IRC Photographer Spotlight Series – Wade Wilson

Indian River County – Photographer Spotlight Series!

We have really enjoyed featuring our local photographers during this series in order to share with all of you the copious imagery our county has to offer. But the best part has to be the opportunity we get in learning about the passion and driving forces behind their work. This month’s in particular, is a very inspirational photographer; Wade Wilson (IG: @Wadew91 & FB: @LuminaryCaptures). WARNING!! You will need to grab a tissue, a cup of coffee (hopefully from one of our local cafes featured in our Foodie Insider Blog this month) and be prepared to be moved by his story!

Growing up in Fellsmere, Wade had the opportunity to see our county from a different point of view. As you may have begun to realize, our county offers versatile climates and environments for anyone looking to reconnect with nature. From the beach, to animal life, to nature walks and lots of water sports and excursions! You can be horseback riding one minute, eating at a high end restaurant the next and seeing the sunset from the most beautiful skylines in Florida. Fellsmere is a town that is surrounded by beautiful landscapes and it’s residents pride themselves on fostering small town values with worldly perspective. Which is why we are guessing this is why Wade adds a philanthropic component to his craft by donating all of his earnings to local charities.

Continue reading to learn more about his love, appreciation and

the life changing experience that encouraged him to pursue photography!

1. How long have you lived or have been visiting Indian River County?

I moved up here in 2000 with my parents. I was in elementary school then so I lived with them in Fellsmere until 2012, then eventually moved to Vero Beach.

2. What do you love the most about experiencing our county?

I enjoy spending time on or near the water, usually kayaking, so being located between the sebastian inlet and the fort pierce inlet gives us the opportunity to experience beautiful water in our lagoon.

4. What’s your favorite place in our county to shoot? And Why?

I actually have a few! One of my favorites for sunrise would be the beaches near Tracking Station park because it’s only a few minutes from my house. My second one is in Fort Drum wildlife management area because of the remoteness and dark skies for shooting the milky way and wildlife.

5. How long have you been a photographer?

Well, I’ve been traveling and taking pictures with my phone and GoPro for years but I bought my first DSLR camera and lens in July 2017, i guess that’s when i really got into it.

6. Are you self taught or did you go to school to become a photographer?

Everything I know is either self taught or stuff that I’ve learned researching online.

7. What motivated you to get behind the lens?

I’m always traveling to different national parks, camping and hiking all over the country and wanted to be able to capture the beauty of these places as best as I could. But I think the main motivator was once I got lasik eye surgery and was actually able to see the beauty in these places, that’s when I went out and bought my DSLR!

8. What is your favorite area to photograph that is off the beaten path?

I would say Fort Drum, that’s definitely off the beaten path.

9. Is this a hobby/passion or your business?

10. What can our followers and readers expect from you in the future in terms of creative expression?

Well, you can always count on some really long exposures! I’m not exactly sure what states/countries the future has in store for me yet, but you count on some beautiful pictures from there!

To stay up to date on Wade’s work or to purchase his images, visit: https://luminarycaptures.com/work

Be sure to follow him on Instagram @Wadew91 & Facebook @LuminaryCaptures