By: Sylvie Stephens, Marketing and Media Intern
In a world obsessed with filters, flawless posts, and digital perfection, Chandler-based photographer Eric O. Ledermann is capturing something far more real: kids just being themselves.
Through his powerful new project, Simply Me, Eric is helping children and their families see the beauty in authenticity, one portrait at a time.
Photography With a Purpose
What Eric creates isn’t just art, it’s legacy, love, and memory made visible.
“I grew up in a home without family portraits”, Eric shared during a recent episode of Inside the Ascent. “My mom was a real estate agent, and our house always had to look like a model home. But when I’d visit my friends’ houses and see their family pictures on the walls, it made me feel something. That sense of identity, it stuck with me”.
Now as the founder of Eric O. Ledermann Photography, Eric offers full-service, heirloom-quality portraits designed to celebrate connection, personality, and belonging. His work spans families, professionals, and children throughout Arizona but Simply Me is especially close to his heart.
The Simply Me Project: Celebrating Kids, Unfiltered
Simply Me is a national portrait initiative focused on capturing children ages 5-10 in their most natural, unposed, unfiltered state.
“No props. No perfect poses. Just personality”, Eric says. “It’s about self-esteem, authenticity, and celebrating who these kids are right now, not who the world tells them to be”.
Each session is relaxed and child-led. Some portraits are goofy, other quiet. One features a young girl spelling out “cool” with her fingers. “She did that on her own”, Eric laughs. “That’s who she is and that’s the point, these are personality portraits.”
The images are strikingly simple: clean black and white shots on a white background, printed as 20×20 pieces of art. All participating children will be featured in a local gallery show this fall, and one portrait will be submitted to a national art exhibit in Springfield, Illinois alongside work from other photographers across the country.
While Simply Me is a national collaboration, Eric’s local involvement is still growing and he’s looking for community partners. “I’d love for local businesses to host the gallery, maybe a coffee shop, a cupcake place, a bookstore”, he says. “Somewhere kids and families feel welcome”.
Beyond the Family Frame: Professional Portraits and Fine Art
In addition to family portraits, Eric is known for his distinctive headshot work. Focused on creating what he calls “headshots you’ll actually like,” Eric offers a tethered shooting process that allows clients to see their images as they’re captured. This collaborative approach helps business professionals and creatives alike feel confident and genuinely represented in their final images, far from the stiff, generic headshots many have come to expect.
For clients seeking more than portraiture, Eric curates his other photography wall art at Terralúcida Fine Art Gallery, for collectors and luxury interior spaces. His fine art captures the raw beauty of nature and urban scenes, reflecting the same intentionality and craftsmanship seen in his portrait work.
Portraits That Live Beyond the Screen
In an age when photos often disappear into the endless scroll of a smartphone gallery, Eric’s approach is refreshingly tangible. His portraits are meant to be printed, framed, and lived with.
“I don’t do shoot-and-burn,” he says plainly. “Because those files just collect digital dust. What I create is meant to live on your walls, in your hands. It becomes part of your home.”
This tactile, print-first philosophy runs through his entire business, whether it’s Simply Me, his signature family portraits, or his in-demand headshot work for professionals who want to look like themselves, not someone else.
“I tell clients all the time, if it won’t be on your face in two weeks, I’ll fix it. But if it’s part of who you are, it stays,” he says. “Your laugh lines, your real smile, your story, it deserves to be honored.”
From Digital Clutter to Tangible Connection
Eric’s message hits home for many parents navigating the digital age.
“Most of us have thousands of photos on our phones that we never look at again,” he says. “But when we print them, when we see ourselves and our families on the walls, we remember what matters. It tells our kids: ‘You belong. You’re loved. You matter.’”
Join the Simply Me Movement
Eric is currently booking Simply Me portrait sessions through August 2025, with space for up to 15 children. These sessions offer families a chance to capture their child’s unique personality through simple, powerful black-and-white images, no props, no posing, just authenticity.
A community gallery exhibition is planned for this fall to showcase each participating child, and Eric is actively seeking local businesses interested in supporting the project. Whether it’s hosting the gallery, sponsoring a session, or collaborating in another creative way, there are opportunities for businesses to be part of something meaningful and deeply connected to the local community.
Interested parents can learn more or sign up at www.ericoledermann.com/simplyme, or reach out to Eric directly by phone or text at 480-257-6757.
Businesses looking to get involved are encouraged to contact Eric to explore partnership opportunities and help make Simply Me a lasting celebration of childhood and community belonging.
