We recently connected with Stephani Lofthouse and have shared our conversation below.
Stephani, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?
I have been doing photography for 18 years now and finally went full time at year 17. It was a scary decision but worth it. It was May 2021 when I put my two weeks in at a job that clearly wasn’t for me anymore. I got to the point where I was ridden with anxiety just by clocking in. I was bullied for 6 years for various things, rumors and misunderstandings. My mental health was rapidly declining as it had been since my divorce at the beginning of that job. It also had a negative impact on my art and my desire to create art. I had a been getting gigs all over NC, GA and FL for the rest of the year and had just signed a new gig in SC. My business was picking up quick and it seemed to be an overwhelming calling to finally travel the nation doing what I love. It was well worth it. It was a great decision and haven’t looked back since. I travel throughout the year photographing clients, cars, concerts and more! I’ve been able to work on myself mentally and physically whereas I wasn’t able to before meanwhile collaborating with other traveling artists and filmmakers. I’ve been able to tap into other things I’ve always wanted to do and create. If you feel stuck at a job that is not your passion and dealing with bullying in the workplace, please seek help. Speak up to superiors, HR, therapists and seek a new occupation. Mental health is serious no matter what line of work you’re in. Follow your dreams. I wish I had went full time sooner in life but in a strange way, the bullying and toxicity that made me sink so low has prepared me for the outside world and as cliche as it sounds… it’s made me stronger. Make a vision/inspiration board. Look at it every day on your wall. You will train yourself to achieve those goals!
Stephani, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a photographer and independent filmmaker. I’ve always been an artist in many ways since early childhood. I come from a family of artists as well. I started playing with cameras, even disposable cameras since elementary school. I gradually got into automotive photography in 2004/05 and becoming involved in the Ford Mustang community and from there branched out, continuously networked and marketed myself in other communities and clubs as well. 18 years later I photograph cars, models, conceptual, concerts, dark beauty, weddings, boudoir and everything in between. Majority of the time I am working in automotive / models and boudoir sessions year-round. I have an in-home studio that I design myself and change every couple months. I offer specialty themes for holidays as well as certain lifestyles like Victorian, gothic etc I also even recreate scenes from classic spooky films.
I have makeup artists who work for me during boudoir sessions/parties whether solo, bff or couples. I offer music playlists or even movies for them to watch as they get makeup. I offer beverages, snacks and a free giftbag for every client who comes in. I guide them in poses and show them what I’ve taken throughout the session. I take pride in my work and make each session personal with my silly commentary and talk about personal things so I can relate to my clients. Make them feel welcomed and chitchat before the session. I explain how certain poses can minimize the appearance of our least favorite parts of ourselves. I leave a guestbook open which is filled with lovely entries. It makes me feel good to go through it and read how I’ve changed someone’s outlook on their own body. It helps me work on loving the body I am in as well.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
Facebook has always been my Go-To for advertising! I’ve been using it since 2010 for networking and it’s been super helpful in many ways. Always try to improve with how you network yourself into certain groups, cliques, events. You want a couple photos of your best work and keep the text to a minimum as I have learned over the years that LESS is in fact MORE! If it’s too busy, too bland or too crowded… people will scroll on. My work has gone viral 3 times and has gained 1500 new followers just on one viral post. Consistency is key but don’t overuse the sites as you can bog it down and it pushes you down on newsfeeds. Trust the process and don’t give up. I tried to give up this dream job once due to personal struggles and the keyboard warriors of the internet and I had to rebuild all over again. Keep going!
Has your business ever had a near-death moment? Would you mind sharing the story?
Trigger Warning: S/A: I’ve never shared this before but this would be a good opportunity to do so. Over the years in my field of work I always read blacklisting stories about photographers, models, clients, makeup artist etc on social media. I’ve seen many touring models, even those I’ve worked with come out with horror stories where they were harassed verbally or physically. I felt sadness and anger for them but never ever thought that I would fall victim to that. I went to work at a 4 day social event a few years back where I was in a heavily populated area with friends and most of the people I knew were clients from past photo shoots. The first day I was there, I wasn’t alone and it never crossed my mind that I would be around anyone with an ulterior motive. After a long day of working with amazing clients, there was an after-hours event where alcohol was involved and hundreds of fans. However, I unfortunately had too much to drink. First time it’s ever happened but it’s not something that I do regularly. I had to leave the vehicle at the event. My new client whom I was to work with the following day offered to take me back to my hotel which I had shared with another attendee whom the client was friends with on social media. The client was to leave but stayed and I talked about my significant other back home. I had fallen asleep rather quickly. I woke up to the sound of the heavy hotel room door opening and people walking in. I didn’t realize that I was unknowingly in the middle of an act that I was not only unconscious for but had not consent to prior. The viewers left the room and I realized what was taking place and demanded to stop. The ‘friends’ came back in to and proceeded to tell me that they were going to leave the city for the night as I was there crying and struggling to cover myself. I had fallen asleep again and woke up to it happening a second time. I was in a much worse state of disorientation and not recognizing my surroundings or realizing who was there. I had to stop it once again by crying and was finally left alone. This particular event I did not have my own transportation. There were dozens of people there at the event, the hotel and nearby hotels I could have and should have called for help but I was so ridden with anxiety and processing. I was disassociated and scared so I pushed through with the event the next day and working with my clients who came to work with me. I had gotten tested as soon as I got back and again 6 months later to be safe. I consider myself very lucky that I had not gotten any diseases, pregnancy, physically abused, robbed or even killed by this person. I somehow forgot what took place for months. I was so stressed and failing at my full time job that it was noticeable and was sent to therapy that was offered at that job. I gladly talked about everything else but I had a trigger when I saw the client’s name online and began having a panic attack. The therapist and myself talked it out slowly and come to realization that my brain somehow muted that memory shortly after it took place and had to face this head on. I can talk about it now but it was a traumatizing moment that I often still blame myself for. I know what they did was awful and probably not the first time. Any advice I can give to women who travel for ANY reason whether it’s a job, vacation or anything, ALWAYS be aware of your surroundings. You can still have fun but be careful. Arm yourself and abide your state’s law and remember, it’s not your fault. Be safe!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Chromalusion.com
- Instagram: @ChromalusionPhotography
- Facebook: @ChromalusionPix
Image Credits
Stranger Thing’s Aidan Fisher. Astrid Kallsen Coven of 3: Lynsy, Kara, Erin Dracula ft: Deana and Larry BMW Tesla with Juli and Tiff Juli in Mustang Siren’s Song: Josh, Lilith, Astrid