I don’t often agree to doing shoots for friends just because sometimes it can get awkward for me as the photographer. Not because my friends make it awkward but because I just ooze awkwardness. However, the times that I do agree to do shoots for friends are always a blast.

I absolutely love this couple. Katie is one of my favorite photographers that I have the privilege of shooting weddings with every year. I do a handful of her weddings with her and she does a handful of weddings with me every year. She is so sweet and so kind and cares so much for doing her absolute best when it comes to capturing moments. She is such a hard worker and I always look forward to when she is documenting a client’s wedding day with me.

In May of 2014 I was honored to be one of the photographers to capture Katie and Chris’s wedding day in downtown Lancaster. A year later we did a portrait trade and Katie asked me to do a 1 year anniversary session which I thought was a super fun idea. We spent a little bit of time one evening this past May in downtown Lancaster to just capture a couple moments with these two. So much laughter and so much fun. Enjoy their shoot and PLEASE check out Katie’s photography and considering hiring her for your photography needs – she is FANTASTIC!

Katie Williamson Photography

Now that I’m officially back in season with the photography, I thought I’d let you know that over the winter office we secured some NEW OFFICE SPACE in Downtown Lancaster!  We are located at 32 McGovern Ave Suite 1, right across the street from the Lancaster Train Station. As soon as the bridge construction is complete this summer it will be a breeze to get here. If you are familiar with looking at the building above, turn around and you’re at our office building. If you’re familiar with the Comic Store in Lancaster, (a Lancaster landmark), we are located right above them. It’s a small office space but it’s perfect for meeting clients, small commercial shoots, and simply getting out of the office to do work. Please feel free to stop on in anytime, would love some visitors!

So excited to share just a few photos with you of our dear friends, the Craigs. Jason and Emily have been friends of mine since I was a senior in HS when Jason played in integral role in leading me to Christ and mentoring me through some difficult seasons of life. Lauren and I cherish their friendship deeply and miss them immensely. They are missionaries in Ethiopia and have been doing amazing works there for the past 2 years. We were thrilled, though, when we heard that they would be spending the summer back in the states to visit with family and catch up with old friends.

I became friends with Jason and Emily when Emily was pregnant with their oldest daughter, Lauren, and I have been blessed to get to watch her and her two sisters, Anna and Sarah, grow over the years. The very first portrait shoot I ever did was for them. I offered a free shoot to try out my skills at portrait work. I posted some of those pics from that shoot back in 2008 first so you, too, can experience the joy of seeing how they have grown as a family 5 years later.

So happy to grab a couple family photos for you all while you were here this summer. We can’t wait till your return next year!

Lauren  Craig (2008)

Anna Craig (2008)

Sarah Craig (2008)

Jason, Emily, Lauren, Anna, and Sarah (2008)

The Craigs (2013)

One of the many reasons why I love being primarily a wedding photographer is the connection I make with couples over the time I spend with them. Between engagement shoots and wedding days, I really get to know couples well and become like a third wheel (hopefully in a good way).

What’s interesting about shooting portrait sessions is that I don’t get to spend near the same amount of time with these clients but I tend to walk away feeling like I know them just the same. Maybe it’s because of the countless hours I spend staring at their faces in post-processing – but portrait clients become even more real and important to me. That might sound weird, but even the smallest bits of information I know about people translates into an understanding and appreciation for them – what they do, who they are, what they’re going through in life, their story, etc.

Let me elaborate for this shoot. I believe I spent about 2 hours with this extended family. Steve, the brother-in-law in the blue button down above, serves our country and was headed back overseas the monday after Easter. They wanted to get some portraits done before he left so they could have some updated pictures to hold on to while he’s away.

As I sat editing these photos it became clearer to me the exact sacrifice families, who have loved ones serving in the armed forces, make. Those that serve make the biggest of all sacrifices, but so do their families and I think it’s easy to forget that – the heartache they deal with in being so far apart for so long, not knowing what the future may hold. I couldn’t image living in that reality myself.

So as I processed their photos I simply prayed over them – for safety, for peace, for decades of life and love together, and that when they reunite again, when he returns home, that it will be a time filled with joy and happiness. So please pray for Steve, for his family, for his friends who hold him dearly. Pray for those you know serving overseas and their families who make the sacrifice of living everyday without them near.

I hope the images from the shoot will help them remember their Husband and Father as he serves our country so far away and that in years to come they hold them dearly.

I’m so excited to announce that we now offer a NO INTEREST + NO PAYMENTS FINANCING option through PayPal’s BillMeLater program. We know that times are tight for a lot of folks and we don’t want a tight budget standing in the way of capturing your wedding day or portrait session. The financing program applies to everything we offer from sitting fees to albums and canvases and everything in between!

Financing is available upon request, so make sure to inquire when you contact us to book! For more information on PayPal’s BillMeLater program, click on the banner above.

For more information on our pricing, visit our Pricing Page and Contact Us today!