Meet the ARTIST

hello & welcome!

My name is Erin Schrad and I'm a wedding, portrait & event photographer based in Richmond, Virginia. While studying art and design at the University of Virginia, I fell in love with photography not only as an artistic medium, but as a way to serve others by recording both the significant and everyday moments in their lives. So after college, I went to the Rocky Mountain School of Photography in Montana to further my study before going to work at a nonprofit.

I'd love to be the one to preserve your story, so if you think we'd be a good match, head over to the contact page and tell me more about how I can help you!

"... Photography is the simultaneous recognition in a fraction of a second of the significance of an event.”

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Madison

I adopted Madison ("Maddie") from a rescue group in 2008 when she was 4.5 months old and she immediately won over my entire family. She was my constant companion. Sadly, I had to hug her goodbye on January 20, 2021 as she succumbed to lymphoma. In the meantime, I am comforted by my parents' dogs and my brother's dog.

I adopted Madison ("Maddie") from a rescue group in 2008 when she was 4.5 months old and she immediately won over my entire family. She was my constant companion and the smartest dog I've ever had. Sadly, I had to hug her goodbye on January 20, 2021 as she succumbed to lymphoma. I will adopt again... but in the meantime, I am comforted by my parents' dogs, Ginny & Broc, and my brother's dog, Jack.

My Four-Legged Child

love and laughter

I'm so blessed to have a large, loving, supportive family. They make me laugh, they make me crazy, and they make life full! My mom is my best friend and we're pretty much joined at the hip! We even work together at a nonprofit membership organization.

MY FAMILY

university of virginia

I am a loyal Wahoo along with my younger brother (who happened to play football there as well.) Our family has season tickets for football games and we get to as many as we can! I had an amazing four years as an undergrad at UVa and it holds a special place in my heart.

MY ALMA MATER

home design & decorating

From the time I was 8 years old, I wanted to be an architect. I drew floor plans, deconstructed my Barbie townhouse, toured homes under construction, took drafting in high school and enrolled in the School of Architecture at UVA... where I lasted one year! But even though I was destined for a different career path, I still enjoy a good reno project or a night of HGTV! (Or shooting interiors!)

From the time I was 8 years old, I wanted to be an architect. I drew floor plans, deconstructed my Barbie townhouse, toured homes under construction, and enrolled in the School of Architecture at UVA... where I lasted one year! But even though I was destined for a different career path, I still enjoy a good reno project or a night of HGTV! (Or shooting interiors!)

MY ALMOST CAREER

"sugar, butter, flour..."

I've enjoyed baking ever since my mom started letting me help her make cookies when I was in elementary school. Actual "cooking" on the other hand is a total mystery to me... I'm more of a "reheater"!

MY ONE KITCHEN SKILL

broadway baby

I think I owe my love of Broadway musicals to my high school French teacher. She played the Phantom of the Opera recording for us while we read the original French novel by Gaston LeRoux as a way to help us better follow the plot. It took several years until I finally saw Phantom performed, but I already had the music and lyrics memorized. After that experience, I was completely hooked! Since then, I've seen 26 Broadway, touring, student & youth productions... and have saved every Playbill!
(Points to you if you got the reference in the previous slide!)

I owe my love of Broadway musicals to my high school French teacher. She played the Phantom of the Opera recording for us while we read the original French novel. It was several years before I finally saw Phantom performed, but I already had the music and lyrics memorized. Since then, I've seen 26 Broadway, touring, student & youth productions... and have saved every Playbill!

my FAVORITE THINGS #1

books

As a little girl, I absolutely loved to read. I would often stay up late in bed with a flashlight just unable to pause the story! My introverted self has always been content to just sit quietly engrossed in a literary fantasy world... a trait that came in handy as a kid when I routinely found myself hanging with my parents at work or, for a couple years, with my mom in her law school classes. Required reading in high school and college nearly killed my inner bookworm, but the advent of e-books has reinvigorated this hobby. My latest obsession has been the Outlander series.

As a little girl, I would often stay up late reading in bed with a flashlight just unable to pause the story! My introverted self has always been content to just sit quietly engrossed in a literary fantasy world... a trait that came in handy as a kid when I routinely found myself hanging with my parents at work. As an adult, e-books are a godsend!
My latest obsession has been the
Outlander series.

my FAVORITE THINGS #2

internet photo... because mine are e-books!

ancestry.com

A few years ago, I came in to possession of some family research done by great aunts on both sides. Being a child of the internet age, my first move was to take their paper records and put them into ancestry.com in order to more easily manage them. Next thing I know, those little leaves started popping up and I just couldn't resist following each one and filling in yet another piece of the story! When we moved from Nebraska to Virginia when I was 7, I felt like we were moving away from where our family had always had its roots. But I later found out, we were coming full circle!

A few years ago, I came in to possession of some family research done by great aunts on both sides. In order to better manage it all, I took their paper records and put them into ancestry.com. Next thing I know, I can't resist following those little leaves and filling in yet another piece of the story! When we moved from Nebraska to Virginia when
I was 7, I felt like we were moving away from where our family had always had its roots. But I later found out, we were coming
full circle!

my FAVORITE THINGS #3

about

I've been blessed to have had many opportunities to travel in my life. Thus far, I've been to 40 states and 7 foreign countries, with a long list of places I still dream of visiting! Here are some of my favorite travel memories.

wanderlust

I have wanted to go to Italy for as long as I can remember. Studying both art and architecture in college, my days were filled with images of works by the Italian masters – Michaelangelo, Brunelleschi, Botticelli, daVinci, Raphael, and countless others. I finally got to go in 2018 and I literally cried when I saw Il Duomo the first time.

italy

If there was any place I longed to go more than Italy, it was Ireland. When your name literally means "Ireland," you are naturally drawn to a place! I went in March 2020 and, despite horrible timing (COVID-19 was shutting down the country) and horrendous weather, I was enchanted. I need to go back!!

ireland

My mom is my best friend and a lot of my travels have been with her. In 2008, we took a cruise down the Mexican Riviera (west coast of Mexico). It was the same week as Election Day, so that Tuesday night, we had our dinner brought to our cabin and watched hours of CNN to see the results!

mexico

I have been to Colorado more times than I can count, but I never get tired of its beauty. The Rocky Mountains are so majestic and photographic!

colorado

In 2007, I took my first cruise — to Bermuda! My family, including my mom's sister's family, all went in honor of several milestone events. It was a truly special destination for all of us as my mom had lived there when she was a little girl while her father was stationed at Kindley AFB.