Today we’d like to introduce you to MJ Sutton.
Hi MJ, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
KTS started as a marketing agency, providing web design and SEO services. From there, customers had asked about photography and videographer services. It was definitely a fun transition as we dedicated more and more time to that side of the craft, which eventually became everything we did. We found a strong audience in the alt modeling, boudoir, and themed genres. We built a strong team of very talented individuals, and our client list grew. We had the amazing opportunity to work with clients such as Fatal Fear Haunted House, The Great Escape of Central Texas, and Nightwalker Caverns. It was then that we finally fell into our brand voice of the dark and unusual, which our style isn’t for everyone, and we are absolutely ok with that. In 2024, we shut down for a year as we redeveloped our company mission and reassessed the direction we wanted to take. It was a painful but much-needed break. In 2025, we resumed operations with a strong focus on production and really niching down into the style we are best at. We teamed up with an amazing modeling agency, Luxe Loft Modeling Agency in San Antonio, and continue to craft, develop, and produce projects that go outside the box, creating characters and stories that challenge viewers and make them think. We also offer fine art boudoir and maternity projects from a venue in Buda, Texas, for the Austin market, and dark fantasy mini sessions for the Killeen market. It’s been a wild ride, full of heartbreak, failures, and successes, but it’s absolutely been worth living.
Alright, 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?
A smooth road? Negative… This road has been filled with potholes, craters, bandits, beautiful flowers, rainstorms, amazing characters, and at times we popped the truck into 4-wheel drive and took a detour off into the field somewhere. So a smooth road, no. But a beautiful journey? Absolutely. Trying to build a business and a brand comes with numerous struggles and heartbreaks, and we’ve made our fair share of mistakes. The biggest struggle, I would say, that still haunts my heart is the loss of some relationships we had developed due to miscommunication and misunderstanding. It definitely taught us that not everything is as it seems, but it also created scars that prevent future mistakes. Biting off more than you can chew was also a lesson learned. We all want to climb the ladder and reach our goals as quickly as possible, but we have to realize that the process is there for a reason. Taking on unrealistic workloads results in burnout, unproductivity, and the potential to lose love of the craft. And that is the biggest threat of all.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I prefer the dark and unusual; I feel more at home in that space. Creating gothic, dramatic lighting and “Sleepy Hollow” aesthetics is where I feel the most comfortable. I can absolutely do the warm and bubbly, but it doesn’t suit me; it doesn’t excite me. But drop the lights to a glimmer, fire up a few candles, cover your subject in blood, and now we’re cooking. I love to create beautiful, misfit characters with powerful stories that resonate with the viewer’s subconscious, even if they don’t want to admit it. I am most proud of my journey and development that got me into that space.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
The journey and relationships. The journey is rough, always has been, always will be, and that is the beautiful part of it. Learning from your mistakes and bettering your craft. We are all students of the craft, and if you don’t take risks, you won’t fail, and if you don’t fail, you won’t learn. Relationships tie directly in with that. Nobody is going to have all the right answers all the time. So, having relationships you trust, nurture, and cherish within the creative space gives you the opportunity to learn and grow. Your journey defines your purpose, and your relationships give your purpose meaning.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://knottedtreestudios.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knotted_tree/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/knottedtreestudiosllc
- Twitter: https://x.com/MJsuttonKTS
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KnottedTreeStudios
