We recently connected with Kirsten Pribula and have shared our conversation below.
Kirsten, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
My mission with Kirsten Lynne Studios is rooted in human connection. I want people to feel seen, heard, and understood, and I believe photography and graphic design are a powerful way to make that happen. Every photo session I take on is an opportunity to capture moments that reveal someone’s story, personality, and essence. I aim to create work that goes beyond a visual image or a polished design. My work sparks emotion, builds empathy, and helps people connect with themselves and each other. Whether it is an ephemeral expression on stage, a thoughtful gesture in a portrait, or a design project that communicates an individual or brand’s identity or any type of visual project, my goal is always the same: to make a message visible and meaningful.
Theatre is at the heart of my photography. It is a space where emotion, energy, and storytelling converge. When I photograph theatre, I don’t just see performers. I see the shared experience between the stage and the actors. My photography brings these connections to life, celebrating the raw emotion, the humanity, and the unspoken moments that make us who we are.
Alongside theatre, I also take on headshots and portraits, lifestyle, branding, and creative photography. Each session is another way to tell someone’s story and reveal who they are at their core. A headshot could be a person’s first introduction to the world. A lifestyle session can capture someone’s authentic everyday self. Branding can give a business or individual an image that reflects their true identity, and creative photography can translate imagination into visual form, revealing perspectives and emotions that invite others to see the world differently.
As a visual storyteller, I notice the small, unique details that make a moment special. Being Deaf has made me especially aware of things people often miss. The subtle gestures, body language, and expressions carry so much emotion. Relying on sight, touch, and intuition has strengthened my ability to see these nuances, and that awareness has become a core part of what I do creatively. I pay attention to what the body communicates, what the eyes reveal, and the emotions beneath the surface. In every session I take on, even in life, these moments are everywhere and I use my sensitivity to capture them in a way that resonates with people. This same awareness shapes my work as a graphic designer, where I translate ideas and identities into visual language. Just as I read emotion in a glance or gesture, I consider how color, typography, and composition communicate mood and meaning, ensuring that each design feels both intentional.
At the end of the day, I want my work to feel real, to spark connection, and to linger with people long after they have seen it. That is what drives me and what I hope Kirsten Lynne Studios brings to every client and every story I have the privilege to capture.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’m Kirsten, and I own Kirsten Lynne Studios, where I focus on photography and graphic design that help people share their stories, present themselves or their work in ways that feel authentic and purposeful, and solve creative challenges through thoughtful design solutions. I was born with hearing but lost it at age three due to a rare condition called Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease. Growing up Deaf shaped my perception, making me aware of subtle details, patterns in movement and expression, and the interactions that often pass unseen. I learned American Sign Language while also going through speech therapy, wore hearing aids for a period, and later received cochlear implants. These experiences shaped how I observe the world and how I approach my work as a visual artist.
Art and music have always been my outlet. As a child, I did drawings, built collages, wrote poems, and even created little films, each one a way to give shape to what I felt. My parents nurtured that spark with poetry classes, music lessons, and art camps, encouraging me to explore every medium I could. I studied piano and became the first Deaf student in my high school’s music program, performing with the Centerville Jazz Band and the Centerville ‘World’ Indoor Drumline as a marimba performer, where we competed on nationally through BOA (Bands of America) and WGI (Winter Guard International). In those moments, I learned to feel rhythm and emotion not through sound, but through sight, vibration, and movement, lessons that continue to guide how I approach both photography and design, helping me capture energy, emotion, and storytelling in everything I create.
I first discovered photography through my audiologist, who had diagnosed my hearing loss. His office was filled with vintage cameras and his own photographs, and he even let me try one of his cameras. I remember the way it felt in my hands and the excitement of being able to click the shutter button. In my sophomore year of high school, my school offered graphic design classes for the first time. As someone who had always loved the arts, I decided to explore what graphic design is, and before I knew it, I had moved quickly into the advanced classes and fallen in love with the medium. That passion carried me to Sinclair Community College, where I earned my Associate Degree in Visual Communications and interned at Catapult Creative. It was there that I rediscovered photography and began learning how to weave design and photography together, using both to tell stories in visually compelling ways while building my portfolio. I continued my education at Ohio University, earning a B.F.A. in Graphic Design with cum laude honors and further refining my creative voice.
