Tristan Leyco was originally born in Lucena City, Phillippines, and moved to Queens New York at the young age of 3. The beginning of his creative career saw sponsored skateboarding, as Leyco was a Monster Energy athlete. His parents purchased his first camera in 2011, which he primarily used for gathering footage to send to his sponsors, before he released he also had a passion for being behind the lens just as much as in front of it.
How Did He Do It?
Today, Leyco has built his personal brand to impressive heights, including a following of 150,000 on his social media, as well as starting multiple companies. One of which is Implied Skateboards, which gives 1% of total profits to support a non-profit charitable women’s foundation. Leyco believes in making a point of ensuring everyone he works with is taken care of, comfortable and having an amazing time. He states the best part about his job is meeting so many different talented people, and connecting with new faces of a consistent basis. It’s clear that holding himself accountable and making sure everyone is having a great time on set translates into his work, as a scroll through his Instagram evidently expresses each models individual uniqueness.
It is clear that Leyco’s dedication is to creating work with substance and meaning. He believes in meticulously and diligently crafting work with each and every piece of content he puts out showcasing women in a different and light. “I’ve always distanced myself from toxic masculinity and the fragile male ego. I’m heavily in tune with my emotions, I’m not afraid to say how I feel which is why it’s easier for me to connect and form meaningful bonds with women.”
Work Hard and Live the Dream
Since starting his creative journey 9 years ago now, Leyco has come a long way from the aspiring teenage photographer he once was. He’s gaining international recognition for his work, and is working with some of the most renowned models in the United States. His work has developed since the early days when his subjects mainly consisted of cityscape, landscape and adventure projects. He’s transitioned into full-on portraiture, but made sure to develop his skills and work hard before making the switch. When asked about the early days, Leyco stated “To be honest, it was quite an unfathomable lifestyle for someone in their early 20s, but I knew I worked hard to get to that point so I proudly reaped all the benefits. People would ask me what I do full-time for a living and I’d say in verbatim, “I go on adventures, and I shoot hot models.” because it was simply the honest truth. By day, I’d go whitewater rafting in the rapids of the Poconos to be then chauffeured back into the city, to shoot and hang out with stunning scantily clad models.”
The Lows?
It’s certain that Leyco’s life is something to be admired (and maybe a little jealous of). After all, he works with a huge amount of world-renowned models, all with a smile on his face and an amazing attitude. While this seems like the best job in the world, we were wondering about the worst parts about being a successful NYC photographer, if there are any? “To certain people, I guess the countless sleepless nights spent editing but even then, my creative self-masochistic drive can’t get enough of the entire process.” It’s obvious that Leyco is a silver linings kind of guy. In short, keep a positive attitude, hone your craft and work hard, and you too might one day be working with some of the most beautiful people in the entire world!
Follow him on his journey @tristanleyco
