50+ Lifestyles

Hilltop Campus – PhotoFROG Studio

Greetings from the Hilltop Campus Village. My name is Ranae Fenner, and I am the owner of PhotoFROG Studio. PhotoFROG Studio is a full service photography studio. I specialize in photographing weddings, high school seniors, children and families. Recently, I relocated PhotoFROG Studio from the Village of East Davenport to the Hilltop Campus Village, and couldn’t be more excited about the move.

About two years ago, I learned that the building where PhotoFROG was then located was for sale. It was at that time I began to look for a new home for PhotoFROG Studio. After numerous hours of driving around Davenport, combing websites and talking to anyone who would listen, I found 1601 Harrison. The building caught my eye immediately. I asked a friend about the building and was introduced to Scott Tunnicliff, director of the Hilltop Campus Village. Scott pointed me in the direction of Jim Lind, owner of 1601 Harrison, and thus began the process of moving to the Hilltop Campus Village. The Hilltop Campus Village seemed like a great place to locate a photography studio.

At that time, PhotoFROG had been in business eight years. I had photographed over 150 weddings, hundreds of high school seniors and countless families. Even with all the lives touched by PhotoFROG, it was not a widely known studio. PhotoFROG had been advertised strictly by word of mouth.

Surrounded by schools, churches, restaurants and other small businesses, 1601 Harrison is the perfect location for a growing photography studio. PhotoFROG clients enter the studio from the parking lot located at the back of the building. Clients are welcomed into the cozy receiving area, after which they are taken into the studio. The studio consists of various backgrounds and sets designed to accommodate large groups, high school seniors or toddlers.

The architecture is a 11/2 story Classical Revival period building originally built as the Peoples Trust and Savings bank in 1917. It was the first bank on the Hilltop and the first building to use Portland Cement in the foundation. The foundation has withstood the test of time, as well as the red tin ceiling.

In June of 2014, PhotoFROG Studio will be 10 years old. What started as a hobby became a profession in 2004. I am humbled by the people I meet and the gratitude they have for the portraits taken over the last ten years.

PhotoFROG Studio is a service by appointment, therefore the business hours vary. You can schedule an appointment by calling (563) 328-3764 or going to the website www.photofrog.net.