Meet Leslii
Artist. Photographer.
Writer. Educator.
Storyteller.
Some people tell stories with words.
Some tell them through photographs.
Some tell them through movement.
I've spent my life doing all three.
I'm Leslii Stevens, the founder of Studio 23 and CoyDog Botanicals & Yoga. My work lives where creativity and healing meet through photography, writing, wellness, and the belief that every person has a story worth telling.
Whether I'm standing in the photo pit at a sold-out arena, leading a yoga class, writing poetry, designing a website, or quietly photographing a feather on a morning walk, I'm always searching for the same thing:
Connection.
I grew up in Connecticut, where creativity was always part of my life. Painting came first. Music followed. Then one day I picked up a camera and photographed my first live concert.
Everything changed.
That single experience led me to spend years traveling across North America and Europe, documenting musicians from behind the scenes and on stages around the world.
Photography became more than a career.
It became the way I understood people.
My Story
Life on the Road
For years, I had the privilege of living life on tour buses, backstage, and in arenas with some of the most respected musicians in the world.
I've photographed artists including Johnny Lang, Buddy Guy, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Zakk Wylde, Ana Popović, Beth Hart, Doyle Bramhall II, Eric Gales, Dweezil Zappa, Billy Cox, Bootsy Collins, Eric Johnson, Brad Whitford, Rich Robinson, Quinn Sullivan, Keb' Mo', Mato Nanji, Tony Franklin, Chris Layton, Imagine Dragons, The Record Company, Honor By August, Runaway Saints, and many more.
As the Tour Photographer for the Experience Hendrix Tour, I learned that the most meaningful photographs aren't always made under the spotlight, they're often found in the quiet moments between performances.
Those moments continue to shape the way I see the world.
Beyond Photography
While photography introduced me to extraordinary people and places, another journey quietly began.
After knee surgery in 2015, I stepped onto a yoga mat looking for physical healing.
Instead, I found something much deeper.
Yoga became a place where I could rebuild, not only my body, but also my confidence, resilience, and sense of purpose.
That experience changed the direction of my life.
At the age of 50, I returned to school to become a yoga teacher, proving to myself that it is never too late to begin again.
The Yogi Mechanic
My students affectionately call me The Yogi Mechanic because I love helping people understand how their bodies work.
I believe movement should feel empowering, accessible, and deeply personal, not intimidating.
Today I teach yoga, sound baths, private wellness sessions, and Ayurvedic practices through CoyDog Botanicals & Yoga, combining science, anatomy, creativity, and compassion to help people reconnect with themselves.
A Lifetime of Learning
Writer & Creator
Studio 23
Growing up with dyslexia, learning often required me to work harder than many of my peers. Looking back, those challenges didn't hold me back, they taught me perseverance and inspired a lifelong commitment to learning.
Over the years I have earned multiple advanced yoga certifications, trauma-informed training, accessibility certifications, Pilates and Barre certifications, Reiki Master Teacher training, Sound Bath Practitioner certification, and advanced studies in Ayurveda.
I continue to pursue education because I believe every student deserves a teacher who never stops learning.
To date, I have completed more than 3,000 hours of continuing education in yoga, anatomy, wellness, rehabilitation, and holistic health.
Writing has always been another way for me to make sense of the world.
My debut book, Burn Down the Silence, brings together poetry, personal reflection, original artwork, music, and guided journaling into an immersive creative experience.
Like my photography, it is an invitation to pause, reflect, and discover your own story.
Studio 23 is more than a photography business.
It is my creative home.
Here I combine photography, branding, website design, storytelling, marketing, and visual art to help individuals, artists, nonprofits, and businesses tell authentic stories.
Every project begins with one question:
What story are we trying to tell?
Beyond the Work
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When I'm not teaching, photographing, writing, or designing, you'll usually find me exploring nature with my rescue dog, Luci.
I have an endless fascination with birds, wild places, tiny details, and unexpected beauty.
Sometimes that means crawling through the woods for the perfect photograph of a feather.
Sometimes it means quietly watching the sunrise with a camera in hand.
Those moments remind me why I create in the first place.
I believe every
photograph
holds a story.
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I believe creativity can heal.
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I believe movement
can transform.
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I believe every person deserves to feel seen.
Whether you found me through photography, yoga, writing, or simply curiosity, I'm grateful you're here.
Welcome to Studio 23.
I hope our paths cross soon.
-Leslii Stevens
Artist Statement
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Art has always been my language.
Photography taught me to freeze time.
Writing taught me to give emotion a voice.
Yoga taught me to find stillness within movement.
Together they remind me that every person carries a story deserving of compassion, beauty, and authenticity.
My work is not simply about creating photographs, websites, classes, or books.
It is about creating meaningful experiences that inspire people to see themselves, and the world around them, with greater clarity and hope.
If my work helps one person feel seen, one business find its voice, or one community become more connected, then I've accomplished exactly what I set out to do.
Let's Create Something Together
Whether you're looking for photography, branding, creative direction, yoga, wellness, or simply someone who understands the importance of telling your story, I'd love to connect.
