Interview: Winona Barton-Ballentine, Shelter Upstate Photographer

We are launching a new interview series on the Shelter Upstate Journal where we profile people who inspire us. Real people, real homes. To kick things off Winona, Shelter Upstate Founder and Photographer and Venetia, Shelter Upstate Studio Manager and Stylist interviewed each other. We’ve known each other for 10 years but there’s always more to discover. In this journal post we share Venetia’s interview with Winona.

Meet Winona - Photographer, Shelter Upstate Creator, Woodstock NY

Last reading: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Recently Watching: Women Talking by Sara Polly

Venetia: Do you remember how we met?

Winona: I’ll never forget it!
I was at a pool party for new moms at our mid-wife’s house and I came without a bathing suit, so you lent me one of yours. Our girls were about 3 months old, and you happened to live around the corner from me. You were the first friend I made when I moved to Woodstock.

Venetia: Did you always want to be a photographer?

Winona: Yes, but I also wanted to be a writer, a dancer, a musician, an artist, an ecologist, and a scientist. Photography is my way of getting to do everything that I am interested in by taking pictures of all of those things and working with people who do them.

Venetia: What's the weirdest job you've had?

Winona: Not sure I totally want to answer that one, it’s a little embarrassing, lol, but my first job ever (other than babysitter) was working for a plant nursery, so I owe that to my early interest in, and knowledge of plants and gardening.

Venetia: Any Gardening tips?

Winona: Amend the soil! And use native plants as much as possible.

Venetia: Ok I think you have to answer the weirdest job question!

Winona: Do I? Ok… One of my first jobs in NYC was for an online start-up, based in an apartment overlooking Central Park West, where people would call after finding our website, and I would try to sell them sessions with my boss who used linguistic programming to help people overcome fears and other hard-to-break patterns. It was actually kind of fun because my bosses were two super sweet British men. That was when I got into drinking tea, and honed my British accent; skills which I am thankful for helping me snag my current husband (who’s from Liverpool).

Venetia: What's your approach to working and parenting and staying sane?

Winona: Making sure I have a certain amount of self-care (running, roller skating, baths, essential oils, lots of tea) built into my routine. For so many years I went without, and eventually I learned that it is absolutely essential, even when it feels impossible.

Venetia: Morning routine?

Winona: Honestly? being woken up by my 4 year old at the break of dawn and then getting my kids ready for school?! I love making breakfast, so on weekends I always make crepes or pancakes, and then my husband and I trade off exercise time (it used to be sleeping in!) I’ll go for a run then have a shower, after that we usually do a family activity. Often involving a walk/hike, roller skating, or shopping.
On weekdays, it’s all geared towards getting the kids to school on time. On weekdays if I’m not out shooting, I’ve been making a coffee (the first thing I have is a tea because that much caffeine without food makes me crazy) with a french press, warm foamed milk, ½ a teaspoon of sugar, and some cinnamon. If I’m lucky I can rollerskate for 15 mins before I start working (if it’s a rest day from running).Then I sit down at the computer and start my work day retouching and doing all the office work for my photography business, which involves (retouching, scheduling, emails, estimates, marketing, instagram, etc.) This stuff takes up more time than shooting itself believe it or not! Luckily I have a great collaborator (you!) and this stuff is less overwhelming when done with a friend.
I’m also working on a book project and an art project so I try to put time aside for those things, though it’s never enough.

Venetia: Favorite Beauty Products?

Winona: Yes please! I’ve always been obsessed with products. I always start with a base of Everyday Oil (Mainstay is my pref) and then I spray my face with a Palo Santo spritz. Next I put on an essential oil blend (usually one I make myself, or DoTerra, which I buy through you). If I have time I also use the crystal roller on my face. Don’t forget the Supergoop Glowscreen everyday! My go to mascara is Ilia, then I do a blush either Ilia multi stick in Dreamer, or a Face Stockholm cream blush in terra cotta. Always a lip, even when I’m just sitting at the computer, Ilia Heartbeets, or Colorpop, are two of my gotos at the moment. I use the Ilia bronzer and if I’m feeling very fancy I’ll use an eye shadow, (either just put the bronzer on my lids, or a gray/brown lid) and maybe even a foundation or an under eye cover up. (both Ilia). Depending how tired/glam I am feeling. I try to do a weekly exfoliant on my face like Eminence rice powder or Mario Badescu glycolic acid. I love all Eminence products.

Venetia: What do you love about photographing homes and interiors?

Winona: Piecing together histories of the places around me. Getting to meet people and see their homes, also organizing a space and making decisions about how to present a space is a really satisfying challenge for me.

Venetia: And what led you to start Shelter Upstate?

Winona: 5 years ago I was working for a gallery in Chinatown called Baxter St. It was my dream job: organizing exhibitions, zine fairs, starting a coffee shop next door for lectures and gatherings, working with tons of amazing artists. But I was pregnant with my son (who is my second child), and after he was born I had to accept that working in NYC part time wasn’t really an option for me anymore. Coincidentally though an artist group for moms in Woodstock, I met a photographer named Deborah DeGraffenreid who was looking for an assistant to train in interior photography, something I had been wanting to learn more about for many years. We started working together and from there things just snowballed. We were going to start a business together and brainstormed some names, one of which was Shelter Upstate. We decided to keep our businesses separate but I kept the name and built a website that week. I had shoots starting to come in from her and made a choice at the time to either invest in working full time as a photographer upstate, or taking a full time job with the gallery back in the city. It was a hard decision. I met with my friend Judy for a tarot reading, and had to admit the future as a gallery director looked pretty seductive, but it involved a lot less time with my kids, moving back to New York, leaving the life we had carefully crafted upstate where I could be a mom and also pursue photography. It was a leap of faith but oddly, thanks to the silver lining of the pandemic, home photography exploded in 2020 and suddenly I had a thriving business. And it’s been growing ever since. It’s taking new forms, ones that I have dreamed of for my whole life. And you’re part of that!

Venetia: How would you describe your home to someone who's never been there?

Winona: Cute, colorful, cozy, and sometimes messy, but not too messy. I always try to make it smell good. Either with food, incense, or essential oil spray. Smell matters a lot to me.

Venetia: So now we are both in our 40s, how do you feel about midlife?

Winona: 40s are obviously the best so far. I love it.

Venetia: Yes! 40s are like a weird secret club. I turned 40 last summer and right around my birthday people kept telling me that 40s are the best decade. I was like, why haven't I heard this before!

Venetia: What inspires you in work and life?

Winona: My problem is that everything inspires me. Books, magazines, music, nature, people, food. You name it!

Venetia: I wouldn’t call that a problem haha. When do you feel the most creative?

Winona: Probably when I’m running and thinking and generating ideas and feel totally clear. It’s totally meditative and all the noise falls away.