Today we’d like to introduce you to Nancy & Arthur Sutton.
Hi Nancy & Arthur, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 1984, I was just 21 years old, a young mother of 2 beautiful little girls, stuck in a dead-end marriage desperately searching for a way out. I didn’t have much. But what I did have was determination and hope. Around that time, a few friends of mine opened a small photo business with a one-hour photo lab. They needed a part time bookkeeper, and they offered me the job. I took it-hoping it might someday turn into something more. 7 years later, those same friends came to me and the store manager with an unexpected opportunity. They wanted to sell us the business-and they made us a great offer. We said yes, and it was exciting, and honestly, a little terrifying. But soon, reality set in. The business was struggling, and we decided to take a leap of faith and branch out to school photography. It was completely new, but we believed in what we were building.
3 years later my good friend Art bought out my business partner and joined me full time. Together, we poured our hearts into the business-working long days, learning as we went, and doing whatever it took to make it succeed. Somewhere along the way, that business partnership turned into something ever more special 12 years later we married.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t all been easy. Over 4 decades in business, we’ve faced our share of challenges-and some of them have tested us in ways we never expected. One challenge was the shift from film to digital photography. It happened fast-almost overnight. One day, we were running rolls of film through the one-hour lab, the smell of chemicals in the air, the hum of machines working late into the night. That was our world. That was photography. And then-almost before we could catch our breath-it all changed. The one-hour photo lab gave way to the computer screen. The film canisters disappeared, replaced by memory cards and pixels. At first it was exciting, and terrifying. We had to learn everything all over again- new cameras, new workflows, new ways of seeing light. But looking back, that shift made us stronger. It pushed us to evolve, to adapt, to stay creative in a changing world.
Then our WORLD REALLY CHANGED! On May 22, 2022, one of the elementary schools we worked with-a place filled with laughter, curiosity and bright young faces-became the epicenter of the heartbreak for the entire world. A gunman entered the school. And in just a few unbearable moments, nineteen students and two teachers lost their lives. We can still feel the weight of that day. The disbelief. The silence. The sorrow that hung in the air like a heavy fog. We weren’t just photographers anymore. We were witnesses to grief-to families shattered, to a community forever changed. In the days that followed, we searched through every file, ever memory, every photograph. Trying to give families something-anything-to hold onto. It was the hardest thing we’ve ever done. And yet, in that pain, we understood something we never had before-that these photos, these small moments of joy, matter more than we could ever imagine.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Unlike many local photographers, we have a full storefront studio-a spacious 3,000 sq. ft. building conveniently located right in the school district. That makes it easy for us to serve our schools and students! We truly love what we do an always aim to make our clients happy-whether that means bringing out a big smile or even a few happy tears.
What makes you happy?
After 41 years in the photo business, people often as us, “What makes us happy?” And honestly-it’s the simple things.
What makes us happy is being able to slow down a little. To work less and spend more time with our kids and grandkids. We love going on vacations with them-explore new places, making memories, just enjoying life! We love attending the grandkids football and soccer games, even take action shots of them for keepsakes.
When you reach your sixties, you start to realize. You don’t really know how many more vacations you have left. So, you make each one count. You put down the phone, take a deep breath, and really lie in the moment. We are also very active in our church and love spending time with our church family.
After all the ups and downs, the long nights and the early mornings, we’ve learned that success is wonderful-but happiness is what truly matters. Happiness is right here-with the people we love, doing the things that fill our hearts.
Contact Info:
- Website: [email protected]
- Facebook: Uvalde Photo
