Featured Artist Spotlight: Wanderlust Photography
By Skywing Knights // October 8, 2022
Hello loves!
It’s time to grab your fleece blankets and pumpkin spice delights! Because today I’m pleased to bring you the latest in this series of Featured Artist Spotlights. And it’s an artist that brings, in her own words “dark and moody” to life with her art. In short, a perfect artist whose work we can look into as schools go back into session and fall’s moody and spooky season rolls in!
That artist? Molly Childress, the mind behind Wanderlust Photography!
Molly is the latest Cosplay Photographer to be featured in this series and for good reason. And her work isn’t limited to cosplay either! With specialties including Cosplay, Boudoir, Couples, Elopement, Maternity, Portrait, Editorial, Fashion, and Commercial photography and even Videography, Molly is an incredibly creative individual who very early on in her life pretty much figured that she wanted to be behind a camera.
When asked what initially drew her to photography, Molly stated that it was her mom that helped draw her to the art, “When I was a kid one of our favorite things to do was watch movies. I remember watching some of the BTS of a movie and seeing the camera man and saying to her, I want to do that! Not too long after that in middle school, she bought me my first point and shoot film camera. She passed away in 2011, but between her, a few family members and my husband, I have just always had a lot of encouragement to never give it up.”
Molly’s journey as a photographer involved a mix of schooling and taking classes along with her own work to teach herself how to get the particular looks that she wanted in her images.
“My work is mostly dark and moody. I love to capture emotion as well,” She said, describing her work when asked.
Check out some of Molly’s work below!
WANDERLUST PHOTOGRAPHY
Be sure to check out Molly’s social media pages and official website too!
Find Wanderlust On:
Wanderlust Photography Official Website
TikTok
Molly made the leap into professional photography knowing that a regular 9-5 job just wasn’t for her, “I wanted to be my own boss, set my own hours and actually enjoy what I do. My biggest goal was to open my own studio. I finally did that this August!”
And that, my friends, is incredible. Life as a full-time artist is not easy. It takes a lot of commitment and hard work to accomplish that. Not to mention, the ability to work well with a variety of clients, and of course that includes cosplayers!
When asked how she got into cosplay photography, Molly told us, “I actually took a long break from photography a couple years ago and when I picked it back up again as a hobby, my first photoshoot in a long time was fantasy/cosplay. Being a lover of the cinema, I sought out other cosplayers and I have just really enjoyed it since.”
And it’s made a bunch of fun memories for Molly ever since, “It’s always fun when people recognize the character the model is supposed to be.”
Another great experience for Molly was a cosplay shoot of Pyramid Head, “Silent Hill was my favorite game growing up and I was beyond excited when my friend said she wanted to do a Pyramid Head cosplay. We found a killer location and it all just came together perfectly.”
(And by the way, I totally agree with that last statement!!)
Also, are there any Xena Warrior Princess or Evil Dead cosplayers out there? If so, it sounds like Molly could be the perfect photographer for you. Why? Well, when asked if she had a dream cosplay photoshoot, she called out those two in particular.
But Molly isn’t prone to sitting and resting on her laurels, “I think there is always something new I can learn when it comes to photography.”
And that leans into her advice to other artists: Never stop learning and get educated!
“And once you are confident in your work, know your worth,” she advises.
Most of all though, what perhaps is the best part of Molly’s approach towards photography is her love for the craft as a whole and how she is able to work well with others. To get creative juices flowing with new clients, Molly’s first goal is to get them both laughing and enjoying what they are doing.
“For me, laughing is the best way to get people more comfortable with working with you,” She says.
And speaking as a cosplayer who knows the pain of taking 2 to 4 hours to get into a cosplay and feeling stressed as all get out right before a shoot, I can tell you that that sort of approach is perhaps one of the most welcome ones I’ve ever experienced. It really does remind you to love what you are doing. And how awesome is that?
Very, very awesome.
If you’re interested in hiring Molly as your next cosplay photographer, be sure to reach out to her! She’s a gem and you won’t be disappointed.
Till next time everyone,
~Skywing
