About New Creation Photography & Laura Steele Eckert

The Birth of New Creation Photography

"But I don't shoot weddings!" And with that, New Creation Photography was born.

It was 2003 and a good friend asked me to photograph her small outdoor wedding. I was teaching art, photography and computer graphics at Prairie High School in Cedar Rapids and anticipating the transition to full-time motherhood while expecting our first child. I was a "fine art" photographer, not a portrait photographer. But I did my friend a favor, and it went really well. The next thing I knew I was buying lights so I could shoot my cousin's church wedding, then using those lights to do little photo sessions when it was my turn to host playgroups. Friends of friends saw those pictures and wanted to schedule appointments. Word of mouth took over, and things snowballed from there.

Starting New Creation Photography was a perfect complement to my duties as Mom and my desire (need?) for both a creative and social outlet. I could schedule appointments around our family calendar and have the opportunity to connect and talk with other moms. It was perfect!

I now have three kids (14, 17 and 19 years old), a husband who supports my photography endeavors, and a job I love in addition to my mom duties. I also enjoy playing basketball and other sports, listening to and/or attending musicals like Hamilton and Les Misérables, helping with various ministries at church, traveling, and dreaming of writing a book.

I am a Certified Professional Birth Photographer and a member of the Professional Photographers of America and the International Association of Professional Birth Photographers. I am honored to have been part of the Cherished Portraits volunteer team at the University of Iowa Children's Hospital, providing photo sessions for babies and children (and their families) in end-of-life situations.

Thank you to all of my clients who have been with me from the beginning, and who have trusted me with their family's portraits -- from maternity, birth, baby and beyond!

Hope to see you soon!

Laura Steele Eckert

I hire a photographer and "make" our family get photos done every year, partially so I can remember annually what it feels like to prepare and get through a family session.

Here's a post-session "fun" shot we set up after our latest set of family pictures, this time at Kaaawa Beach, Oahu. Some Photoshop shenanigans may have been involved!