We recently had the chance to connect with Kira Miller and have shared our conversation below.
Kira, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Hi! It’s good to be here! The thing that helps me the most to find myself again is always something in nature. Whether I’m hiking on a trail, paddling across a lake, or just sitting on the beach feeling my toes in the sand, nature is where I feel most connected to myself. It’s in these moments that I feel grounded and a sense of clarity. Being in nature reminds me of what’s truly important.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Sure, happy to! I’m Kira, a portrait photographer based in Tri-Cities, Washington. I grew up in Washington, was in Minnesota for a few years and recently moved back to Tri-Cities. My work is all about capturing the raw, authentic moments that tell a person’s unique story. My photography style is a blend of natural light and genuine connections, because I believe the most powerful images aren’t found in stiff poses or forced smiles, but in the heartfelt emotions that make us who we are.
What makes my brand special is my approach. I’m not just there to take a photo; I’m there to create a comfortable, natural environment where you can simply be yourselves. My goal is to seek out those candid moments and the beautiful, honest feelings that exist between people. I want to give my clients more than just a picture—I want to give them memories that reflect their unique essence and will be treasured for a lifetime.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who taught you the most about work?
My dad, without a doubt, taught me the most about work. He’s always been an incredibly hard worker, and his work ethic is something I’ve admired my entire life. Professionally, he’s a retired engineer, but he learned to build homes from his own father, a skill he’s used to build not only my childhood home but also multiple houses for my older brothers and, most recently, the home my parents now live in—even in his eighties! He was never afraid of hard work, no matter how daunting the task. This taught me the incredible value of putting in the effort, the immense sense of accomplishment that comes with it, and that it’s always okay to pivot and learn when things don’t go as planned.
He has more patience than I do, as I’ve certainly been known to give up on a project! But what truly makes his example so powerful is that he always balanced his hard work with taking time to play. He taught me that no matter the project, it was never more important than a break—especially if it involved good ice cream or a kickball game with the family. This balance showed me that you can be a diligent worker while still enjoying life to the fullest. That lesson of being a hard worker and not missing out on life has helped me find a sense of balance in running my own business today.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yeah for sure, there have been a couple of times. I think it’s a common feeling for a lot of small business owners at the very beginning to want to give up. At least I felt that way when I first started out. I was completely overwhelmed by the business side of things. I felt like a total imposter, unsure if I had what it took to run a business and create the kind of work I envisioned.
More recently, I moved my business from Minnesota back to my hometown in Washington, and it was a bigger challenge than I anticipated. I thought it would be easy to find clients and rebuild my business, but it has been a much slower process. There were moments of doubt where I seriously considered giving up in the last year.
Ultimately, my passion for capturing authentic moments and telling people’s stories is what keeps me going. I capture otherwise forgotten days in my client’s lives. I don’t photograph births, weddings, or big important ceremonies. I photograph families on the same day that they may have had soccer practice, dentist appointments, play dates, or any of the other daily activities that compose our lives. I think that makes this work even more significant. I photograph families on any average evening. These simple, seemingly mundane days for families can seem to blur together. Amongst that chaos, I get the opportunity to give families frozen, meaningful glimpses of what matters most. And that is an honor that I don’t take lightly and keeps me going.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
I’m here for all these questions! I think my closest friends would say what matters most to me is genuine and deep connection. I value being authentic and putting real effort into nurturing the relationships with the people I love. It’s truly important to me to surround myself with good people—the kind who see you for who you, help you feel safe, are like a breath of fresh air, and encourage you to be your best self.
In that same vein, they’d definitely say laughter is high on the list! And, of course, the real important things like NSYNC, The Seahawks, and absolutely everything about Christmas. Ultimately, it’s that beautiful blend of deep, meaningful relationships and the everyday joys that I find meaningful. At least that’s what I think my closest people would say!
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If you retired tomorrow, what would your customers miss most?
I hope my clients would miss my genuine nature and my ability to help them feel completely comfortable and like themselves in front of the camera. My goal is always to create a space where they can let their guard down and simply be. If I retired tomorrow, I’d like to think they would miss how that feeling of genuine connection and safety allowed them to love not only their photos, but themselves in their photos.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://photoaffect.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/photo.affect.photography/
Image Credits
Me! Photo Affect Photography.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
