The first time Dan Pulver picked up a camera he was 10 years old. His dad loaded an old viewfinder camera with black-and-white film. He remembers following his dad into the dark room in their studio to develop the photos.
That same studio is still open and celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
Guys & Dolls Photography opened its doors at 302 E. Chippewa in Mt. Pleasant in 1975.
Reaching a half century milestone is something owners Dan and Kari Pulver are proud of, and recognize this milestone isn’t all that common among small businesses these days.
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Courtesy Guys & Dolls PhotographyThe Pulver family poses at their 50th anniversary celebration on June 17, 2025.
Dan’s dad, Bob Pulver, started Guys & Dolls Photography. He turned a hobby and a passion for photography into a thriving business. Dan joined his dad in the business in 1991. Bob and his wife, Janet, ran the studio until turning it over to Dan and Kari in 2005.
Walking through the studio you’ll see portraits of families who have been photographed through generations. From babies to graduations, to weddings and grandchildren, they've captured all the most important moments.
“One of the things that makes me most proud of our 50 years in business is walking into someone’s home and seeing a family portrait on the wall with the ‘Pulver’ signature in the right-hand corner,” says Dan Pulver. “Maybe it’s one I took, or even better, one that my dad had taken years before.”
Dan had one of those proud moments recently when a shooting for a particular family who has been coming in his entire career.
“Grandma showed me her basement walls after doing an updated family photo session. The walls were lined with all the pictures we’d done over the years,” says Dan.
Photography has changed over the years. And the photography business has evolved. Through it all, Guys & Dolls continues to be known for Dan’s impeccable eye for capturing the right shot at the exact moment, and evoking just the right emotion from everyone in the photo—including pets.
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Courtesy Guys & Dolls PhotographyPhotographs of the studio in its early years in downtown Mt. Pleasant.
They have done countless high school senior portraits over the years, which have taken Dan to places he’s never been and experienced things he never imagined.
“Our goal is to capture each student’s unique personality and interest, no matter what it may be,” says Dan. “It gets dangerous sometimes … like standing inside a pen with a thousand-pound bull that may or may not be friendly.”
He’s not adverse to taking risks, but says there have been some dare-devil seniors over the years.
Aside from senior portraits, you might see Dan with his camera shooting school pictures at some of the local schools, at the ball fields lining up players for photos, or at area dance studios positioning dancers for annual portraits.
One the coolest on-location assignments he’s had in his career required shooting from a hot air balloon. He was shooting aerial shots for the Soaring Eagle Casino for the construction of the new hotel.
“I remember after I got the images I needed, the pilot fired up the engine and the balloon shot straight up,” Dan shares. “I froze and was afraid to move at first. However it was unbelievable how still and silent things were up there.”
When he’s not shooting on assignment, landscapes and architecture are his passion. Dan is particularly fond of the four seasons of Michigan and can often be found walking the trails with his camera. Typically squeezed into out-of-the-way spots to get that shot that only his eye can capture.
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