After graduating from Ohio University, I did a year-long graphic design fellowship with Berkeley Repertory Theatre, where I gained exposure to theatre production photography and professional marketing. I designed graphics, captured live performances, and learned from some of the best in the industry, including well-known theatre professionals, Broadway stars, and other celebrated artists. This experience was transformative and shaped the way I approach both photography and design today.
When I completed my fellowship and returned to Ohio, I focused on building my design career, first at Marion Technical College and then at the Dayton Art Institute. Around that time, two close friends asked me to photograph their production of Twelfth Night at Beavercreek Community Theatre. It was my first time leading photography for a full production without guidance. I was nervous, but I trusted my friends and saw it as a chance to grow, so I said yes. When I arrived, I had no idea this experience would ignite a passion for theatre photography that would reshape my creative path. Through my lens, I could see the emotion, humor, and energy of the performers, with the adrenaline, movement, and intensity of the live performance unfolding before me. That night, I realized photography was about more than capturing images. It was about translating the story and message on stage, bringing characters and moments to life, and creating images that resonate with audiences. What began as a favor for friends became a pivotal moment. Since then, I have photographed marketing and promotional images for the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance, theatre productions for Sinclair Community College and other local theatres, and headshots for local actors and everyday people. I continue to take on projects that help businesses express their brand or promote their work, as well as photography and design that reveal the essence of people and the moments that matter to them.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
For me, the most rewarding part of being a creative is the trust people place in me to reflect their experiences, from the intensity of a stage performance to the clarity of a headshot or portrait, and through any creative moment in between. I feel honored when people allow me to be present with them, trusting me to capture moments that matter and helping them feel valued and beautiful. One experience that truly captures this was photographing Bright Star The Musical at Beavercreek Community Theatre. During tech rehearsal, I was captivated. The set was stunning, the costumes exquisite, and the cast brought the story to life with so much energy and heart. Knowing Bright Star’s powerful and deeply moving story, something inside me whispered: “this is going to be a special one.”
During a performance, moments on stage can happen so quickly that it is easy to miss the subtle details of what is unfolding. I was completely inspired by the energy and emotion in the room, getting goosebumps, smiling, and even shedding a few tears as I photographed, moved by the cast’s talent, the raw performances, and the connections between them. Through my photography, I aim to reveal the broader story of these moments, capturing the nuances, energy, and emotion that might otherwise go unnoticed. Some photos might make viewers pause online and wonder, ‘What is happening here?’ or ‘Why does this photo feel so intense?’ That curiosity draws them in, inviting them to experience the full story in person and discover the magic of theatre for themselves. The impact was unforgettable. Beavercreek Community Theatre sold out every performance, and seeing the audience connect with the story reminded me just how meaningful it can be to preserve these moments through photography.
Every opportunity I’ve had, whether through photography, design, or any other creative medium, has been a chance to connect, explore, create, and grow. I’m deeply grateful for the support of those who believed in me and for the chance to transform moments into visuals that inspire, move, and resonate with others.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Looking back, I wish I had learned sooner how to balance creativity with self-care. Being a creative is incredible, but it can also be all-consuming. Learning to protect your energy and nurture your joy is just as important as the work itself, and it allows your creativity to flourish.
I wish I had discovered ChatGPT sooner. It has helped me brainstorm, organize, and bring my creative ideas to life. Having a tool like this earlier would have made the creative journey feel less daunting and more full of possibility.
And finally, I also wish I had known earlier how powerful it is to share your work. Early encouragement from people who truly believed in my vision not only gave me confidence and helped me navigate the business side of being a creative, but it also opened doors, connected me with clients and collaborators, and showed me that taking a risk and putting your work into the world can make an impact and inspire others. Their belief in my skills and creativity reminded me that my work deserves to be seen and that it has the power to reach people in ways I hadn’t imagined.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kirstenpribula.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kirstenlynnestudios
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kirstenlynnestudios
Image Credits
Kirsten Lynne Studios