I took my first architectural photo of Waverly, Iowa’s train station at age 8. It was terrible, but I still have it and remember that station.

I’ve loved architectural aesthetics for as long as I can remember. Photography as a business came later. I started Lackner Photography in 2011, and property work — listings, interiors, aerials — paid the bills. That work taught me how spaces flow, how light changes through the day, how to work fast without cutting corners, and how to be easy to work with.

Today I shoot architecture, interiors, and aerials for designers and builders across southern Wisconsin. I also document projects during construction — the year before ribbon cutting is the part people later wish had been photographed. After 15 years, I still prefer getting to know a building for a year rather than an afternoon.