Three kids. Four professional cameras. A brand new studio at 223 W. Bremer Ave., in Waverly, right in the former Gade’s Appliance store.

That’s the space for Alexis Dawson, the owner of Alexis Rose Photography, one of Waverly’s newest businesses.

On Sunday, she had her first scheduled session for a newborn, a great beginning to her adventure in photography as a business woman. Alexis will also focus on event photography, such as fundraisers, celebrations, weddings, and portraiture.

A 2013 graduate of Clarksville High School, she honed her skills in photography as one of the editors of the school’s year book.

But it wasn’t until she moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 2019, with her fiancé, Nikolas, that her passion for capturing special moments was reignited. What prompted Alexis to do that was the birth of her daughter, Vaeda Rose, who was born just before the pandemic hit.

“I couldn’t afford to pay a photographer to take her pictures because I wasn’t working at the time, but I knew I could learn the skills of photographing newborns,” she said.

From there, Alexis branched out into family photography and her first paid session was an engagement for a couple who found her work on Facebook.

“It lightly rained that day and I called this session ‘Kissing in the Rain,’ she said, smiling at the memory. “And from there, I knew this was what I wanted to do as a career.”

Moving back to Iowa in 2022 for Nikolas’s job, now as a mother of two, Alexis decided she needed to carve out her own professional niche. The family bought a house in Waverly, where Nikolas’s mother, Kristi Demuth, had an insurance business on West Bremer Avenue.

“The support of the community is outstanding and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else,” Alexis said.

About a year ago, when she drove by the vacant Gade’s building, she had an epiphany. It looked like the perfect space for what she had always wanted to have – a photography studio.

“When I saw the ‘for rent’ sign, I did not hesitate to call,” she said.

In mid April, with help from Nikolas and his dad, Joel, the family started remodeling the interior. They painted the walls, laid new flooring, and are in the process of turning the back room into a dressing room.

There are nine backdrops for portraits and a boho setup, with wicker furniture and white curtains for family photographs.

In the loft, which is accessible from the main open space, they created a playroom for the kids, Jayce, 11, Vaeda, 4, and Elliot, 5 months.

“It will be a place for work and also a place for raising my kids,” she said.

Clients are lining up for various projects, including milestones, sports, graduation photos and weddings.

“I am so excited to have a space because it will allow me to accommodate bad weather situations and also, I really like the look of milestone portraits indoors,” she said.