Sue Sitter/PCT Rugby Chamber of Commerce board members Tricia Jundt, left, and Josh Mattson present 106B Images owner Bailey Nelson with a Chamber of Commerce emblem. Chamber Executive Director Laurie Odden, far right, also welcomed Nelson.

The Rugby Chamber of Commerce gave an official welcome to 106B Images inside Rugby’s Wild Minds Studio, March 15.

Chamber Executive Director Laurie Odden said owner Bailey Nelson “has been in business for awhile, so we finally got around to welcoming her.”

“She’s done my kids’ senior year photos and she does an awesome job,” Odden added.

Nelson said she started working as a photographer in college in 2016. “Then, I moved home right after college and we located my studio downstairs (in the Wild Minds Studio building) first.”

Nelson is the daughter of Wild Minds Studio owner Daunne Heilman.

The building, a former J.C. Penney store, needed remodeling when Heilman purchased it in 2018.

“We revamped all this on the second floor,” Nelson said, motioning to her studio’s open ceiling and expanded space. “We just ripped everything out.”

“So, we’ve been here about a year and a half or so. This is kind of new for us up here,” Nelson said of her studio. I like it a lot. It’s more secluded.

Nelson said she likes working both as a manager for Wild Minds Studio and a business owner. “I like it here,” Nelson said. “It’s fun being your own boss.”

“The clients are amazing,” Nelson added.

“My aunt used to be here, too, and she had all kinds of baby stuff,” Nelson added, pointing to a rack of hair ribbons and fashion accessories for babies and children. Nelson sometimes uses the items in her photos. “My aunt was Carisa Hoveland. She actually moved to Fargo,” Nelson said. “So, I’ve been taking up a lot more of her clients now, so I’ve added to my client base, which is really good.”

Nelson said her favorite photo shoots are with high schoolers posing for their senior photos. “I think it’s because I may be closer in age to them, so I just kind of have fun when I’m taking their picture,” she noted.

Nelson’s senior pictures were among several transferred to banners and hung along Main Avenue for Rugby High’s Class of 2020, a group of seniors affected by school closure and cancellations of sports and activities.

“I did a lot of photos for the (Rugby High School) Class of 2020,” Nelson said. “I think that was because it was my sister’s class and I had known a lot of her friends, so it was kind of fun getting to catch up with them.”

As for her membership in the Rugby Chamber of Commerce, Nelson said with a smile, “It’s pretty fun to be in the Chamber. It’s about time.”