Michael Weems and his Wife, Katrina, founded Michael's Photography, Inc. relying on Mike's
years of experience with other photo companies. That was 1990. Back then, Mike and one other photographer serviced four schools.
However, Mike and his staff stayed dedicated. The company grew. Word Spread. Michael's Photography quickly outgrew its walls of the Smyrna strip mall.
In search of a place to grow, Mike received an anonymous phone call. The woman on the line told him of a historic, Smyrna home in danger of destruction.
The place was beaten by more than a decade of Tennessee weather and mangled by vandals. After a thorough inspection of the house, Mike could hear power saws and see paint on the walls. In short, his vision kicked in.
The company settled in at 218 Valley Court Drive and soon had a staff of four photographers and nine office workers who serviced more than 12,000 students. Word spread. The company grew. Years passed. Mike and his staff continued to challenge themselves.
Then something changed. Pioneers began taking pictures without film. Industry leaders balked at digital photography in its infancy.
Mike made the calculated risk to dive in. It worked. Digital photography opened new worlds and pointed Mike in a new direction.
2003 brought a world of reaction to that new direction. With the addition of our mammoth printer came the addition of our digital services department.
When we began printing our own photos our capabilities became limitless. We became a truly independent entity. We oversaw quality control. We patterned our work flow. We claimed responsibility for every product that left our door. Word spread, again. The company outgrew its walls at 218 Valley Court Drive. Mike's vision kicked in, again. Old became new, again.
Hammers and power tools congressed at the Gwyn Home, another historic, Smyrna structure.
The 24 acre home site is veined with "Big Hart's Spring" which was described by local Historian Walter King Hoover as "an oasis for Indians and explorers, a swimming hole for rowdy youngsters and a bastion of rebirth for repentent sinners who were baptized in its waters."
Since home renovations were completed late last year, the home has become the nerve center for senior photography and administration.
Currently, Michael's Photography touts a staff of 60, which includes fifteen photographers and twelve digital imagers who service more than 75,000 students.