Capturing Lifelong Memories | Article by Lawrence Business Magazine
Emmalee Schaumburg working a photo session in her photo studio at 500 Locust Street with Dr. Steve Segebrecht. Photo by Steven Hertzog
Capturing Lifelong Memories | Story by Bob Luder
Emmalee Schaumburg housed her photography studio in a space on North Second Street for 2½ years before moving to her current location four years ago, when she was eight months pregnant with her daughter, Lily. The beautiful, late-1800s structure, with huge windows covering the front side, served as the post office long ago, when North Lawrence was its own entity. The postmaster lived upstairs.
“I love it here,” Schaumburg says. “The north-facing lighting is great.”
On a rainy fall Friday in October, Schaumburg photographs a sleeping newborn while the baby’s parents watch anxiously over her shoulder.
In addition to photographing babies and high school seniors, Schaumburg says she photographs a lot of headshots for hospital and doctor groups, and she also is getting into architectural photography.
“I’ll do maybe 5 to 6 weddings a year,” she says. “And lately, I like fashion and beauty work.”
She settled on North Lawrence as home for her business for the same reason many do—cheaper rent—but says there’s much more to like about the area.
“I always enjoy going to the antique stores (in the area),” she says. “It always seems like a quaint area.”
While she says her involvement with North Lawrence has been limited thus far, she was involved in getting the area’s businesses involved in the greater Lawrence area’s monthly Final Fridays celebrations and has done some work for the aforementioned antique stores. She says she’s open to more community endeavors moving forward.
“I do everything with the business—invoicing, marketing—so I just try to stay focused,” she says. “The industry is always evolving, so just staying relevant is important. Also, staying inspired is a big thing for any artist.”
That might be an area where the charm of North Lawrence can help serve Schaumburg well in the future.