Meet Danny Stygion | Photographer & Magazine Publisher & Filmmaker

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

Hi Danny, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When I was a teenager, I originally wanted to be a filmmaker. In my early twenties, I started off with photography and making experimental videos. After a couple of years, my fetish photography work was being published in various fetish print magazines, such as Marquis Magazine and Skin Two Magazine. I began to charge for photo shoots and I started doing all types of photography. I shot weddings, corporate events, behind the scenes at commercial shoots, etc. I eventually was inspired to start my own magazine, but it was too expensive to start a magazine in the early to mid 2000s. When I turned 30, I did research and discovered that you could print magazines on demand and that it had become much more cost effective, and I started publishing Sinical Magazine.

I returned to my original goal of wanting to become a film director in my early 40s and directed and released my first feature length film, The Goetia Diaries, when I turned 42 in 2022. My primary focus right now is directing and producing more independent films.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
In my teens, I was inspired by film directors, such as David Fincher, Stanley Kubrick, Robert Rodriguez, Alfred Hitchcock, etc. I wanted to become a filmmaker. I had also learned about the pinup & fetish scene and people like Bettie Page and Dita Von Teese and Marquis Magazine. I moved to Texas from Hawaii when I turned 18 (I was a military brat). I began to explore photography and making short videos in my early twenties. I eventually began to do all sorts of photo shoots. Once my work started to get published, I thought of starting my own magazine, which I did when I was 30, and it was called Sinical. I revisited my filmmaking goals in my late 30s and made my first feature length film when I was 42.

The lessons I’ve learned is that many people will tell you that you can’t do something because it’s too much work or too expensive or it’s a lottery ticket dream that only happens to lucky people. The truth is if you want to go do something, you just need to aim for your goal and keep chipping away at it. You will have supporters and friends and family that will help you. Time and pressure are very important for the achievement of your goals. You just have to keep at it and have patience.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
For photographers, I would suggest Eleanor Tinsley Park, if you want a good view of the skyline of Houston. I don’t really go to bars anymore, but Poison Girl was a bar I enjoyed, as well as venues such as Avant Garden. Mai’s was a favorite Vietnamese restaurant. I really loved the chicken spaghetti at Bambolino’s in Montrose. I would suggest checking out some occult/oddities shops, such as Thorn & Moon, The Magick Cauldron, and The Witchery in Galveston.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Bob Glass recently passed away. He was one of my first mentors in life and also had a great influence on my photography. He really helped me
during one of my rough patches in life. Damian Hevia was also a
photography mentor who passed away. Hevia greatly helped me expand my
lighting techniques, and was a good friend.

I would also like to mention my wife, Brittany Stygion. She is my Muse
and has been very supportive with my magazine, photography, and
filmmaking endeavors. She is also a great model and I hope she continues
to pursue her modeling aspirations and passions.

Lastly, I would like to mention Derek Salyer, who is the cinematographer
on a series of mental health films that I’m directing for the University
of Houston-Clear Lake. He is a great cinematographer and I think people
should definitely check out his work.

Website: www.stygion.com

Instagram: @dannystygion

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-stygion-712126105

Twitter: @sinicalmag

Facebook: facebook.com/stygion

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsckhPluqjpZaRt_99pDlAA

Other: www.sinicalmagazine.com