Award winning local photographer offering luxury portrait experience

by Terry Rogers

John Mollura now offers luxury portrait experiences that include wall art

John Mollura, an award-winning photographer, has recently expanded his offerings to include a luxury portrait experience. Known for his empowering and creative portraits, the elevated service removes a lot of the stress many people have when facing a portrait session.

“After these past few years, everyone could use a bit of pampering,” Mollura said. “I can’t think of many things that boost your self-esteem as much as seeing an amazing photograph of yourself. I am also now offering wall-art and custom heirloom quality photo albums.”

Working as an engineer, Mollura took up photography as a hobby, capturing images of exotic locations from the ice fields of Antarctica to the Mojave Desert as he traveled for his job. He began photographing events for Downtown Milford Inc. (DMI) and concerts for 88.7 The Bridge as well as the Bottle and Cork. These assignments helped him overcome a fear he developed over his life, being afraid to not know the answer while someone was watching him.

“I replaced the broken soundtrack in my head of ‘you’ll look foolish if you tell someone how to pose and it doesn’t look perfect,’” Mollura said. “Instead, I now am confident that even if something isn’t working out with a specific pose, I have the experience to immediately correct it and ensure that my clients look their best.”

Like many photographers, Mollura has not always focused his lens on people and landscapes. He has done a significant amount of commercial work, photographing such everyday items as hearing aids, dog toys, diaper bags, diaper wipe packages, sunglasses and even water bottles with energy crystals. He jokes that it is likely someone has a product in their home they purchased from Amazon after seeing one of his photographs. Mollura credits his success in creating stunning portraits with the mentors who guided him.

“I have been incredibly fortunate to have some photographers that I look up to professional and personally take me under their wings over the years,” Mollura said. “The relationships always started with me reaching out and asking them to share their knowledge, sometimes in the form of paid coaching. It started with Milford’s own Bob Connelly helping me keep my fear in check during the first event I photographed, Milford’s Inaugural Eat in the Street in 2013.”

Mollura also studied under Jeremy Cowart, a celebrity photographer and global humanitarian, who has led Mollura to some of his most powerful projects. The RE-Figured Project has a mission to turn scars, wounds and hurts into celebrations of survival. During the heart of the pandemic, he began the Sacrifice and Light Project, highlighting healthcare workers and utilizing Zoom to create powerful portraits of those on the front lines. He also did a series of black and white photos addressing race issues head on.

Rendition of wall art John Mollura offers through his new luxury portrait experience and it also includes installation

“I am extremely excited to now offer the highest quality printed products and have partnered with artisans who work exclusively with professional portrait photographers,” Mollura said. “Everyone is so used to seeing images on a screen. It is quite impactful when you get to hold a printed product or admire it on a wall.”

Mollura is offering the luxury portraits to families and individuals in addition to offering professional headshots and branded images for marketing. Each photoshoot is tailored to each client’s personality and style and can be done in his newly renovated studio or onsite at many of the beautiful locations throughout Delaware and the surrounding area. The photoshoot includes a pre-shoot wardrobe consultation to ensure the outfits will be flattering and look good on camera. The day of the shoot, clients are treated to on-site professional hair and make-up service as well.

“I realize no one knows what to do with their hands in photos or how to stand for that matter,” Mollura said with a smile. “I provide direction for posing that flatters you throughout the photoshoot. After the shoot, we review the photos together and discuss which images you would like to have professionally edited and retouched. As a final touch, I offer complimentary installation for all wall-art in your home.”

Voted Best Downstate Photographer in both 2020 and 2021 by Delaware Today Magazine, Mollura’s asks anyone interested in the luxury portrait sessions, or any other type of portrait, to arrange for a complimentary telephone call at https://calendly.com/johnmollura-photoshoot-consult. His Bay 94 Studio is located at 6 Park Avenue in Milford and is open by appointment only.