Purdon House of Photography

Purdon House of Photography is a portrait studio located at 5 Lynoak Ave in Shillington, Pennsylvania, just southwest of Reading in Berks County. The studio handles the range of work typically associated with a full-service portrait operation: high school senior sessions, family groups, children and infants, individual headshots, event coverage and the restoration of older photographs. Sessions are conducted onsite at the Shillington location, and the studio can be reached by phone at +1 610-777-3742.

The business operates under the direction of photographer Brad Purdon, whose name comes up repeatedly in connection with the studio's work across the Reading area. Rather than functioning as a high-volume chain outlet, the studio works on a smaller scale, with the photographer personally involved in planning, shooting, retouching and final delivery for most assignments. Clients generally deal with the same person from the initial conversation through to receiving finished prints or files.

Portrait Services

Senior portraits make up a significant portion of the studio's calendar. Families in the Governor Mifflin, Wilson, Reading and surrounding school districts use the studio for the formal images required by yearbooks as well as the more casual or stylized shots that students want for announcements, social media and framed prints. Sessions can be arranged to include wardrobe changes, props tied to a student's sport or hobby, and a mix of studio and outdoor settings depending on the time of year and what the student has in mind.

Family portraiture is another regular part of the workload. This includes multi-generational group sittings, holiday card images, newborn and baby portraits, milestone birthday sessions and sibling groupings. The studio also handles individual portraits for professional purposes, including headshots for business profiles, actor and performer materials, and photographs used in company directories or promotional literature.

Beyond the studio itself, the business takes on location work. School events, sports teams, graduations, church directories, community organizations and private celebrations have all fallen within the scope of what the studio covers. Location assignments allow for backgrounds and settings that cannot be replicated indoors, which matters for senior sessions and family groups that want outdoor environments typical of Berks County, from farm fields and stone bridges to parks and downtown Reading streetscapes.

Photo Restoration and Reproduction

One area that distinguishes the studio from strictly session-based photographers is its work with existing photographs. Damaged, faded, torn or water-stained prints can be scanned, digitally repaired and reprinted. This service is often used for genealogy projects, memorial displays, anniversary gifts and funeral boards, where the only surviving image of a person may be a small, degraded print.

The studio also assembles multiple restored images into combined layouts, producing a single print that gathers photographs from different eras or sources into one presentation. Families preparing memorial collages or commemorative gifts frequently use this service. Copy work, duplication of irreplaceable originals and conversion of old formats into digital files are also handled in house.

Working Style

The studio's approach to portraiture leans toward direction and interaction rather than leaving subjects to pose themselves. This is particularly relevant for sessions involving young children, teenagers who are uncomfortable in front of a camera, and clients who have sensory or communication differences. The photographer's method involves talking with subjects, adjusting pacing to suit the person being photographed and working toward natural expressions instead of rigid arrangements.

Creative concepts are part of the process as well. Clients who arrive with a specific idea, an unusual prop, a themed concept or an unconventional location are generally accommodated, and the studio will suggest alternatives or variations during the planning stage. This flexibility tends to produce portrait sets that differ noticeably from one another rather than following a single template.

Turnaround is a practical consideration for many customers, especially those working against yearbook deadlines, holiday mailing dates or funeral arrangements. The studio has built a reputation for delivering proofs quickly and completing final work on compressed schedules when circumstances require it. Customers facing a tight deadline are encouraged to say so when booking, since the studio has handled rush requests on a regular basis.

Location and Access

Shillington is a borough bordering the city of Reading, which places the studio within easy reach of most of central Berks County. The surrounding communities of Mohnton, Wyomissing, Sinking Spring, Kenhorst, Mount Penn, Birdsboro and West Lawn are all a short drive away, and clients come from throughout the county as well as from neighboring Lancaster, Chester and Lebanon counties for specific projects.

The property has a wheelchair accessible entrance and a wheelchair accessible parking lot, which matters for family sessions involving elderly relatives, clients using mobility devices and anyone arriving with strollers or equipment. Parking is available on site. Because sessions are scheduled individually rather than operated on a walk-in basis, calling ahead is necessary.

Practical Information

• Address: 5 Lynoak Ave, Shillington, PA 19607
• Phone: +1 610-777-3742
• Business type: portrait studio
• Services performed onsite at the Shillington location and at client-chosen locations by arrangement
• Wheelchair accessible entrance and parking lot
• Appointments arranged by phone; online booking is not available

When contacting the studio, it helps to have a few details ready: the type of session, the number of people involved, any deadline that applies, and whether indoor, outdoor or a combination of settings is preferred. For restoration work, a description of the damage and the size of the original print will allow for a more useful initial conversation. Senior portrait clients should check their school's yearbook submission deadline before scheduling, since that date usually drives the timeline for the whole session.

Place in the Local Scene

Portrait photography in Berks County has shifted considerably with the spread of digital cameras and phone photography, and independent studios that remain active have generally done so by offering things that casual photography cannot: controlled lighting, professional retouching, archival printing, restoration capability and an experienced eye for composition. Purdon House of Photography fits that category, functioning as a working studio that covers both the ceremonial milestones families want recorded and the technical work of preserving images that already exist. For residents of Shillington and the wider Reading area, it represents a local option for portrait and restoration work that does not require traveling outside the county.