After moving into a new studio in November, Invermere photographer Kyla Brown is ready to welcome clients into a fresh setting. Located at 240 3rd Avenue — the red building across from A&W — Brown’s new studio offers a comfortable setting with props you’ll recognize from home in a room that feels familiar upon your first visit. Brown specializes in weddings and portrait work, and designs her own art cards which are sold throughout the province — visual greetings with Brown’s original photos, drawings and text. Although her studio is well-equipped with modern photography tools, Brown says it’s the person who makes the difference. “You can take a great photo with any camera,” she said. “It’s the person that’s taking the photo that’s putting themselves into it. If I pick up my iPhone, I can take a photo with that, or I can take a photo with this [professional] camera, but if you just do the best that you can with the gear that you have — it’s a great attitude to have.” The new studio gives Brown space for portrait work as well as office work, and “somewhere that was central and that people would be able to recognize and come to easily,” she said. While she now has a prominent location to operate from, wedding season will keep Brown busy and out of the office. “I love seeing people go through that process of anticipating the moment before, and the ceremony, and they’re married to someone that they absolutely love and they wanna spend the rest of their life with,” she said. And whatever the occasion, Brown enjoys taking advantage of the landscape around the valley. “It’s so stunning with the lake and mountains.” The demand for wedding photographers grabbed Brown into matrimonial service early on in her career. While the first handful of weddings made Brown slightly nervous, positive reactions made her realize that she could be herself as a photographer and keep clients happy. Having entered the Emily Carr University of Art + Design as an artist, it was during her studies that Brown decided that she would major in photography. “It’s an eclectic mix, but it’s what works for me and creates balance in my life,” she said. Brown says her ability to connect with people is her greatest strength; she shows clients a part of themselves that they’re comfortable sharing with her. “The studio is up and running and people can contact me to come in for shoots here,” she said. “I’m going to be running a grand opening special which will involve mini sessions in March.” For two days next month, subjects can head over to Kyla Brown Photography and have photos taken without the commitment of a full shoot. For booking information, Brown can be contacted through her website, kylabrownphotography.com, or by phoning her cell at 250-688-8888.