Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Karen Burns founder of Metro Production, LLC., located in Marietta, GA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My husband and I run Metro Productions, LLC, d/b/a Karen Images. We are commercial photographers and filmmakers. We are B to B, working with corporations, ad agencies, developers, and non-profits to help create and express their public image.
Tell us about yourself
In 1997, I was the top photographer for Olan Mills in the Atlanta market when Troy started our first business. Within six months, I left Olan Mills and have been a freelance commercial photographer ever since. Both Troy and I are commercial photographers, with Troy specializing in film production and multi-camera live broadcasts.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
There have been many milestones along the way, such as producing our first documentary that aired on PBS in 2014, taking the first images of One Porsche Drive that became a billboard in Hartsfield Jackson Airport, as well as having our work appear in major motion pictures and Donald Glover's Atlanta series. But the biggest accomplishment has been staying in business for twenty-five years through past recessions and the pandemic. Reaching our 25th anniversary this year is quite special for us.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The one thing that has been the most challenging aspect of our career is dealing with the commoditization of photography. We spend a good bit of our time differentiating our brand from the industry. We started photographing using film and filters before the invention of the digital camera. The digital camera put many professional photographers out of business as new folks came in that did not understand how expensive it is to run a business. Respect for copyright began to erode, and many of our contemporaries left the profession as a result. Every so often, we run into a client who expects us to photograph under work-for-hire arrangements. We have had to explain copyright laws, and model releases to so many people over the years. The challenge is explaining it in such a way that they understand they have no rights to the images until they purchase those rights. It is the exclusive right of the creator to sell an image that makes our profession a business, not a hobby.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
The first question is, do you like sales? No matter how great a photographer you are, if you do not sell your work, you are not a business. Selling is possibly the most important part of being a business, so if you are not comfortable selling, you probably should not be starting a business. Make sure you cover your overhead in your shooting fees; this includes your rent, transportation, insurance, and all of the other expenses. Failing to do this is unsustainable for a business and harms the industry. Always understand the goals of your customer. One of the keys to our process is to peel the onion on a shoot with the client before we even schedule a creative session. We want to know why they are creating the image, where they want to publish it, the audience they want to consume it, and what the benefits of consumption are to their target demographic.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.karenimagesres.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063500885071
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karen.burns.photography/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/karen-images/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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