Daily Inspiration: Meet Stephanie Tyson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Tyson.

Hi Stephanie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I have offered a wide variety of photography services to the Denver Metro Area since 2019. Honestly, I started out my career in construction. But photography was ever present as my passion. Finally, in 2022 I took the leap to start working on it full time.

Cosplay has become my specialty, and I’ve been published twice in 2023 for my cosplay photography. I’ve been the official cosplay red carpet photographer for FanExpo Denver since 2021. I also love sports photography! I typically hit the local circuit and follow the Colorado Pro Rodeo Association. This summer I started doing volleyball photography and fell in love with it. I can’t wait to see where it goes.

One of the things I pride myself on is that I make people feel comfortable and have fun. I think being relaxed and having fun yields the best photos. I shoot a lot of cosplay conventions so they’re very quick sessions, and getting people to relax is key to getting those awesome photos in a short period of time. Minus headshots, people booking me really do just want to have fun and capture their hard work. I don’t ever want people to feel like being in front of the camera is awful.

Honestly, I think in my journey as Lost Stars Imaging, the thing I’m most proud of is the fact that I’m still around as a business. Photography had always been a hobby and passion of mine, and a few close friends urged me to pursue it more professionally. I never really did since it wasn’t the most profitable avenue (starving artists am I right?), but it just kept growing. When I first heard from FanExpo Denver, I thought I was being pranked, but it was real.

Then I got repeat customers, and people started to recognize my name. Then I got consistent commercial jobs that kept me busy in the off-season. Then I got published! Not just once, but twice! I am just blown away honestly. I love being able to look at each year and see that I’ve grown more and more successful. It’s so humbling and so cool.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Oh, most definitely not. Being a photographer is really difficult. It’s taking something that is basically a luxury and trying to turn it full-time. It’s an incredibly saturated industry with people charging everything from “free” to thousands of dollars.

Trying to find an ideal clientele that is willing to pay your worth is super hard. I gave it up a lot because I just didn’t think I could make it. So I have a lot of experience in fence construction now. But I’ve made it to a consistent level. Now to just increase the volume.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I think at this point I’m known for my cosplay photography. It started as just an idea of the direction I wanted to go, and it just kind of took off. I remember when I got to work at FanExpo Denver 2021. That was the moment I felt like this could really happen to me. Almost 2 and a half years later, I’ve been published twice now for my cosplay photography.

I think I’m most proud of the fact that I’ve made Lost Stars Imaging what it is today. I have done everything legitimately (i.e. registered my LLC, paid taxes, etc). I’ve taken classes. And I’m still here. I’m still learning and building connections. I’m making art and magic.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love Denver. It’s gorgeous in so many ways. There’s a lot to offer from the bustling city to the farm country. What I love most though is that we don’t have many large scary bugs and spiders. Denver has changed a lot over the years that I’ve lived here (proud Denver Native). The amount of people here has just always gone up, so traffic has become one of the things I hate the most here. I also dislike the snow. I’ve never gotten used to the cold.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.loststarsimaging.com
• Instagram: @loststarsimaging