We were lucky to catch up with Marcus Munger recently and have shared our conversation below.

Marcus, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Growth is exciting, but from what we’ve seen across thousands of conversations with entrepreneurs it’s also dangerous if costs aren’t watched closely – sometimes costs can grow out of control outpacing revenue growth and putting the viability of the entire business at risk. How have you managed to keep costs under control?

As an already established self employed business owner in another field I know well the importance of tracking costs. The two biggest costs to entry for photography are obviously a camera and a professional studio. I was lucky enough to be gifted my mothers camera she had used in photography school when I told her about my ambitions. That left the studio. I began to research the cost of leasing a space in a local business strip and quickly discovered I would need a minimum of 6 shoots a month to break even on rent. This felt untenable. So, I looked harder and found that a few already established photographers in my area who had a studio leased and furnished were sub leasing their spaces to other photographers by the hour. This has been a perfect fit as I don’t have any overhead. I simply pay when I get a client booking.

Marcus, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Marcus and I am the owner and photographer for Body to Art Boudoir photography. I just decided to turn my passion into a profession at the start of 2025. I was and am still a farrier, but as I get older I’ve started a new venture that isn’t quite so hard physically on my body. I originally intended to focus solely on a boudoir style as that is what I had the most experience with doing photo shoots with my wife over the years. It is helpful if a client will come with their own ideas about how they want their pictures to turn out. An over arching theme like a bridal shoot or a cyberpunk shoot, or even a simpler feel for more artistic or more sexy goes a long way to getting everything set up. But, taking the time to brainstorm with someone who just doesn’t know provides a great opportunity to connect.
While that is still a goal, I have widened my horizons to any studio work. One of the biggest factors in choosing a photographer is how well you get along with them. A friendly smile, encouraging words and patient relaxed instruction puts my clients at ease and keeps the ball rolling all while allowing for conversation to get to know each other better. My first paid shoot was for one of my horse shoeing clients who wanted pictures of her grand kids. They were 7, 9 and 14 and bouncing off the walls. The pictures came out well but what she commented on and I think liked most was how I was able to roll with the punches and have fun with the kids while still getting some great shots.
The biggest obstacle I have faced is that an independent photographer doesn’t just have to take pictures. I also have to be a web designer and the head of marketing. Before starting my new business I didn’t even have a social media page. Now I have my own website and have been learning how to get found by a google search and have created a Facebook and Instagram page in an effort to start networking so people can connect with me.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

The starting of my photography business as a whole has been a pivot of life. I grew up helping my father in the family business of horseshoeing. After I got a business degree from Oklahoma State University, I went partners with my father full time. Then as he got older he let me run the business and helped me part time for a few more years before retiring. I’ve continued that business now working six days a week for the last sixteen years. As I am now starting to get older, the physically demanding job is becoming harder on my body each year. As a result, I began to look for other skills I may have to make money. In the end I settled on photography. I have always had fun taking pictures of my wife over the years who enjoys modeling for me and discovered that I could take my skill of photography and put it with the entrepreneurial acumen I had developed over the years running my own business to start something new. After all, there is nothing better than to get paid for what you already love doing.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding part of being a photographer is finding the beauty around me. Everywhere I go, if I stop to look around, I will find the beauty of nature. I often stop to snap a particularly glowing sunset, an ominous bank of clouds or even the funny look on my dogs face. As I’ve ventured into photography as a business I found that the clouds while beautiful don’t pay me. So, now I get to bring out the beauty of each person I get to work with. Making my clients feel relaxed and welcomed into a safe space where they can let go and have fun draws out their inner beauty that tangibly shows in my work. Getting to know each person and showing them how beautiful they really are is a very rewarding experience.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bodytoartboudoir.com

Image Credits

Miranda
Jade
Serenity