A little about me, Arica Kirby, photographic artist and designer here at Kirby Photography. I am a mother to two amazing children whom I do my best to raise to be perfect little beings alongside their father, my husband of 13 years. Some days we feel like we are winning and some days I feel like I am on sinking ship. Ever been there? Either way, every day I am grateful to be able to have my family support me in my career as a photographer. They push me and challenge me to always be more. My photography obsession started long before my children arrived. As a teen it was a regular weekend thing to have my friends over and setup photo shoots. That continued through high school, but alas, I was convinced I should go to college so I don't end up "flipping burgers for a living" Well, guess what I did-I went to college, met my husband and bought a bar. (What were we thinking?) A year into the bar business my husband bought me my first DSLR and everything changed, I started photographing weddings. Soon I was bringing home backdrops and sneaking in props until finally I had a studio in the home. After 10 years in the bar business I turned in my shaker and spatula for a (planned) part time pursuit in photography. I was going to be part time stay at home mom and part time photog. That didn't last long. I quickly realized that I wanted to shoot more, and luckily my clients wanted that too. (Thank you!) I opened my business at our local mall as a Kiosk and from there moved into a unit. In the fall of 2018 I decided it was time for a permanent home. I purchased a building and property on the edge of Bemidji and the business continues to evolve. I am now also creating backdrops for Katebackdrop, so you may be photographed on an original design here and then see your cousin in Tulsa with their baby in the same set. Very cool! While my main business continues to focus on babies and littles I have continued to grow and value the importance of photos of my tweens. So it is reflected in my sessions and style. You now are likely to notice that in addition to traditional portraits we also offer fun fantasy themes custom sets. You just never know what is coming next. While I give my family much credit for my passion for photography it definitely began somewhere else. My best friend growing up had a mom who was always camera in hand. When I grew up I realized how many memories she had captured. I also realized how looking at the old photos of us was like looking through a portal to that memory. There truly can be no price tag attached to that. My second source was my aunt, who always dressed my cousins up in the most amazingly ridiculous pretty dresses. Every year when they updated their photo I would stare in admiration of their images. When I asked my mother why we didn't do that she would always tell me we couldn't afford to buy those dresses and do those shoots. This is the driving force behind my amazing (some may call ridiculous) wardrobe at the studio. Every child deserves to see their photo on the wall. When a child sees their portrait on the wall it makes them feel more confident. It reminds them of the value you hold for them. It is my goal to create a space where you can make magic happen-fun affordable art. Whether it is a classic simple set with your child shining or an elaborate scene to capture their latest obsession. We are ready to help you archive your family history after all, you lived, you loved and it mattered.