Conversations with Marshall Stephens

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marshall Stephens.

Hi Marshall, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Like many photographers, I got started with photography in college at the University of Tennessee when I was studying photography under Professor Robert Heller. I got my first “real” camera and dove right into photography. There, I had the opportunity to shoot a wide range of subjects from events to portraits to SEC football and other sports.

After graduation, photography became a bit of a side project that I would pick up every now and then. Then, during COVID, and with the birth of my children, I dove headfirst back into the art form.

Finally, in Summer 2024, I started my business, TriStar Visuals Photography. Through my business, I’ve had the opportunity to work with teams, athletes, and high school seniors across the North Georgia and Chattanooga area. The goal of my business is to tell the story of my subjects through my photography. I don’t just want to take a senior out into a pretty field of flowers and take some glowy photos in a sundress. I’d much rather have them on the field, court or pool where they’ve put in hours of practice to get where they are today.

That’s not to say we can’t also go out and take some pretty pictures, but I think to truly capture a senior’s high school experience and showcase what makes them who they are today, you have to go beyond below the surface and truly capture what makes them them, whether that’s a sport, theater, music, a group of friends, etc. I want to really help them capture the season of their life.

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?
Of course not. I think any photographer, as they start their business, has this mindset that they will be the photographer for everyone, whether that’s events, weddings, engagements, families, sports, or seniors. Whatever that is, we try to go out and serve everyone. The problem with that is if you try to be something to everyone, you ultimately become nothing to anyone. I faced the same struggle early on in my business and soon learned that what I really enjoyed photographing was seniors and sports because it gave me the opportunity to tell stories and shine light on people who maybe hadn’t had a chance to be in the spotlight or hadn’t truly had their story told. So I completely niched down. So I completely niched down, removed all the types of photography from my business, and exclusively focus on sports and seniors now. That clarity has enabled me to really dig into who my ideal client is, what their pain points and needs are, and how I can address those.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a sports and senior photographer. I specialize in telling the stories of my clients through stunning, cinematic photography. I’m known for dramatic portraiture for both seniors and athletes, as well as working with high school teams across the North Georgia and Chattanooga areas to tell the story of their seasons, from pre-season practice to a playoff run.

What sets me apart in my area it is both my style of photography as well as the experience that I give my clients. Instead of just a quick session that’s in and out in an hour, I strive to provide a guided photography experience that’s tailored to each individual client. No one is going to have the same experience, and the photos we take are going to be uniquely created to showcase each client.

For my business, it’s more about providing an experience and how everything comes together from the session, as opposed to delivering X number of images with three outfits in two locations.

What I’m most proud of is delivering photos to a client that they truly love and to see see their eyes light up when they see their images for the first time. Some of them didn’t even realize they could look the way they do in the photos.

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My favorite childhood memory is almost an embarrassing one. My family used to rent a video camera from our local university’s audio-visual department that we’d use on vacations to create family vacation videos. My younger brother and I also enjoyed making videos with our stuffed animals, recreating various classic Broadway musicals with these animals and the accompanying soundtrack played on cassettes or CD. I’m hoping these recordings have been destroyed at this point because I really don’t know if I want them to see the light of day again. That said, that same video camera got knocked over one day on our porch, shattering it, and I ended up shoveling mulch chips for the rest of the summer to pay off the $800 replacement fee.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tristarvisuals.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tristarvisuals
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tristarvisuals