Art & Life with Aly Kirkpatrick

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aly Kirkpatrick.

Aly, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
And then he said the 4 most scary words. “Yeah, but what if? “These were the words that propelled me into becoming a professional photographer. Sounds crazy, right? I didn’t know the adventure and the journey I was about to embark on at the time, but my husband’s words vocalized the fear I had been keeping inside. He meant it in a “What if you succeed?” type of way; I meant it as a “What if I fail?” type of way.

Photography for me started as a high school hobby, and at some point, along the way it turned into a deep passion. As the yearbook editor for my high school, I was fortunate to learn the intricacies of photography and design. I loved being able to capture life’s moments, whether it was with friends or school events. It was something I loved being a part of and the creativity of photography came very natural for me. I remember setting up “photoshoots” with my friends and siblings, just for the simple fact that it was fun to me.

I went to college and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in business, but I never thought I would become a small business owner. I always thought I would work for someone else and use my administrative gifts in the corporate world. Photography was always something that I knew I had an eye for, but I kept pushing that passion away because I was too afraid of failure.

In 2016, three years after moving to Arizona, my husband Austin encouraged with those four words, which launched me into starting my own photography business, Aly Kirk Photo. It was intimidating at the time, because I had no clients, no portfolio, no hands-on experience, and a professional camera I barely knew how to use. But, when I decided to put my mind to it and give it everything I had to make it successful, I saw results. I started building a portfolio, building a social media presence, connecting with and learning from other local photographers, creating a website and a brand, and gaining clientele little by little. Over the past couple of years, I have honed in on creating a brand I am proud of, which now focuses primarily on wedding and family photography. Add in the Arizona desert and a Dr. Pepper and I’m happy!

My store is not one of a quick races to the finish line, but rather a steady progression of hard work, dedication, persistence, and the pursuit of doing what I love!

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I love using the natural outdoor sunlight to create timeless, intimate, and joyful images of families, mamas to-be, couples, and brides & grooms. My hope is that through my images, my clients can feel the joy and love found in their photos, and that they walk away with treasured images they’ll cherish forever; ones they’ll be able to show off to their kids and grandkids one day.

How do you think about success, as an artist, and what do quality do you feel is most helpful?
I think success looks different for everyone. I have struggled with finding what exactly success looks like for me, but I have come to the realization that comparing what I “think” my success should be with other people’s level of success can be very crippling mentally. Everyone has different responsibilities, different roles in life, and different needs. In order to define success for myself, I’ve had to look at my life, with all of the different hats I wear, and analyze what a healthy level of success would be for me, in this season. People can be very successful, in terms of finances or social status, but that doesn’t mean their living a healthy or desirable life. I’ve learned that as a small business owner, if I am not thriving as a person, my business will eventually reap the consequences of that. I believe finding balance and rhythm is the key to leading a life of success. Define what it means for you and your life, and don’t define it by another people’s success!

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I love using Instagram as a tool to not only show my work but also build a community. My Instagram link is www.instagram.com/alykirkphoto. My blog is also a place where I share a lot of my images and I love being able to give my clients a little extra love online! I also share a lot of my personal journey through my blog, whether that be a peek inside my business, my very own love story with my husband, or our current home building process. My blog link is www.alykirkphoto.com/blog.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.alykirkphoto.com
• Email: alykirkphoto@gmail.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/alykirkphoto
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/alykirkphoto

Image Credit:
All images were taken by me 🙂

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.