Renae “iironic” Wootson knows how to embrace the complexities of life. Her first name of French origin—signifying rebirth—readied her for it. But, what does it mean to be reborn, or rather, what does it look like? 

If we know one thing, it’s that change is an inevitability in life. Some resist it, stunting their own growth; others embrace it, allowing themselves to be elevated and transformed by it. Wootson is one of the brave ones who surrenders to change by holding close both the dark and light aspects of life. Open to its possibilities, change then is not a paralyzing circumstance, but an opportunity to experience life’s magic and become it. 

This journey of becoming led to Wootson’s career switch as a professional photographer and contributes to her captivating style which reflects that process.

Pivoting From Playing It Safe

Wootson’s long-standing passion for the art of photography wasn’t something she initially acted on. Though it’s what she originally wanted to study in college, discouragement got in the way and she took up advertising and design instead. It wasn’t until about a decade into the field, that her passion surfaced in a way she couldn’t ignore. 

“I was working full time…constantly on sets for ad campaigns, but I realized I was on the other side—watching photographers do what I wanted to do,” said Wootson, who finally decided to indulge the inner voice that had been calling to her. “I stopped making excuses and bought my first camera. Lots of my friends are artists and musicians, so I began capturing them mostly—exploring a music, documentary, street-type of vibe.”

As she spent most of her free time testing out the different ways to tell a story through her subjects, she quickly discovered what worked for her style and what did not. “I’m someone that grows pretty fast. The approach I started with worked, but I saw where I wanted to expand. I wanted to dive more into studio photography and master that.” Wootson bought studio equipment, found a space to rent, and posted ads for photoshoots to sharpen her skillset. After sharing more of her work online, she began gaining more supporters that took to her vision. She even garnered the attention of those at work, especially her boss, who eventually pulled her into the photography side of their projects. 

Wootson got a taste of doing what she loved professionally, helping art direct campaigns and shoot on-model and lifestyle editorials, but it wasn’t enough. If anything, it made it more apparent that this was something she needed to fully pursue.

Your Dream Is The Wind That Carries You

She jumped. For the first time in several years, Wootson was not working a full-time position. But, she felt free, stating: “Everything was new. Everything was an adventure.” She had some money saved up that bought her some time to get things off the ground. And when that money started to run out, she was presented with her next opportunity. Wootson woke up to an email offering her the position to shoot for R&B singer and songwriter, Ella Mai on tour. 

‍“It feels like a lot of the time when you receive a big blessing like that, you’re met with resistance and tested to see how bad you want it…

my computer started acting up, my hard drive crashed, a lot was going wrong.” But, she doubled down in her preparation to fulfill the position. “It all happened pretty fast. I left within the week of her team reaching out.”

Seeing It Through 

Rising to the occasion for the big opportunities she met early in her photography career strengthened Wootson’s confidence. But that confidence was soon tested when work slowed down. Coming off of a booked and busy schedule was hard to adjust to. She expected a certain level of success, and when she didn’t see it, she contemplated returning to her nine to five. Wootson had two options, go back to what she knew, or continue exploring the unknown. She chose the latter.