The Connection

Louise Krafft is the award-winning chief photographer for the Connection Newspapers and has been with the papers since 1997.

Since 2009 alone, Krafft has won eight first place photography awards from the Virginia Press Association and 16 other top honors for her outstanding work in news, entertainment, portrait and special sections. In her years, Ms. Krafft has brought the paper back almost 100 awards of excellence.

In addition to her keen eye for photography, Krafft is blessed with a near-prefect photographic memory for the people, places and history of Alexandria and Northern Virginia.

Born, raised and educated in Alexandria, she began her career in a home dark room with her grandfather teaching her the patient technique of developing film. Following College at American University, Krafft worked for six years in a black and white photo lab, Washington House.

A lucky phone call to the lab from the magazine editor of American Banker landed Krafft her first professional free lance job to photograph the chairman of the Federal Reserve testifying before the House Banking Committee.

Within a short time, Krafft’s photos found their way into the business and A sections of the New York Times, Time Magazine, The New York Daily News, The Washington Post and numerous other trade publications.

Her outstanding freelance work allowed Krafft the flexibility to raise her son Shannon and several cats

Before joining the Connection Newspapers, Krafft covered Washington events for both Puerto Rican newspapers, El Nuevo Dia and the San Juan Star and worked for seven years as a photographer for the governor’s office of Puerto Rico in Washington.

In describing her photography, famed Washington journalist Bill Mayhugh said her photos “showed all subjects with dignity, regardless."