and friends, which spark emotion and love.
Those experiences have given him a new perspective on his work in the moment-capturing business. There is a sacred aspect to preserving a second in time. He likes to think donating to Art 4 Shelter is another way he can use that power for good.
“I have been so blessed with opportunities to collaborate in the creation of these treasures,” he says. However he can give those blessings back to the community, he will.
The pandemic has changed a lot in the photography industry. It’s harder to connect with families and corporate events these days, yet Todd is starting to see positive signs of rebound. Additionally, he’s spending more time out in nature, and in northern Minnesota, capturing moments of a different kind. The Northern Lights. Moose. Pine martens. Wolves. Many varieties of birds. This is another step in his evolution as a photographer, an artist, and as a person.
“We have to push on,” he says. “Life is full of beauty, and I’m honored to capture life’s moments to bring awe, wonder and joy to people around the world.”
You can find Todd’s photography at wildenauerphotography.com, Wildenauer Photography on Facebook, and @wildenauer_photography on Instagram.
To learn more about Art 4 Shelter, visit art4shelter.org.