We are the Harts!
We are a husband & wife photography team based out of Central Illinois and have a combined 23 years photographing professionally and are still wildly in love with it!
We are also the best of friends who love to travel, invest in our community, try new foods and create together! We have 5 kids and love working on projects in our dream mid-century home.
A little about Brad.
I am a designer at heart and love Jesus above all things. Enneagram 4W3 or 8W7 depending on the day. My perfect day would be spent in the mountains hiking with my family, chopping wood for a fire and sipping whiskey with my closest people as we tell stories, talk about things that matter and dream about making an impact on this world.
I was captivated by photography at a young age as I would take photos with my film camera along the way in my family trips out West. Growing up in Central Illinois, I was in awe of the changes I saw on those travels, from the flat corn-covered landscapes of the Midwest, to the snow-capped mountains as they rose up all around us.
As I hit my mid twenties, I was inspired by a photograph I saw on an album cover and I checked out the photographer's website. I was surprised at what I saw. They photographed weddings, but in a way that I had never seen before - in a way that felt like me! I had to scratch this creative itch and so I brought my camera to a family member's wedding. I shared what I took and they posted them. After that I kept receiving inquires, began traveling to destinations and it was all over after that - I was in love and 15 years later, I still love every single wedding and session!
A little about Alisa.
It's so nice to meet you! I am a multi-passionate creative entrepreneur with a joy for living intentionally. Enneagram 2w3, friend, wife, mom and in full pursuit of God's heart. Although I am introverted, I love to connect with others and encourage them in their life's pursuits. Often you can find me curling up in the sun with a good book, snuggling & connecting with my family or browsing through the local thrift shop while sipping on a coffee and listening to a good podcast.
For as long as I can remember I have identified as a creative. These pursuits varied over my childhood years from music, to drawing, thrifting + sewing, and photography. Although a lot of these creative pursuits came & went, photography was the one that always stuck with me. From road-tripping cross country with my family (Brad & I are similar, in this way) and photographing what I found inspiring on disposable cameras, then to pursue years of creating self-portraits as a form of therapy and discovery in my teenage years, and then discovering the world of documentary style photography as I lived abroad for a year and used my camera and a blog to share my experiences with friends & family back home. It's always been about the storytelling for me.
The way an image can draw you in and really make you feel something. To now be pursuing photography as a career and telling other people's stories in this way is a dream come true.
I am so grateful you're here and I'm honored to be a small part of your story.
We don't just want to be your photographers, but your friends.
It is our desire to really know you and have you know us so that when we are photographing you, the pressure is off, you can let down your guard and we can capture fully honest, authentic images. We want you to fully trust us and know that when you step in front of our lens, we will never make you look silly or awkward. We really care about this craft and our clients and we want you to feel like you in your images. Learn more about our approach and experience that we bring to every wedding and session.
