Meet Lee Stiffler-Meyer of Let the Light in Studio in North Denver

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lee Stiffler-Meyer.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Lee. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Photography is round 2 of a career for me! I was actually a nutrition major in college. Health and wellness has always been really important to me. After I graduated from college, I explored the nutrition scene for a while and realized I was more interested in community health. I went back to school to get a Master’s degree in Public Health and then I spent the next 16 years working in public health in some capacity. I did behavioral health research, workplace health promotion and cancer prevention and education. Through all of that work, I realized I had a keen sense of observation – always observing and listening to people. I did a lot of program creation, writing and communicating with different audiences. I have always been curious about people, what makes them tick, why they do what they do. I also have always loved art and creation. I just never really saw myself as an artist in my early life. Cooking, crafting, and gardening have been strong outlets for my creative expression.

I’ve always loved photographs. My dad used to tease me when I was a kid that I only pulled out the sections of the newspaper to read that had all the pretty pictures!

In 2008, when my first child was born I started getting more interested in photography. A couple of years after that, when my twin daughters were born I felt justified in buying a real camera and I started finding classes and tutorials online to learn the technical side of photography. Over the next few years, my obsession with photography grew, and at the same time, my interest in my career was waning. I started photographing friends and families for practice and started saying yes to everyone who asked me to come out and bring my camera. It was 2016 that I made the decision to leave my old career behind and explore this new one. Not knowing for sure where to start, I took a job with a hospital portraiture company photographing newborns in the first 48 hours of life. I saw that job as a bit of an internship. There, I learned so many important lessons. I learned how to shoot in low light, with flash and in tricky situations with constrained space and lots of variables. Also, how to compose images with people. I worked there for about a year, and then spent the next year or so doing a wide mix of things. I freelanced for a handful of other photographers learning more about portraits, events, and different lighting setups.

In the background during all this time, I had started a blog that was a combination of photography and creative writing. I created the blog as a container for creative expression, but I didn’t know where it would lead me. It ended up being a tool to help me map out the future. I guess it gave me the confidence to keep pressing the shutter and photographing people. In 2018, I officially set up my business Let the Light in Studio and I’m growing and learning every day!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Changing careers at midlife has absolutely been challenging and bumpy for me. Especially while raising kids. The older you get the more you trust that you’ll figure things out because you have evidence you’ve made it this far and things are ok. But at the same time, the stakes seem higher because the days ahead are getting shorter and when you have other people relying on you for their livelihood, you feel a lot of pressure. There is also a lot of beauty that comes to the surface when you get really vulnerable. When you step out of your comfort zone in life, you learn so much. It’s messy and painful sometimes, but it’s also loaded with insight, inspiration and a new point of view. It’s still challenging every day to believe that everything will be ok. I’ve not mastered that, but I am highly aware of the narrative I can spin in my head every day. I can choose to believe I’ve got this or I can choose to crawl in a corner and believe it won’t work. Most days, I’m choosing expansion over constraint.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Let the Light in Studio – what should we know?
Let the Light in Studio is my business and I specialize in portrait photography. I also do a small amount of freelance marketing and communications work under the umbrella of Let the Light in Studio. I want to work with people and organizations that have meaningful stories to share with the world.

So far (I’m still new at this) I feel like I’m known for family photography. I think what sets me apart from others is my genuine desire to connect with people and to help others share their authenticity. I really believe that we all have light inside of us and that everyone has some story to share with the world. I’m really interested in working with people and organizations that want to share meaning and beauty (though that word gets a bit misunderstood sometimes.) I don’t just mean Instagram worthy beauty, but real beauty from the inside.

My friends and family would say I’m a bit of an “over-communicator,” I explain things in great detail. It comes from a place of wanting to be understood in the world. I want that for others too. I want anyone who has ever felt misunderstood to feel fully alive when they are with me and in front of my camera lens. I want them to feel free and limitless. In fact, the name of my business Let the Light in Studio, comes from me wanting to let light into the world. I want to open the blinds!

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
There are so many qualities and characteristics that are important for success and it all depends on what the description of success is or the desired outcome. But if I had to pick one, it would probably be authenticity. Being true to myself when I’m out there in the wilderness trying to figure out what to do next almost always leads me to success. When I say authenticity, I mean doing things that feel aligned with my values and my time and energy. When I am not true to myself, I almost always know through some sort of fail. Though I have to admit there have been times that I thought I was making a good decision and it turned out miserably, but in the end, the failure taught me something and opened a new window.

I guess the other characteristic that I think is super important is resolve. I have a very indecisive nature and I can get paralyzed by indecision. But when I make up my mind and take action, even if things aren’t perfect and seem risky, then I see progress. Forward motion is crucial to starting any business or endeavor! I listen to a podcast called “The One You Feed,” and one of the co-hosts said something to the effect of you can’t “think” your way into action – you have to “take” action to make progress. As an over-thinker, I really have to remind myself not to think things to death, and just take a step into the unknown.

Contact Info:

• Website: letthelightinstudio.com
• Phone: 3032631989
• Email: letthelightinstudio@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letthelightinstudio/

Image Credit:
Let the Light in Studio

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