Today we’d like to introduce you to Kira Ryan.
Kira, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have dreamed of being a model since I was a little girl. I was such a ham and absolutely loved being in front of the camera. During my high school and early college years I applied to a bunch of agencies but nothing ever happened because I’m “short” (5’4″) and most agencies required 5’7″ or 5’9″ at least. I would keep trying off and on for years but kept getting discouraged. Several months ago, I finally found some photographer friends and local photography groups to get involved with, and now things are finally looking like this dream will be my reality.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not. This has been an incredibly bumpy road. The biggest struggle for me is the issue of height. Being constantly discouraged by that is absolutely gut-wrenching. I wish I would have had the mindset I have today to keep pushing back in high school and college when my schedule had more flexibility. Now, that I’m 24 and work full-time, scheduling is getting difficult. Having to only do shoots in the evenings or weekends gets exhausting. Then, of course, there’s the issue of safety and legitimacy of the people you’re working with. Even at 24, I’m still giving my mom all the details of every shoot I’m on and checking in with her while I’m on them.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
Modeling is first and foremost my passion, but my day job is in digital marketing and I work as a Social Media Specialist. I think having that background helps me in promoting myself and the people I work with. It’s enabled me to build a solid following in a short amount of time. Something that I think sets me apart is my big eyes and my freckles. Photographers tell me all the time how much they love that or how great it is to work with those features. It’s a good feeling because I definitely got picked on when I was younger for having big eyes. I also have some good experience with makeup. I’m not an MUA, but I’m good at doing my makeup and that’s very important when participating in local photography groups that don’t have MUAs on hand.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
That’s difficult, I have a lot! I’d have to say playing in the creek with my sister and our dog and the rest of the family or horseback riding. Most, if not all, of my favorite childhood memories, are family related. I’m very close with my family.
Contact Info:
- Email: kiraryan1001@aol.com
- Instagram: @_kiraryan_
- Facebook: @KiraRyanOfficial
Image Credit:
Kevin Kienitz, Jeff Goldberg, Mike Anderson, Rebin Roy, Jean (Tory Seibert)
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago 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.
