I’ve been a fine art wedding, portrait, and editorial photographer for more than 25 years, capturing vivid, unforgettable imagery that becomes heirloom photos.
fine art photography
Wedding & Portrait Photography Virginia & Worldwide
In 1998, a potential client told me, “We don’t want a wedding photographer; we want what you do at our wedding.” I was only a few years into my photography career, but already I was being recognized for my unique style: unscripted, romantic, artful, and evocative.
A devotee of film (though I always carry a digital camera in my bag, too), I discovered my love of photography through the grit and honesty of black and white images. I find that, stripped of the color spectrum, we’re at our most genuine. But I aim to capture that authenticity in all of my imagery, drawing out the most unique and distinctive qualities in whomever is at my lens.
unscripted, romantic, artful, evocative.
portfolio
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— Anna N.
“I am not always great with words, but you are the only photographer who ever made me feel beautiful. Ever. I could not believe how gorgeous our engagement photos turned out and the moments you captured at our wedding still make me smile 17 years later. But it’s the photos you captured of my family—from the time Micah was born in 2011 until we moved to Charleston almost six years ago—that I will cherish forever. Every major milestone in our family’s life you captured flawlessly. Not only that, you make every photo session an adventure; my kids still talk about all the fun they had with you photographing them. I was so lucky that I found you 18 years ago and am so thankful for every minute you spent documenting us.”
— Kelly O.
“Jen has photographed our family since I was pregnant with our now-college students and the pictures of our babies/toddlers/children adorn our walls and bring back the most wonderful memories of our times as a family through each and every stage (from newborn toes to silly toddlers to family connections). Jen's work is beyond all description in that she creates moments that will live forever. Children and adults of every age feel so comfortable being themselves in front of her camera, and it creates the most magical photos that will be your most treasured keepsakes.”
— Angela M.
“Jen Fariello's artistry brought our wedding day to life in a profoundly personal way. Her lens captured the magic, turning our special moments into a visual masterpiece. Not only did she elevate my bridal images to grace Modern Bride magazine, but over the following 17+ years of working with her, Jen continues to impress with her talent and storytelling vision. Her ability to capture intimate memories is nothing short of artistic brilliance.”
— Nejla I.
“I want to thank you for the intangibles, the things that people might not see in the photos but we noticed and loved, like how you entered wedding day prep chaos and jumped in and learned everyone's names within five minutes of arriving—pen, paper, pronunciations—or your contagious positivity. Your smile did not come off once during the day. You radiate true joy in getting to do what you love. Also, you made us feel so comfortable while being photographed! I see it in the photos with many family members who usually shy away from the camera—you know how to give direction to yield beautifully candid results."
— Lisa W.
"Watching my girls grow up in your photos has been amazing—you are patient and kind and they really look forward to our photo shoots. Your Mother’s Day shoot is a can’t-miss event for our family! I also want to really thank you for including our pets in our photos. It has meant so much to have their sweet furry faces captured.”
— Ginger G.
“Cheers to a great talent and a warm, fun, and sometimes silly presence behind the camera. From wedding to newborns to capturing us at all stages since, I am forever grateful for the beautiful moments you’ve frozen in time.”
— Walter Slawski, The Catering Outfit
“I first had the pleasure of working with Jen around 2013 as I was pivoting my business to a wedding catering-focused model. From the moment I saw Jen I knew that I was sharing space with the best talent in the industry. She is a creative force whose entire energy is focused on giving her clients everything she has, every time, culminating in breathtaking results. I knew immediately that if I wanted to be successful in our industry, I needed to be like Jen. She is flat-out an inspiration. As we continue to evolve our craft I always ask myself, ‘What would Jen think?’ and I know that if I can comfortably answer that question, I am on the right path.”
Discovered my mom’s point-and-shoot Minolta camera and accidentally bought black and white film for it. I was delighted and surprised by the results—and hooked on black and white film. When we moved to a new house with a darkroom the next year, I got into developing and printing my own work (and became a total high school photography nerd).
1989
Attended UVA as a Pre-Med in the dental school track, but also convinced professor Holly Wright that I should be granted a spot in her highly coveted Intro to Photography course.
1992
Began a transformative internship with Gallery Neo. With no more photography classes left to take in the College of Arts and Sciences (I’d taken them all!), I started an independent study in the School of Architecture.
1995
Held my Studio Art Senior Show at Gallery Neo—the only senior show to be off-Grounds and in a real gallery.
1996
Graduated from UVA and rented a studio on the Downtown Mall—with a darkroom!—in the lower level of The Jefferson Theater. It was too much space for me, so I rented some of it to fellow art graduates. The Downtown Artspace, a haven for creatives for the next five years, was born.
1996
My first cover assignment for C-VILLE Weekly, photographing musician Peter Greisar, began a years-long relationship with the local paper, where I was the self-proclaimed “Photography Director” and its first staff photographer. This was also the year of my first wedding client.
1997
I stumbled across a booklet by photographer Lynne Brubaker of black-and-white wedding photographs unlike anything I had seen before. I was smitten.
1998
Became a founding member of The Hook, a magazine-style weekly newspaper in Charlottesville. I helped develop what I called its “Vanity Fair” editorial features, UpClose and The Hotseat, so I could indulge my interest in portrait photography. I fell in love with the work—and the art director. We were married in 2005 (and featured in The Knot!).
2001
Moved to The Glass Building, a three-level loft-style studio with an abundance of natural light, where I still work today.
2001
Captured a first-place prize from the Virginia Press Association for my portrait of performance artist Stevie Jay, an image that later won the “Best in Show.”
2006
Named Best Wedding Photographer in C-VILLE Weekly’s Best of C-VILLE reader poll. I’ve won the title nine times (so far)!
2013
Won Best Wedding Photographer from local wedding blog Borrowed & Blue.
2017
Photographed my 1,000th wedding!
2023
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