Think about that one wall in your house, the one with all the pictures hanging on it documenting your life, and those embarrassing pictures you wish were never had taken. Now think what they would look like if you hired a professional photographer. They would most likely look better, no offense to your family photographer.

Enter Three Irish Girls Photography, a studio located right here in Duluth. Sharon McMahon is the artist behind it, who has been voted “Best Photographer in the Northland” three years running.

McMahon grew up near the shores of Lake Superior, but she moved away to be a high school teacher in Washington, D.C., and California. She moved back to open her studio and became a fulltime photographer for the Duluth area.

She started with photography when she owned a yarn dyeing company. She would take pictures of her products for catalogs, which would get distributed all over the world. Her growing yarn business required a photography studio to get the best quality picture, so she built a studio in her production facility. After doing that, McMahon became extremely busy with photo sessions and eventually sold her company to become a full-time photographer.

McMahon has been running Three Irish Girls Photography for the past seven years, meaning she knows the area, and how to make you feel comfortable. No matter what type of picture you want, she offers it, with sessions for newborns, maternity & fresh 48, grads, families, headshots, and weddings.

McMahon has taken pictures as far away as Jamaica, but she primarily shoots in Minnesota and Wisconsin, with Duluth being her favorite place. “We have so much variety in Duluth—beautiful forest, gardens, fields of wildflowers, sandy beaches, rocky shorelines, vistas, and interesting architecture—basically everything except palm trees and cactus,” says McMahon.

In her free time, she likes traveling to her favorite places Paris and Maui. As many people know, winters in Northern Minnesota are not always pleasant. She enjoys traveling between January to April for a well-deserved break from the brutal winters. Sharon also recommends that you should be flexible with dates because there can sometimes be a $500 difference between a few days.

McMahon is very excited for 2020 for many reasons. First of all, it is a new year and a new decade, and secondly, she is launching a new course which will teach aspiring photographers the ins and outs of photography. Her long term goal is to get into consulting with other creative content creators to help build their dream business and travel around attending and speaking at various photography conferences.

Her favorite things to photograph are newborns, high school seniors, families, and couples in love. “My goal is to capture images for you that are joyful, unique, emotional, and beautiful, and for us to have an amazing time while doing it,” says McMahon. Sharon looks up to landscape photographers and photojournalists for capturing such epic shots, but those are not in her wheelhouse.

Duluth Pack is fortunate to have many friends, and we are thankful for Three Irish Girls Photography, she has done an outstanding job with some of our pictures. McMahon is in love with our Bison Leather collection, (and it is one of our favorites too) for its quality and beautiful look. When it comes to her favorite product, she goes for the Bison Leather Shell Purse.

If you are looking for your next photographer, look no further than Three Irish Girls Photography, contact her today to set up your session. And remember by hiring her, there will be no more awkward or embarrassing pictures you wish to forget.

Smile on, friends.