Photo: Lance Murphey

Gardner Mounce chuckled when asked if Donny Granger, owner of Creation Studios in Bartlett, was more artistic than the average photographer.

“Oh yeah,” said Mounce, a senior at the University of Memphis who assists Granger on many of his shoots. “He straddles the line between the business side and the artistic side. Usually people can’t do both. … You can look at somebody’s work and see if they have that. That’s why Donny has the edge he has. He’s a great artist.”

Granger, 33, cranked up Creation Studios, which offers photography and videography for just about any occasion, 10 years ago. While his artistic sensibilities were a factor, the main reason for getting into the business was more practical.

He was the prototypical starving artist at the time. After graduating from Crichton College in March 2000 with a liberal arts degree, he took a job as a teacher at a small private school.

Also a newlywed and a new father, he was having trouble making ends meet. So he invested in some equipment and got going.

“I really jumped into it to make money on Saturdays,” said Granger, who strictly shot video at the time. “But very quickly it turned into a full-time job.”

Granger’s business hummed along nicely for years as he worked approximately 60 weddings a year.

In 2008, Granger decided to add still photography to his business, and things really took off. Today he has nine people who work for the business in various capacities.

Shooting weddings and portraits still makes up the bulk of his business, but he has also gotten involved on the corporate side. His clients include Harrah’s Tunica Hotel and Casino, Morgan Keegan & Co. Inc., Cannon Wright Blount PLLC and Mahaffey Tent and Party Rentals.

Creation Studios recently became a member of the Lipscomb & Pitts Breakfast Club, a group that includes some of the most successful businesses in the Memphis area.

Granger doesn’t have any formal photography training. He picked up a professional camera for the first time two years ago. After learning the mechanics of a camera, his artistic ability took over.

“I was never taught how to take pictures,” said Granger. “But I was educated on how to think and how to be an artist.”

All it takes is a walk through his Bartlett studio to get a feel for the kind of guy Granger is. The reception area is decorated with modern furniture. The walls are adorned with high quality, and in most cases uniquely composed, photos.

Ask Granger about photography, and technical terms like aperture and shutter speed will not come out of his mouth.

“Whether it’s a wedding, a corporate event or a headshot, you need an artist to pull these emotions through a lens,” Granger said. “Character and emotion are portrayed through light. I pay attention to things that the average person does not, but the average person notices when they see it (the photo).”

Granger has made an effort of late to do more corporate work as Creation Studios has grown. However, he does not wanted to get so big that the art in his work gets lost.

“I don’t necessarily want to have a big company,” Granger said. “I want to continue to bring a personal touch.”

One of Creation Studios’ corporate clients can vouch for the personal attention that Granger gives his customers.

Cannon Wright Blount CEO Judd Cannon had an idea to bring a life-sized cardboard cutout of himself to a Breakfast Club meeting last May. Cannon speaks at the club’s meeting when his company hosts it once a year, but he couldn’t make this meeting.

“I had this crazy idea for something funny,” said Cannon, who is 6 feet 6 inches tall.

Jokes were made at Cannon’s expense and the photo, which Granger took, was a hit at the meeting.

“He got it instantly,” said Cannon. “For a business guy who has a concept and wants it executed, he’s great. … He took it from a CPA’s mind to an artistic mind.”