Cindy barbanera-wedel
about me
Music, Art & Nature
Early on in my youth, I was an avid reader and classic movie buff. I’m incredibly thankful that my parents exposed me to a wide array of cultural experiences. Studying ballet and piano in elementary school, I ultimately shifted my focus to the oboe, a musical double reed instrument. My Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, both in Music Performance, are from Indiana University and Southern Methodist University respectively.
Having been born in Miami and raised in Fort Myers, FL, the time away from home for college and graduate school forced me to realize just how ingrained Florida and its eerie swamps and breathtaking beaches had become in my soul. I got married to my college boyfriend, who is also an oboist, and we spent a few years in Texas teaching private oboe lessons to middle and high school students. It was during this time that the desire to return home to Florida became particularly apparent and difficult to ignore.
The day finally came that my husband and I were able to move to Sarasota, FL, (a dream come true!) and I began working as a freelance oboist performing in orchestras, churches, and other venues up and down the west coast of the state.
Growing up in Florida, my dad had a boat, and we spent many happy days on the water and on the beach. I used to play on the driftwood at Lover’s Key, and we snorkeled for shells. I even found a diamond wedding ring! Both my mom and my grandma enjoyed shell crafting, and I continued the hobby while I was in college. Upon returning to Florida and having daily access to gorgeous seashells washing up on our local beaches, I decided to open an Etsy shop and devote more time to my shell art. Over 1600 sales later, I am happy to say that it has blossomed into a small business that I am proud of!
I received my first camera as a gift just before I left home for Indiana University. I had never seen snow, and when I needed a break from my vigorous musical studies, I took long walks around the campus photographing peaceful snowy scenes. It was incredibly therapeutic to have a creative outlet outside of music.
The need to take professional product photos for my shell art prompted me to buy better camera equipment and teach myself manual photography. That quickly led to many long days of nature exploration in the paradise that I call home. Having always had pet birds growing up, I was a bird lover at heart. I began paying closer attention to the myriad varieties of birds that we have here in Florida. The love for nature and photography simultaneously grew and fed each other. Learning about birds and nature has been incredibly rewarding for me, and I feel privileged to have witnessed even a fraction of the private natural world that birds and other wildlife inhabit. Through photography, I am passionate about sharing that with people because I believe the more we know about the natural world around us, the more we care about preserving it.
If you are local to the Gulf Coast of Florida, my work can currently be seen at:
Orchid Envy (339 W Venice Ave #2004, Venice, FL 34285)
Aqua Pine Boutique (7640 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34231)
My photography has been on display at Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center in Naples, FL, the Southwest Florida International Airport in Ft. Myers, FL, Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum in Sanibel, FL, ArtCenter Manatee in Bradenton, FL, Southwest Florida International Airport, and Alliance for the Arts in Ft. Myers, FL. My photo entitled “Pelican Party” was awarded “Best in Show” at the Friends of Rookery Bay/United Arts Council Natural Selections: 2021 Photography Annual Competition and, in 2022 my photo entitled “Egret at Eventide” was awarded the “Juror’s Choice Award” in the same competition. In 2021 and 2022 respectively, my photos entitled “Making a Splash” and “Owl’s Watercolor World” were commended in the international Bird Photographer of the Year Competition and published in the Collection 6 and 7 books. In 2022, I had my first solo exhibition entitled Feathered Florida at Sarasota Orchestra’s Harmony Gallery featuring 21 of my favorite bird images. Also in 2022 and 2023, one and three of my photos, respectively, were included in the National Audubon Society’s annual Top 100. In the latter part of 2022, I was honored to have my photo entitled “Owlet Antics” published in Naples Illustrated and my photo entitled “Morning Routine” published on the cover of Current Biology. In 20204, Venice Gulf Coast Living Magazine published my roseate spoonbill photo entitled “Pastel Preen” on the cover of their February issue in addition to a beautiful 6-page spread on the inside featuring five more of my photos along with my bio and head shot.
These days, I finally feel I’m in the right place doing what I am meant to be doing. While I continue to make music, I spend most of my time outside studying and photographing bird behavior and exploring the beaches for shells and stunning sunsets. In my spare time, I love to read, watch old black and white movies with my husband, and play with my nearly 2 year old eclectus parrot, Rosie.
I hope you enjoy my work!
