Life & Work with Tori Muchmore of Cheyenne, Wyoming

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tori Muchmore

Tori, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I got my degree in nursing in 2019 and worked through the pandemic as a pediatric/post-partum nurse in the hospital and in an elementary school. I quickly got burnt out and when I got pregnant with my first baby I decided I wanted to be home as much as possible with her. I had always loved photography and capturing memories in my own life (my husband will attest to how much I like to take pictures of all the important moments!), so I picked up a camera and started my own little photography business in 2023 in the Laramie and Cheyenne, WY areas. I enjoy photographing families, couples, weddings, seniors, and everything in between!
The problem with being a photographer in Wyoming is that there is a solid 5-6 months of the year where it is pretty dreadful to take pictures outside. Nobody wants their photoshoot to be in a blizzard with 50+ mph winds- especially with children! That led me to look for my own studio space. However, I knew that I wouldn’t be in there full-time and so I wanted a space that I could share with other photographers in the area who also had the same problem I did! Thus The Light Loft WY was born. A rentable photography studio with a blank canvas made to be versatile and to fit whatever vision you have. My husband and I (and many other wonderful people!) spent a month renovating the studio- new floors, new paint, buying furniture and backdrops, etc. to make it clean and beautiful. What started as an unused office space quickly turned into the studio of my dreams and I’m so excited to share it with other photographers in Wyoming and Northern Colorado!

Alright, 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?
Definitely not a smooth road. We hit all the normal “starting a business” hiccups and dumped quite a bit of money into it. Not to mention we started the business when I was very very very pregnant with our second girl. I wasn’t able to help with the heavy duty renovations, but luckily we have amazing people in our circle who stepped in and helped where I could not. I opened my studio on February 1, 2025 and I gave birth to my second beautiful daughter on February 24, 2025! Starting a business and having a newborn is not for the faint of heart, but we have been getting it done!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
The Light Loft WY is the only photography studio of its kind in Cheyenne (and possibly in the whole state of Wyoming?). There are plenty of other beautiful studios in the area, but none that can be rented out as freely as the Light Loft. It can be rented out by the hour by photographers or even by anyone in the general public to use. There is basic furniture, backdrops, and props that can be moved around as you want to create whatever vision you are looking for. We have been open for just under 2 months, but the hope is to have seasonal setups and props to rotate in to keep photographers coming back for more.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me with this business is community. I found in the early part of my photography journey that sometimes the industry is a little cutthroat. I wanted to make something that helps support other photographers in the area and help lift them up instead of just trying to compete. We’re all in this together! It has been so fun in the last little bit to meet other photographers face to face instead of just through social media and get to see all the beautiful work that they have created in my studio!

Pricing:

• $50 an hour on weekdays
• $65 an hour on weekends

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thelightloftwy.com
• Instagram: @thelightloftwy
• Facebook: The Light Loft WY

Image Credits
All images are my own