Louise Donald

Louise has been photographing families and children for over 20 years and has owned Laceys Studios for over 16 years.

Over this period Louise has acquired vast experience in all aspects of creative studio work gaining awards along the way.

She is a member of both the BIPP and MPA

Mark Pedwell

Mark has extensive experience in professional photography gained over the past 25 years.

He has photographed 1000’s of weddings all over the country and also specialises in studio, proms and P.R work.

Mark is a member of the BIPP.

Sophie Large

Sophie is a photography graduate specialising in digitial retouching and studio work.

Laceys Studios...

Laceys was founded in Birmingham in 1895 by two sisters who were originally hand painting portrait artists.

Like many other photographers of their time they adopted the new technology of photography which had been made popular by carte de viste or 'photographic calling cards' used by royalty and other important figures. These small photographs could be reproduced cheaply by the new photographic processes and soon everyone wanted them. They eventualy developed into the portrait photography we know today.

The Lacey sisters had a wooden studio and darkroom in their backyard at 518 Coventry Road, Small Heath, Birmingham, but one disastrous day in 1907 the Studio burnt down.

Mr Gothard brought Laceys, kept the name and rebuilt the Studio. He
retired in 1925 and sold the business to Harry Eades who ran it with his son Stanley.

Amateur photography had by this time become very popular so Laceys developed into a retail business selling films and cameras.

Stanley’s son John carried on the family business which by that time it had progressed into a large developing and hand printing business, as automatic machinery hadn’t yet been invented.

In 1977 the business moved to 1174 Warwick Road Acocks Green where it remains today.

In 1994 John, who was also a professional photographer of some repute, retired and the business was purchased by Louise Donald, the present owner.

Laceys has gone full circle and is once again owned by a lady photographer. Louise introduced new technology and moved Laceys into the digital age where a combination of creative flair and the latest techniques keeps Laceys at the forefront of contemporary professional photography.