Meet Stephanie LeBlanc | Colorado Portrait & Wedding Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stephanie LeBlanc and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephanie, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have worked full time as an Aerospace Engineer for 6 years now. I love solving difficult problems and imagining all of the crazy things you can do from space. When COVID hit, I was still working in an office full time. I wore a mask everyday and risked mine and my family’s health. I quickly became burnt out and decided it was time for a more sustainable change. I may have been solving some of the hardest engineering problems each day, but I still felt unfulfilled and stuck – wake up. put on a mask. drive to work. don’t talk to anyone. drive home. repeat.

I still work full time as an Engineer, but I found a new job that fits my lifestyle better and that gave me the creative space to think about what I really wanted in life right now – a creative outlet where I could bring people’s memories to life. So one Saturday morning I woke up and decided life is too short to not just go for what you want. So I sat down and registered my LLC and got to work.

My love of pictures and photography comes from my love of optics and space-based imagery and I love the fact that I can work in both a technical and a creative space.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have met so many incredible photographers in my area. It’s hard to pin point any one thing that sets myself apart from them. Our uniqueness really comes down to our experiences in life – so I will talk a bit about my company’s name, Harmonic Light Photography.

When people say or see my company’s name, I can tell they are surprised and want to ask “why”. The short answer is “it’s a reminder of a previous life”. The long answer is…my graduate thesis topic was on the ability to model the gravity field of small celestial bodies (i.e. asteroids and comets) using a spherical harmonic model. I can’t even begin to count the number of times I said “spherical harmonic” or “harmonic coefficient” during my time in graduate school. In fact I said it so much, it stopped sounding like a real word and I would dread hearing it come out of my mouth.

Fast forward 8 years – I thought about naming my business after myself – “Steph’s Photography”, “Photos by Stephanie”, “LeBlanc Photos”, etc. Nothing really felt right and it all felt a bit lame. During this process, I happened to be listening to some music on my SoundCloud and I looked at my username “Stephie Harmonics”. When I read this I just smiled. That felt right. That felt like me. And now every time I say “Harmonic Light Photography”, I don’t get tired of it and it doesn’t get worn out. It just reminds me of all of my hard work in school and all of the time I put into becoming an Engineer. It reminds me that it took me 8 years to realize I can still work in a technical field while also doing something I truly enjoy – photography. So this is what makes me unique. This is what makes my business unique. I strive to bring my openness to life and creativity into all of my photos and I embrace the harmony in life.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We would start the day at Gabe’s Cafe in downtown Frederick. This is such a cute little diner and the food is super fast and delicious! Then I’d take her and the dogs over to the Frederick Recreation Area so the dogs could have fun and we could wander around the lake. It’s such a pretty spot to go in the Fall when the leaves are changing and there is a cool breeze coming off of the lake.

For lunch we would of course go to Acreage in Lafayette! Not only are there amazing views of the Front Range and Flat Irons, but the cider and food are incredible.

Then we’d have to finish the day shopping on Pearl Street in Boulder (maybe some Ben & Jerry’s there too after spending way too long in the bookshop).

All of these places really hit my bucket list for Northern Colorado/Denver.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like the dedicate my shoutout to my husband, Derek, our dogs, Bones & Bella, and my friend, Sarah. They have all endured countless hours in front of my camera while I test out new settings, new lightings, and new backgrounds. They have helped me figure out what styles I like and hone in my editing techniques and whether I want to do a shoot at sunrise or sunset, I know I can go grab Sarah and she’ll be along for the ride. Without them, my business wouldn’t be the same.

Website: https://www.harmoniclightphotography.com

Instagram: @harmoniclightphoto

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harmoniclightphoto/

Image Credits
Harmonic Light Photography, LLC