Wendy Schlomann was always the girl with the camera.
“I was always toting a camera, taking pictures at school,” she said.
After graduating from Weyauwega-Fremont High School, Schlomann thought about studying photography but instead decided on a career in interior design. But, it wasn’t long before she found her way back to photography.
“I’ve been taking pictures about 10 years,” she said.
About two years ago, Schlomann opened her first studio in downtown Weyauwega.
Last May, she graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh with a bachelor of fine arts degree in photography. And around that same time, she and her husband, Ross, opened a new studio at their home outside of West Bloomfield.
He is the maintenance director at Weyauwega Health Care Center and handles Clicka Foto’s sales and marketing.
In January, the couple made yet another change, bringing Devery De Santis on board as their studio assistant. De Santis is studying radiology at UW-Fox Valley.
“I’ve known Devery forever. I coached her for volleyball at Weyauwega. I did her senior pictures,” Wendy Schlomann said. “We got to the point where we needed help. It was getting to be too much for the two of us to handle on our own. She was kind of the first thought, name to come to our minds.”
The Schlomanns decided to move their studio because they were renting both a house and studio space in Weyauwega.
“We wanted to have a studio along with a house,” she said.
As they work on landscaping their acreage, they believe it will lend itself well to photo shoots.
“The biggest things we focus on are high school seniors and weddings,” Schlomann said.
Clicka Foto also does engagement, children, family and maternity photos. They have also done proms and corporate photo shoots.
“We’re trying to get into more school photography and sports,” Ross Schlomann said.
The couple are always coming up with new ideas.
They custom built a photo booth that is making its debut on April 16 at Kaukauna High School’s prom.
“It will have (room) for up to eight to 10 people and also can be shrunk down for one or two people,” he said.
Their hope is to have the booth at weddings, too.
Wendy Schlomann says their next project is to offer boudoir shoots.
“That is also a trend. It’s all about making women feel beautiful and proud of their bodies,” she said. “We are working with Willow Pond Bed & Breakfast on that.”
The bed and breakfast, located in rural Weyauwega, is among the local businesses that she partners with on projects.
Schlomann enjoys doing vintage photo shoots there and has even turned some of those pictures into greeting cards.
The cards were for sale last month when the French Flower Market was held in downtown Weyauwega at the Coffee Klatsch.
Clicka Foto and Barb Raschke, of B. Blooms, have begun doing seasonal window displays at the coffee shop and are among the local businesses that will be part of the next French Flower Market, planned there on May 5-6.
“My three words I like to use about us are ‘spunky,’ ‘vibrant’ and ‘fun,'” Schlomann said, “because I think we are. That is what I think makes us a little different from other photographers in the area.”
She enjoys the modern, contemporary look.
“I can do the traditional, and I will if you ask me to. But, I think photography can be so much fun,” she said.
Schlomann said they like to create experiences for others.
“We’re trying to find ways to make it more memorable,” said De Santis.
She encourages those going for senior photo shoots to bring anything that says something about themselves to show their personality.
Last year, Clicka Foto began doing destination photo shoots. One senior photo shoot took place in Chicago, with plans this year to do shoots in Milwaukee, Madison and Wisconsin Dells.
Ross Schlomann said that with the destination shoots, they are working on a few hidden surprises that will take place on the day of the shoots. “It’s our way to spoil them,” he said.
Future plans also call for the opening of a second studio location.
Clicka Foto likes to customize its photo packages.
“We do the majority of shoots from two perspectives,” he said.
Wendy Schlomann said that most of the weddings they photograph are planned with the two of them being there.
“I’ll hang out with the girls, and he’ll be with the guys,” she said. “I might be up front, and he will be 10 feet behind me, taking the same pictures.”
Clicka Foto can be reached at 920-915-3651.
Schlomann said that as the photographer, she does not need to know such details as where a bride got her dress or where her hair was done. But often she does know those things because of the amount of time they spend communicating with couples before the wedding takes place.
“When we get there, they greet us like family. It’s really kind of amazing,” she said. “I love it. I absolutely adore this.”