Wyant Photography Brings Photos to Life on Home Décor Items
Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing
Photography Provided
Back in the summer of 1983, Lois was looking to open a full-service bridal shop in Atlanta, Georgia where she could offer brides cakes, flowers and photography all in one package. She had experience in every area but wedding photography. That’s when fate intervened and she crossed paths with pro photographer Jim Wyant while he was at a bridal show at the Greenwood Mall.
“We began working together and the rest is history,” Lois says.
As they spent time together, sparks flew both personally and professionally. The pair married in 1984 and moved to Carmel in 1986 where they raised three sons, all of whom graduated from Carmel High School.
Over the past 30-plus years, they have grown their business, Wyant Photography, specializing in family portraits and high school senior portraits.
“The most popular sessions are the in-home sessions,” Lois says. “Photos are very unique when a family or a high school senior includes their own home environment for the background. A recent mom was so excited as she looked at a photo of her son on their staircase and shared, ‘he has run down those stairs for 17 years and now he is almost off to college.’ It is also convenient for a family to gather at one house and be comfortable rather than to sit in an unfamiliar studio.”
Jim also enjoys shooting cityscapes and has accumulated a wide selection of local scenic shots in such places as the Coxhall Gardens, Coxhall Gazebo, Carmel’s City Hall and the Arts & Design District, including the Carmel Children’s Gallery and Carmel Arts District Fountain.
Wyant Photography’s online gallery shares many of their Carmel cityscapes, scenics and nature art. The site is unique because it enables viewers to select a picture and then, using the live preview augmented reality tool, see what the piece would look like framed and hanging on a wall. Recently, the Wyant’s have also partnered with an e-commerce site so they can print their images on home décor items such as pillows, mugs, tote bags, jewelry boxes, posters and phone cases. Customers can simply click on the option of their favorite gallery image to see if that particular photo is available in one of the home usage items. It’s a great alternative for people who are attracted to a photo but don’t necessarily have the room or interest in making it into a wall hanging.
“For example, Jim has this picture called ‘I Spy’ of a bear cub peeking over a dead tree,” Lois says. “Though it’s amazingly adorable, I think it will look best in a cabin environment. However, that’s not to say you’re not a nature lover who would like to have this adorable bear’s face on a mug or tote bag.”
Speaking of nature, the couple often travels west so that Jim can add to his collection of bison, bear, bird, wolf and fox photos.
“That’s part of our big adventures — to head out to the Yellowstone area, and different locations out west,” Lois says.
In today’s digital world, it’s easy to feel like anyone and everyone is a photographer as they snap selfies on their phones and upload them to social media. One can definitely notice the difference in professional photography, however, when comparing images side-by-side. Everything from the angle to the lens to the light, depth and dimension all matter.
“Jim is a master craftsman photographer and it shows,” says Lois, noting that he has studied under a number of different mentors, gleaning gems of wisdom from each one. “His experience and training are reflected in his work. There really is a huge difference between taking a picture and creating a piece of art.”
The Wyants have amassed an impressive collection of awards at the state, regional and national levels, including the 2014 Kodak Gallery Award, the 2017 Fuji Masterpiece Award, the Indiana Photographer of the Year, two-time winner of the PPA Grand Imaging Award and the International Photographic Hall of Fame. In addition, their images have been on display at Disney World’s Epcot Center, and they are a two-time winner of Canon’s “Par Excellence” Award.
“Lois and I have a passion to create amazing images and share the beauty that is life with the world around us,” Jim says. “Time has taught us how important art photography truly is.”
Visit wyantgallery.com for more information or to shop their selection and try out the augmented reality tool for special gifts this holiday or give them a call for that special holiday portrait.
