May 17, 2017

Meet Adam Norton of Adam Norton Photography

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Norton.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have always been an artist. Even in childhood, it was a passion of mine. So no surprise when I entered the workforce, it was as a professional artist. I was actually working in the video game industry for 18 years. I was a 3D artist, animator, and then was an Art Director for several years. At that time, my photography was just for fun. But anytime I would travel or go someplace interesting, I would have my camera with me. Documenting my trips became important to me. I noticed when posting my imagery to social media, the reaction was always very positive.

Then several years ago, the video game companies in Dallas fell on hard times, and most of them didn’t survive. The one I was working for let most of us go, and then closed doors completely a few months later. So I had a choice to make. Do I go work for another video game company, or do something else. The gaming industry does not value its employees. You work ridiculous hours, on multi-million dollar projects being run by people that often times do not know what they’re doing. It’s hard on your family life, and it’s hard on your health sitting at a desk in front of a computer for 16 hours a day or longer. Many of the people there get in when they’re young, because its fun at first, and you don’t mind the drawbacks. But as you get a little older, and other things outside of work become more important to you, it can really burn you out.

So I decided to look at this as an exciting opportunity to move on to something else. I knew I would stay with art. That was still my passion, and I would not be happy in a non-creative job. I also had the urge to work for myself and decided to make a go of that. So I started thinking of what else I could do. During this time, I had become more and more serious about my photography, and people that followed my work were becoming noticeably more and more excited about seeing my new images. I also began to notice, that mine was just as good or better than most other professional photographers that I was seeing.

So I started off showing my photography in art galleries by entering competitions. I traveled to several other states to display in galleries and won several awards during this time. This was when I realized that my style is unique, and people were taking notice of it.

Soon after being on the gallery circuit for a while, I decided to start doing photo shoots for paying customers. This was an interesting time. Because I knew my photography was great, but I didn’t know what type of photos would help make a successful business. So I started off by shooting anything. I did real estate, products, families, high school seniors, models, lingerie, fitness, boudoir, anniversaries, couples, etc. You name it, if someone wanted to pay for it, I would shoot it.

But then I started to notice, even though I was doing well at all of these types of photos, and my customers were all very happy, I was not. Some of this stuff was just insanely boring to me. I do not enjoy real estate or product photography, so I stopped taking those jobs. Then, even though family photos and senior photos are very popular and big business for some people, it’s just not enjoyable for me, so I stopped doing much of that as well. I believe you have to focus in on something and become really good at that, rather than being a jack of all trades. Also, you tend to excel at the things you really enjoy. So I started taking a close look at what part was I really good at, and what I found really enjoyable.

And oddly enough, I kind of accidentally fell into boudoir photography. Boudoir photography very popular right now. The photos are usually taken wearing either just a little, or nothing at all. It’s a very popular wedding day gift from bride to groom. Many women do it for themselves just because, or to document a certain milestone or accomplishment in their lives. It can be anything, to celebrate weight loss, a certain age, self-acceptance… or just for the fun and adventure of it.

As I said, just by happenstance, I was hired to do a couple of boudoir photo shoots. They went very well. The clients were very happy and also allowed me to post the images on my social media. The reaction I received was much greater than any before. From there, the boudoir work started to snowball. The clients I had started telling their friends, which helped with the word of mouth business, and then got several more jobs from people that found me on Instagram. So pretty quickly, I built a large and impressive portfolio of boudoir work. And of course, since that’s what I had to show, that’s what more and more people began contacting me for.

At the same time, I was finding that I really enjoyed this work as well. It lines up well with my skills, and I find that I can be a lot more artistic and creative with this type of shoot. Plus, I really enjoy the clients. They tend to be people that are more adventurous, and I like hanging out with those type of people. I have worked with a 3 time cancer survivor, a women who lost 140 lbs though diet and exercise alone, and a widowed mother of three who just wanted to feel beautiful again. The list goes on and on. They all have a story, and they are all interesting or inspiring in their own way. Not to mention, I love seeing the reaction of clients when they see their photos for the first time. They’ve never seen themselves made up with professional hair and makeup, which is part of my service. Then you have a pro photographer posing, lighting, and editing your photos. It just blows them away, they love the experience and normally walk out feeling so confident and happy. It’s just really fun.

So suddenly, without planning it, I had become a successful boudoir photographer, and was finally happy and enjoying my work again. I had read quite a few articles online saying that a male cannot be a successful boudoir photographer because most women will not feel comfortable going to a male for this kind of shoot. I haven’t found that to be the case at all. My clients have been very comfortable with me. In fact, since this type of shoot is often a gift for a boyfriend or husband, many of them have come to me because they want a male’s opinion on clothing options and poses. I’m also very professional about the whole thing, I have a female makeup artist, and a female posing coach if it’s wanted, and my clients are always welcome to bring someone if they want, which is something most other photographers discourage. In fact, one of my clients recently brought her boyfriend, mostly because he was unsure of the whole thing. By the end, we had turned it into a couple boudoir shoot, everyone had a great time, some amazing photos, and the boyfriend even thanked me on his way out because he didn’t expect to have so much fun. I hope to shoot more couples soon.

