Meet Douglas Burns

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Douglas Burns a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Douglas, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

I don’t know that one ever overcomes imposter syndrome. I try to be confident in my skills and past experience to be able to confidently talk to clients and prospects about the work I’m doing for them. One thing to remember is you probably know more about your subject/skill than the person you’re talking to or presenting to. So sometimes just presenting your material confidently is enough. In the meantime, keep learning and growing your skill set.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’ve been working professionally with a camera since college, and over the years I’ve had the chance to shoot for big names like CNN, Fox News, ESPN, National Geographic, and a wide range of major corporations and public figures. Photography has always been more than a job for me – it’s a habit, a reflex. I rarely go anywhere without a camera nearby.

Lately, I’ve zeroed in on something very specific: headshots at scale. I’m talking about team sessions, corporate events, expos. Places where businesses need polished, consistent imagery that actually serves a purpose. I’m not out to make art with these. I’m here to solve a problem helping brands show up looking sharp, credible, and unified. My media background gives me an edge in knowing how these images will be used and what makes them effective.

Whether I’m setting up an on-site booth for lead generation at a national conference or capturing headshots for an entire office in a single day, I’m building a business that’s lean, fast-moving, and laser-focused on value. I’m based in Houston, but my gear and I are ready to travel wherever the work takes us.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I’m still learning every day. Whether is something specific to my skill set as a photographer, building a business and marketing, or just something for fun. Staying curious is absolutely required to grow as an individual.

One thing I wished I learned early, was to look outside of my field of photography for inspiration. Not just in the artwork I create, but for the skills required to grow a business, build wealth, and manage a household. Unfortunately I started really late with that pursuit and am somewhat behind on where I should be. But they say the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago – the second best time is today.

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?

I’m going to say it’s both – you need to be an expert in your field. To have a deep understanding of what your chosen skill set to be valuable to the marketplace. I know I can walk into a room with 4 white walls and still create a compelling photograph with a basic set of tools. I’ve spent my career learning my craft. But if I ignore other areas of my life then I’m handicapping my ability to move forward, both professionally and personally. I need to be able to look at other areas (sales, marketing, finance, economy, politics, religion, etc….) and understand how that may affect my work or how my work may affect those areas.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

All images are credited Douglas N Burns / DNB Productions

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