The difference between a photograph and a portrait leaps into focus at Classic Impressions.

Family pictures typically freeze a moment in time, but owners Chris and Debbie Lowry aim their cameras at the es-sence of their subjects – the story behind the moment.

“The first thing we do is talk with a customer; find out what they want to capture,” Debbie said. “We use a variety of poses and backgrounds, some candid, some artistic.”

Photographs on the walls of their studio at 1108 N. Fifth Ave. testify to the range of emotions they can evoke.

A misty black and white canvas shows a tiny girl with her teddy bear gazing pensively out of a window. Another, hand-colored with the pinks and yellows of spring, presents an ea-ger young boy in the driver’s seat of an old pickup truck.

A family in white framed by old-growth forest; a mother and infant entwined; and a vibrant ballerina snapped in a se-ries of shots are all lifted out of the realm of the everyday.

“We have lots of backgrounds to offer here, and then some people want natural settings so we’ll go to them,” Chris said.

In mid-June, for example, they go to the Gulf Shores – and schedule sessions with people who will be there at the same time. Locally, the perennial favorite locations include private homes, the Berry College campus and downtown Rome.

The studio also is a treasure-trove of settings, with choices including a Victorian porch, a rock wall, a floral garden and a rustic cabin complete with bales of hay.

The couple, who met while they were studying photogra-phy at North Georgia Technical College, also prepare for holidays with live bunnies for Easter and Santa – “THE Santa,” Chris said – at Christmas. A graduation special for seniors is running in May.

Other monthly and yearly specials are listed on their web-site and Facebook page, along with more about scheduling a sitting.

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