Anna Delores Photography was founded in 2012, and when it came time to form a wedding photography studio, I (Emily) decided to name it after my paternal grandmother (Delores) and maternal great-grandmother (Anna).
I never met Anna or Delores, as they both passed away before I was born. But I’ve heard enough stories that I admire these women I came from; my mother’s most positive childhood memories and experiences are drawn from life with her grandmother (Anna). She is clearly the force from my mother’s upbringing that gave my mom the senses of self-worth, compassion, and unconditional love that she has in turn shared with me and my brother.
My father’s mother (Delores) raised my dad on her own (after her husband, my grandfather, died when my dad was just three years old) with strength and dignity while also battling diabetes and, later, blindness. She died just months before my parents’ wedding in 1982.
Left: Anna David Somsky (my mother’s grandmother) // Right: Delores Diedrichs Reiter (my dad’s mom)
All of this is to say that Anna Delores Photography is not only a career, but a genuine passion for beautifully nostalgic, meaningful photography, as well as a tribute to my own personal heritage.
Deciding to become more than a one-woman show was not a simple or easy decision. ANY photographer (any creative professional, for that matter) will tell you how incredibly personal and significant his/her craft can be, and I’m no exception. Adding other photographers to the Anna Delores brand, while preserving the delicate integrity and ardent attention to detail brought to literally every image, was a decision that has made me feel incredibly vulnerable.
That said, adding a team of photographers was naturally the next step for Anna Delores Photography. I believe very strongly in the Anna Delores experience as a great benefit to our clients. Couples deserve to have confidence that their wedding photographer is not only technically proficient, but also committed to providing a full-service experience. For Anna Delores, this means venue walk-throughs, collaboration with your entire wedding vendor team, planning and preparation assistance from the photography perspective, and doing everything in our power to ensure you are comfortable in front of the camera AND enjoying your wedding day (it goes by too darn fast as it is!).
When you hire an Anna Delores photographer, you’re benefitting from these “full service” values, as well as our overarching commitment to prioritize authenticity, artistry, and a supportive, compassionate wedding day experience. Malaya, Beckie, and Alyssa share these values with me, and that’s part of why they’ve chosen to join forces with me at Anna Delores Photography! The other part? They love shooting weddings (and they are really good at it)!
An Anna Delores team photographer is not an “assistant” or an apprentice; they are experienced lead photographers with a passion for both beautiful portraits and stunning details. They’re familiar with all the details and intricacies of a wedding day, and being part of Anna Delores means they can focus on being awesome photographers instead of worrying about running a business on their own; this way, we all get to be part of a team, excited about providing couples with a personal, encouraging, creative photography experience.
We’re so excited to work with you for your wedding day; please get in touch if there are any questions we can answer about working with our team, or any other part of the wedding photography experience!