After specializing in boudoir, I also met a couple of female body builders. They reached out to me because they wanted fitness photos done, but they wanted them to be sexier than standard fitness photos. So I did kind of hybrid fitness/boudoir sessions with them, and it went insanely well. The clients were very excited about their photos, and I had a great time with it as well, and have added fitness related shoots to my services as well. It’s similar to boudoir as far as how it’s done, and there is a lot of artistry involved, so I love it.

Next, I had the opportunity to do a photo shoot with a ballerina. This shoot took place in an old empty warehouse in Deep Ellum, and it turned out amazing. So much so that it gave me the idea of a series I want to shoot with some dancers for display in art galleries. Again though, the dancer shoot, was in a lot of ways also similar to how it’s done with boudoir and fitness. And so now I’m also delving into Lifestyle photography.

Lifestyle photography mainly aims to capture people in situations, events, or milestones in an artistic manner. So are you a dancer, rock climber, fire breather, artist, acrobat, musician, chess player, whatever… I’ll capture it in a beautiful way.

So here I am now. I call myself a Boudoir, Fitness, and Lifestyle photographer. My clients are happy, and so am I. I am creating beautiful artwork of some incredible people, and not just the standard posed snapshots that most people get. I love it!

You also do not have to have the “perfect body” to do these types of shoots. Anyone can look amazing if you find the right photographer. I’ve had many clients say to me,” I just don’t take good photos”. My answer is always, “That’s ok, because I’m taking the photos, and mine are always beautiful”!

Has it been a smooth road?
No, it has not been smooth sailing at all. Luckily for me, I already know how to be a good photographer, so I didn’t really have much of a learning curve there. But the business side of things is tricky. First, how do people know you’re here? You have to market. But first, you need a portfolio. So to build your portfolio, you have to take jobs for little or no money, because you have nothing to prove your worth as a photographer. Once you have your portfolio, you can start raising your prices. But if it’s still early in your business, you’ll have to deal with a lot of price shoppers. People think a photographer shows up for an hour, takes photos, and then he’s done. So they think $100 – $200 is a fair price. But they don’t take into account there are a lot of hours spent planning, marketing, editing, not to mention the cost of all your equipment, insurance, and overhead. So when photographers take jobs for that, they’re actually making less than minimum wage, and probably even losing money.

Just starting out is the hardest part. I went months without making a profit, actually even operating at a loss, just working feverishly to get my work and my name out there. Clients can’t find you if they don’t know you exist. Marketing, SEO, a consistent online presence through social media are all extremely important. But they’re also very time-consuming. It can be a struggle to keep up with everything you still have to do outside of the photography.

There is also a lot of competition. Cameras are everywhere now, and many people call themselves a photographer. To stand out, you really have to be on top of your game and have something unique. The uniqueness is what gives you value. It has to be something they can’t get from anyone but you.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Adam Norton | Photography as Art – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I specialize in “The Art of You”. What I mean by that is that I do not take the typical posed shots. No, I get to know you, your personality, and your interests. I also plan how to show you at your best. I even choose the location based on the person, rather than using the exact same studio, lighting setups, and poses over and over again. I shoot outside, inside, rooftops, hotel rooms, parks, lakes, downtown alleys, abandoned warehouses… whatever fits. Then my goal is for every image I create of you to be a piece of art worthy of hanging on a gallery wall.

I believe that is what sets me apart from others. If I look through most photographers portfolios, I see the same thing over and over, just with a different model. I don’t like to do that. I want you to have something that’s unique, something that is just for you.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
The first thing I love about Dallas is the people. Most people here are so friendly. I am from Dallas, but I lived in Chicago for 8 years after college, and it was very difficult meeting new people there. People didn’t smile, they didn’t say hello to you as you pass by. So when I came back to Dallas, it was refreshing to be back around the type of people that we have here again. I enjoy meeting them through my work now too.

I also love the variety of shooting locations in Dallas. Within 10 minutes of my house, I have a lake, several parks, downtown streets, graffiti walls, urban scenes, Trinity River, rooftops overlooking the Dallas skyline. There is no shortage of interesting backdrops for my work.

What I like least is that we’re so flat. I wish we had some mountains close by, maybe some actual snow more often than a sheet of ice every few years. I wouldn’t mind being close to a coastline too, but I suppose you can’t have it all.

Pricing:

I have added 0% interest payment plans. Pro photography is difficult to afford for a lot of people. This makes it easier!
$299 – Photo Shoot, Editing, In-Person or Online Viewing of Proofs
$125 – Pro Hair and Makeup onsite

Contact Info: