Meet Stephanie Mathena

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

Hi Stephanie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In the 2000’s, I was growing up in a rural town in Kentucky. In middle school, I started filming short films, horror movie spoofs, and music videos with an old Sony handheld camera. Everything I filmed was put on VHS tape, that’s how much technology has changed in 2 decades. In high school, I was in a media/journalism class and became the “anchor” on our morning news team. My senior year, I decided to put my movie making skills to a new test and film a documentary of a volunteer trip I was taking to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina hit. It really cemented for me that I wanted to pursue documentary film or journalism in some way. To tell people’s stories that were getting overlooked.

In 2008, I choose to major in Electronic Media and Broadcasting at Northern Kentucky University, which was the closest thing to filmmaking I could find in Kentucky and George Clooney went there. I met my best friend the first day of College Orientation, and we started the first-ever Film Club on campus. I was part of various short films, music videos and documentary projects in college. In 2010, I traveled to Washington D.C. for the National Equality March and filmed a documentary about the experience. After that, I was hired to work for my college TV Channel, NorseMedia. I would film interview segments covering bands that would come to Cincinnati, like We Are Scientists, Foxy Shazam, and The Silent Comedy. I also did production work on TLC shows and was an extra in “The Ides of March”. By my junior year of college, I was able to travel to Scotland for a documentary project about the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (which launched Lin Manuel Miranda’s group ‘Freestyle Love Supreme’ into fame). My senior year, I was able to take what I had learned from Scotland and returned to New Orleans for my final Senior Project – a documentary on volunteering and how it holds humanity together.

After college, I began working at an NBC affiliate local news station in Cincinnati, Ohio. I would Mic up guests, run the prompter, and edit packages for the morning news. I also began photographing events for CityBeat Magazine that year and started camera operating for a local independent baseball league during this time. It was a busy time in 2012-2013 because I was also launching my own videography and photography business. In 2014, the broadcasting life was proving to be exhausting, and the pay was terrible. So I decided to apply at a tech company I had always admired- Apple. Apple gave me a way to juggle my budding photography business whilst giving me Healthcare and a decent paycheck. By 2016, I felt that my journey in the Midwest was coming to an end. I made the move from Kentucky to Denver, and within the first month I met my good friend Robert Castro. Castro owns Ultra5280 Magazine and was kind enough to let me photograph Snoop Dogg at Fiddler’s Green. After that, I was able to work with various local musicians and volunteer my photography for Youth on Record events (a local non-profit founded by The Flobots that helps Denver youth harness their musical talents). My network started expanding throughout the past five years of living in Denver. I have broadened my photography business and purpose immensely.

I have traveled all over the country doing photography work – most notably, I was the photographer for an organization called “New Leaders Council” which consists of progressive young people from around the country that are running for City Council, Mayor, or other public offices. I was lucky enough to meet and photograph Nancy Pelosi and Obama’s senior advisor – Valerie Jarrett. In Denver, I have worked with locally owned and operated Women-run businesses like “Wear Love Wagon”, “MyTwilaray”, “The Brunch Run” among many other boss babes. I currently do photography of all kinds – engagements, weddings, dancers, creative portraits, boudoir, businesses, maternity, pets, kids, and travel photography on the side. Photographers were definitely hit hard in 2020 with the Pandemic… This past year to make up for all of the lost business, I began selling my travel photography, which I would describe as Dreamy SouthWest Americana. I hope to keep collaborating women, musicians, artists, people of color, LGBTQ+, non-profits and anyone that wants to create beautiful photos or video together. All of my work can be found on my website or my Instagram.

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?
There are always challenges along the way. For me, it has been the obstacle of good/affordable Healthcare being attached to my job. Without having a part-time job at Apple, I wouldn’t be able to fund my photography aspirations. I used to struggle with knowing my worth and not being able to say “no” to clients that don’t want to pay you for your work. But it’s also a balance because sometimes “passion projects” are worth little to no pay if you have creative control and you can help out a fellow small business owner. It was also hard to bring my business out to Colorado and start from scratch… I am still amazed that most of my booked work year after year are people I have never met – but are typically referrals from previous clients. This past year has been hard with Covid… many of my 2020 booked shoots were canceled or postponed due to the virus.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I would say my photography is very colorful. I love shooting in fun places, whether it’s in a gorgeous nature spot like the pink Paint Mines or the Sand Dunes…. or some eye-catching murals downtown or even a swimming pool. Locations and background always have to pop. I also photograph Wanderlust/Travel photography mainly in SouthWest Americana like Utah, Arizona and Colorado. I am proud of showcasing a diverse representation of people on my website and social media.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
With the way cell phone cameras are evolving mixed with user-friendly editing apps… it seems less likely that people will need to hire a professional photographer when they can attempt it themselves.

Contact Info:

• Email: stephaniemathena@gmail.com
• Website: StephanieMathena.com
• Instagram: @StephMathena, @StephSnapshots
• Facebook: Facebook.com/StephanieMathenaPhoto

Image Credits:
Stephanie Mathena Photo