At Lumen Photography Studios, we approach photography as both artists and collaborators. With backgrounds in fine art photography and experience teaching at the university level, we bring a thoughtful eye for light, composition, and storytelling to every project we take on.

While weddings and engagements are a large part of our work, we also photograph portraits, events, proposals, and artwork. Each project is different, but our goal remains the same: to create images that feel genuine and timeless.

Some moments benefit from gentle direction, while others unfold best when simply observed. Our approach blends documentary storytelling with guided portraiture, helping people feel comfortable in front of the camera while allowing genuine moments to happen naturally.

Above all, we want the experience of being photographed to feel relaxed, collaborative, and enjoyable.

Photography is ultimately about people, and we believe the process should feel welcoming and supportive for everyone involved.

At Lumen Photography Studios, we value:

Connection
The best photographs come from genuine moments. We take the time to create an atmosphere where people feel comfortable being themselves.

Collaboration
Whether we’re documenting a wedding, photographing a portrait session, or working with an artist to document an exhibition, we see photography as a collaborative process.

Thoughtful craftsmanship
As photographers with MFA degrees who teach photography, we bring a careful attention to light, composition, and storytelling to every image we create.

Inclusivity
We believe photography should be a welcoming experience for everyone. Lumen Photography Studios is an LGBTQ+ friendly and inclusive team, and we are honored to photograph people and families of all identities and backgrounds.

It started in a photography class.

We met at Northern Illinois University as two bright-eyed students who both believed, independently, that photographs should feel like something. That the best light was always worth chasing. That an image should leave a mark long after the moment passes. We ended up in the same photo lab, fueled by late nights and Taco Bell, and figured out pretty quickly that we saw the world the same way.

We never really stopped collaborating after that.

Emma had grown up with a camera in her hand; second-shooting alongside her mom, photographing classmates before she had any real training, always chasing the shot. Drew fell in love with photography at seven years old and followed that feeling all the way to NIU. By the time we found each other, we'd both spent years studying documentary image-making, fine art photography, and the craft of the decisive moment. We just hadn't found the right partner to do it with yet.

Emma swore she'd never shoot weddings professionally. Then she found Drew… and suddenly, it made complete sense.

We named the studio after our cat, Lumen, who came before the business cards, before the website, before any of it. He was our first yes together. Everything we've built has been with him underfoot.

Lumen Photography Studios is the thing that grew out of all of it: the shared belief that documentation is an art form, the years of training, the late nights, and the two people who decided to keep showing up for each other, and for the moments that matter most.