After 32 years of working in the photo industry, Bruce decided to cash in their (his and his wife Pat's) jar of change ($432) and make a go of opening his own photography business.
In June of 2010, Croft's Photographic Services was created.
Bruce attended the U.S. Naval School of Photography in 1978 at NAS Pensacola, Florida. It was here the dream of having his own Photography Company started. He went on to serve as a photographer at NAS Kingsville, Texas and the Aircraft Carrier, USS America CV-66, where he continued to serve as a U.S. Navy Photographer.
Being honorably discharged from the Navy in 1982, Bruce continued to work in photography with Olan Mills, photographing in Churches for the Church Directory Business. In 1983, he went to work for Paul's Photography / Ark-La-Tex Color Lab. Bruce became a Certified Photographic Consultant in 1995 and started working with and training photography studios across the United States. In 2004, Bruce and his wife Pat were ask to start The Image Gallery Portrait Studio as a division of Ark-La-Tex Color Lab.
He has taught photography classes at Kilgore College, spoken at local and regional professional photographers associations, as well as several national photography conventions. He has won local, national, and international awards.
February 2011 - Patricia, Bruce's wife for over 30 years, joined forces with him. She is the office manager, as well as our digital design artist. She brings over 35 years of photography experience and 15 years of digital design experience to Croft's Photographic Services.
October 2013 - After just three years, we had out grown what could be done with just one full time photographer and started turning down work. Joshua Croft joined Croft's Photographic Services. Joshua had been helping his dad in his spare time and on weekends since 2004. Joshua has become a wonderful photographer and a great asset to Croft's Photographic Services.
In April of 2018, Rachael Gilberg join us in the office and at the schools. Eventually Rachael became our office manager and did all of the cropping and data entry work for Croft's Photographic Services. Not only did she do these jobs, but she also worked as Customer Service and Receptionist as well.
The Lord continued to bless us and we outgrew our shop. Just before the unforeseen COVID shutdown in March 2020, we took a leap of faith and rented two connecting suites at 3002 Gilmer Road in Longview, Texas for our offices. Less than a year later, we had grown even more, and had to rent an addition suite. We started doing our own plaques and other dye sublimation items as well. We now employ 8 well trained professional photographers, seasonal helpers, as well as 7 office personnel to handle all of the data entry, graphic designs, dye sublimation operators. and general office help.
Also, in 2020 with the help of our photographers and Rachael's great customer service , Croft's Photographic Services was awarded the Better Business Bureau "Award of Excellence" for Veteran Owned Business.
Now in 2026, we continue to grow, stay tuned to see the changes and what the Lord has instore for us!!
Please feel free to ask any time about how much the Lord has had a hand in our business, the business as well as ourselves wouldn't be here today with the help of the Lord.