Today we’d like to introduce you to MJ Sutton.
MJ, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I spent ten years in the oilfield while working on my craft. I was finally able to come home, and I started off freelancing, doing copywriting, web design, and SEO. I slowly started to network and eventually made enough noise that an LLC was needed, and business partners got involved. As the needs of our clients grew, so did our skill set, and photography and videography were soon added to our list of services. The photography side really took off, and while we’ve dabbled in just about everything, our real niche was themed photoshoots and boudoir. The boudoir became so popular that we had our own division with multiple models and photographers. We would throw Airbnb events where we would rent out unique locations for a weekend and do as many as 20 shoots over that weekend.
Our videography side expanded quite a bit as well, as we did projects for haunted houses, escape rooms, and even a SWAT tactical course.
As everything has cooled down, I have really limited the amount of client work that we take on as we focus hard on our creative projects. The company and its goals have evolved over time, and I’m optimistic about where the road leads.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Oh, absolutely not. If anyone has ever said this was an easy road, they’re lying to you. I’ve dealt with every problem a business owner could imagine, from betrayal to unhappy clients to everywhere in between.
But you treat every failure and every objection as a lesson learned. You only grow if you fail and make mistakes and we’ve had our fair share of those.
I’d reckon the struggles we’ve faced would be similar to most small businesses. Not enough capital, struggling with profit margins, finding a reliable team, etc. and all the while doing your best to keep your sanity and still maintain a healthy home life.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I like the dark and creepy vibe. Like a Tim Burton mash-up with Edgar Allen Poe. I’m not the normal photographer, I’m not the one you bring your family to for a nice picnic photoshoot, but if y’all want to dress up as zombies and have a zombie family photoshoot, I’m your guy. I’ve, of course, done the regular photoshoots, but I really thrive on the themed ones. We’ve done bloody vampire shoots, Greek Goddess, Sin City, witch in the woods, underwater, neon black light, and water goddess shoots. I love doing out-of-the-box ideas and pushing boundaries. I guess the look I’m going for is a dark fine art, if you had to call it anything.
My favorite project to date was an all-day shoot we did with Whitley Queen, a very talented model from Dallas. We did a bloody vampire set as well as a water goddess set. It was a whole lot of fun, and we still have content that we haven’t published with it yet.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Anything Jordan Peterson or Tony Robbins, I keep those going as background noise. I try to keep the progression and disciplined mindset going at all times.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://knottedtreestudios.com
- Instagram: KTSboudoir
- Twitter: https://x.com/MJsuttonKTS
Image Credits
Makeup artist for those images is RayAnn Brown
