By Kirk Boxleitner

Jen Lee Chapman, who simply goes by Jen Lee professionally, always knew she wanted to be an artist.

It took the former aspiring oil painter a while to realize that photography would be best suited to her temperament.

“As I became a budding adult, I realized that I’m not a patient person,” Lee laughed. “I still had the same creative drive, but as I took photographs to serve as inspirations for prospective paintings, I soon realized I was already creating art with my camera, without needing to take the time to paint it.”

Indeed, Lee named her photography website Jenleelight.com because, as she states online, “I like to think of light as my medium, the moment as my canvas.”

Lee certainly was patient in honing her photography skills, carefully capturing closeup shots of fledgling red-tailed hawks in the sagebrush as a self-described “bird nerd” at her family’s cabin in Utah, managing to focus in on fine details enough to distinguish the dewdrops on bird wings.

”Not only were those exhilarating experiences at the time, but when I uploaded the photos to my computer later on, I was able to relive those moments with a similar intensity,” Lee said. “Seeing the images not only made me remember the physical sensations I’d felt, but all of my emotions from those moments came rushing back.”

Little wonder, then, that Lee pledged to seek out and capture “earnest human experience” throughout roughly 20 years of professional photography since. She remains devoted to “significant life events,” including weddings, births, and family celebrations, so she can preserve “loud hurrahs, hushed vows, giggles and sighs, hellos, and even goodbye.”

Lee first provided photographic coverage for a wedding when she was just entering her 20s. She said she learned the hard way not to wear stiletto heels for such a job, and threw herself into the physicality required to capture essential moments from just the right angle, even when that meant temporarily adopting less-than-photogenic poses herself.

Having lived and worked in Port Townsend for 11 years this coming May, Lee is delighted to embark upon another local wedding season.

“It’s a tradition that’s spanned millennia, and showcases some of the best of humanity for a few hours,” Lee said. “It’s so heartwarming and humbling, to be in the presence of those shared connections of love, family and friendship, that it leaves me feeling emotionally nourished.”

Rather than staging sedate, rehearsed scenes, Lee hopes to help clients “forget about the lens,” so she can convey not only their emotions, but also their quirks and personalities, minus the masks they might feel compelled to don in less-intimate moments.

“My goal is to make them comfortable enough, and to connect with them earnestly enough, for them to be their best, most natural selves, while I happen to snap shots of them in the process,” Lee said. “This job has allowed me to get to know folks from all walks of life, and I have to be absolutely present to serve their needs properly. A wedding photographer can’t just show up. You have to be able to read others, and think on the spot.”

Lee cited historic painters, including Rembrandt and Vermeer, as inspirations for their ability to depict people “in the most beautiful light.” She credited her experience with raising her sons, Maes and Corvus, with teaching her to guide others to embrace the moment.