Today we’d like to introduce you to Tommy Butler.
Hi Tommy, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I think one of the greatest things about human beings is that we can change. We have seasons, and because of this we have more than one story. The story of the season I’m currently in is one of growth, personally, professionally, and artistically.
In the last year I’ve done productions in major cities around the continental United States and also abroad internationally.
My photography has been featured on over a hundred different magazine covers worldwide, and my work has filled thousands of pages of Elite publications.
I’ve held workshops, provided luxury destination photography experiences, covering private shoots and some of the most prestigious runway shows on the planet.
I’ve covered community festivals, worked on the visuals and promotional materials for political campaigns, provided premium photo & video services for weddings and other life events, humanitarian projects, appeared on network television, filmed regional automotive car show events, rock concerts, music videos, multi-million dollar real estate promotions, championship sports teams, editorial beauty master classes, designed the book cover for a New York Times bestseller, and had several viral videos on social media.
While it seems like that’s a very wide net and my attention might be scattered, I have refused to niche down because I don’t want to put limits on my creativity and art. The result has been a beautiful and amazing ride. I’ve received the criticism that it is difficult to understand my brand, to which I have replied: my brand is simply this – I capture beauty in all of its forms. I take beautiful photos, and I produce beautiful short films. Top shelf, world class, resplendent & timeless beauty.
Where this journey ultimately leads, I’m very excited to see.
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?
No road worth traveling is ever smooth. The journey to the top of the mountain is difficult, but worth the climb. We become who we are not at the top, but on the way. The joy really is in the journey, and there are definitely difficult days. Understanding where to go with your business strategy, figuring out what comes next, tackling questions about how to grow in a sustainable way, going places you’ve never gone and doing things you’ve never done before. All of it is scary and new, but that’s where growth happens. Outside of the comfort zone is where we grow.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Certainly I would like to say that the quality of what I produce sets me apart from others, but I feel like that invites the pain of comparison. Rather, I would like to focus my answer on what guides me: The prioritization, above all, of the individual. Leading out with kindness, compassion, understanding, patience, and empathy is central to all that I do. I’m not perfect at this but it is always my goal.
Truly it does not matter how good your product is artistically if you fail to help create a safe place for others. I have learned in this industry that the best and most important thing you can do for your clients is to provide a great experience. They definitely care about the quality of what you produce and it should be the very best you can deliver, but it still takes a second place to the way you treat them. It’s all about the impression you leave, and the way you make them feel. Beautiful art comes from a place of trust. Trust comes from authenticity. It can’t come from anywhere else.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Luck has absolutely nothing to do with it. Any success I have enjoyed I credit to those who have helped me, supported me, believed in me, and guided me. Friends, family, colleagues and mentors, all have helped. Of course the greatest guidance of all has come from God. Any good thing I have and enjoy is because of the love and kindness I have received outside of myself. Yes, I work hard, but my hard work could never be enough on it’s own.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shutterspire.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ShutterSpirePhoto
