Conversations with Beck Waehner

Today we’d like to introduce you to Beck Waehner.

Hi Beck, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I fell in love with photography when I was eighteen. I took pictures every chance I had and built a darkroom in my apartment bathroom. I knew from the start that I wanted to have control of the image from start to finish. I went on to study Commercial Photography at Randolph Community College in Asheboro, NC. For me, it was the dawn of the digital age. It brought a whole new level to controlling the final image. After college I branched off on a different path and pursued silversmithing and jewelry making for the better part of a decade. Wyldeflower Studio is how I came full circle. While I love digital photography, I have a deep need to work with hands on craft. When I discovered the process of digital printing on aluminum, I knew it was perfect. I began building a print lab at home and learning the process from start to finish, to ensure that my original vision is embodied in the final piece.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth road; it was a winding path that came full circle. When I was working with silver jewelry, there were years when I did no professional photography at all. While I loved the medium, I found it stressful. I’m a perfectionist, as all jewelers should be, but I’m also frugal. I found it very difficult expand my own boundaries in any way that risked a mistake that might cause precious metal to be scrapped. I was neurotic about it! I stopped working with silver abruptly, when I got into a car accident that caused an airbag to sprain my thumbs. That was difficult, I had no idea what my career would be- traditional metalsmithing requires strong and precise grip. I began working with other media like glass enamel with iron oxide images embedded in it, but it took about two years to find the printing process I use now. Once I found that medium, I knew it was perfect, but it took some time to build my knowledge base and to get a printing studio up and running.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m most known for botanical photography. Paintings or carvings of flowers and plants have always been a huge theme in decorative art. My interpretation is photographic images and vivid color on a wide range of items like cutting boards, coasters, and jewelry, as well as wall art. I love nature and gardens, and I hope my work inspires people to share a bit of that wonder. I’m also very proud of our initiatives to educate people about protecting pollinators. We donate a portion of our profit to organizations that help protect pollinators.

How do you define success?
To earn a living making things I love, and to inspire people to see the world a little diffrently.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://www.wyldeflowerstudio.com/
• Instagram: @Wyldeflower_Studio
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WyldeflowerStudio
• Twitter: @WyldeflowerStudio

Image Credits
Wyldeflower Studio!