About The Photographer, Lisa Ann

In 1979 a school photographer showed up at a small Catholic School in Chilton Wisconsin. What he didn't know that day was that his mistake would cause a young girl to make a decision that changed her life. On that day when he was in a hurry to photograph all the kids at that school, he failed to notice that Lisa Ann's bow tie was not in fact tied, but in a knot dangling from her neck. Because her school was so small they didn't have re-shoots her parents kept the pictures and Lisa Ann announced to her mother that when she grew up and was a photographer she would not miss the details.

In 1980 her parents purchased an Electro-flash 555 for Lisa Ann as a graduation present. This was the beginning to an expensive hobby. By 1984 she purchased her first 35mm camera and was shooting images that the local newspaper and yearbook was publishing. In 1988 Lisa Ann interned with Yearbook Associates in Massachusetts, a firm that during its hay-day did over $36 million in college and high school senior portraits. Eventually she joined the company and worked at such prestigious accounts as the Air Force Academy, University of Utah, Reno, Michigan, and Indiana. She did photography for Skidmore College, Harvard Law, MIT, St. Lawrence College - NY, and Cornell University.

In 1994 Lisa Ann opened her first studio on her own in upstate New York. After her mothers death, due to cancer, Lisa Ann moved back to Wisconsin where she opened Photographic Memories by Lisa Ann.

With her main studio in New Holstein, she also opened up a branch office in Appleton Wisconsin. Lisa Ann travels all over the United States capturing fabulous images at weddings and parties. "It is just such a treat to be a part of this very special day in these people's lives, it is not only my job to capture those incredible moments that most people don't even see, but it is my responsibility to help the bride and groom have one of the most fabulous days of their lives to this point." - Lisa Ann

"Doing senior portraits, like a fashion shoot is simply my way of bringing New York back here with me. Senior portraits should be fun, they should show who the student is at this time in their lives, and the session should be such a great experience that lives on in that students mind for a very long time."

"Families should be photographed every two years at the least. In the course of one year anything can happen. I changed my thought process on this subject when a friend of mine tried to schedule his family for a portrait session during the summer months one year and then each of them came down with the chicken pox one right after the next. They never got in before the kids had to go back to their mother's home in another state. The next summer his little girl who was 12 had it in her notebook as one of the first things she wanted to do "# 3 go to Lisa Ann's for family pictures with Dad" , two days before she was to arrive in NY a woman running late for work, driving too fast, came over the hill where the little girl lived and couldn't stop in time. She was crossing the road on her bike. They never had those pictures done. I've never really recovered from that moment" Kids change, families grow, families move on, these images save a little piece of that history.

Life is sometimes really really short. Having those baby pictures, family portraits, special events, senior portraits, and wedding portraits is a way to hold onto the memories, a way to bring smiles to faces, and warm feelings in your heart.

"What I do is capture Life…photographing life…as it is…good times and bad…this is the moment." Lisa Ann