An Architect of Light: How David Loi Solved the Photographer’s Toughest Problem

The View from the Fast Lane

DALLAS—The world that David Loi photographs moves at maximum velocity. One week, he is capturing the precise engineering of a BMW M Trackday event, tires screaming at the limit of grip. The next, he is on a sprawling manufacturing floor, composing an industrial narrative of “man and machine,” or perhaps standing on the tarmac with a client like American Airlines, framing the powerful silhouette of a commercial jet. Based in Dallas, Loi is a commercial photographer whose recent itinerary—which has included professional stints at the Circuit of the Americas, as well as shoots across Vancouver and Atlanta—reads like a logistics manifest.

But beneath the high-octane work and the prestige clients lies a singular focus that drives both his artistic output and his entrepreneurial success: light.

Loi, who transitioned from wedding photography to focus on industrial, aviation, and automotive narratives, is not just behind the lens; he is also one of the key voices directing Cheetah Stand, a company that has quietly revolutionized how professional photographers use off-camera flash (OCF).

His path to co-leadership at the equipment company was paved by necessity. Years ago, as he sought to elevate his own craft, Loi found himself battling the frustrating, time-consuming reality of traditional lighting gear. “When I first started off-camera flash, the old styles of light stands and old cabled strobes with softboxes that required individual insertion of each rod was such a pain!” he recalled.

That friction point, that moment of visible struggle in front of a paying client, was the genesis of a game-changing business idea.

The shift arrived with Cheetah Stands. The brand introduced light stands with legs that opened and closed automatically and softboxes that functioned like simple umbrellas, eliminating the tedious, nail-breaking assembly process. For Loi, it was a creative revelation. “Along came Cheetah Stands with the fast moving legs that automatically opened and closed was a huge game changer,” he said. “The softboxes that opened like an umbrella was such a huge blessing.”

That personal evolution, fueled by more efficient tools, eventually led to a professional partnership. He credits Edward Tang with initially bringing him into the Cheetah Stand fold, but upon Tang’s retirement, Loi—alongside his partner, Charles Nguyen—stepped in to carry the banner, not merely as an endorser, but as a leader shaping the future of the product line.

Built from the Studio Floor Up

The defining premise of the company, according to Loi, is startlingly simple and yet profoundly effective: Cheetah Stand is “made by photographers and videographers for photographers and videographers.” This is not merely a marketing slogan; it is the core innovation strategy.

In any commercial shoot, time is currency, and presentation is professionalism. Nothing, Loi asserts, is more detrimental to both than struggling with equipment. The “Big Idea” behind the company, he explained, was to systematically identify and eliminate the “pain points of creators.” When setup issues are removed, the creator is free to concentrate entirely on the scene at hand and “deliver maximum quality for their clients.”

For a commercial photographer based in Dallas, TX operating in dynamic environments—whether a fast-paced car track or a corporate hangar—a moment of fumbling can translate into lost time or, worse, a perceived lack of preparation.

Loi’s personal experience informs every innovation. “As a commercial photographer in Dallas that understands the unique challenges of working in front of clients, I see all the little hot button topics that can slow us down and make us look less professional,” he admitted. This intimate knowledge of the client-facing dynamic drives a commitment to constant iteration and improvement, ensuring the products remain the most efficient solutions available.

In a highly competitive equipment market, where brands like Godox and Westcott have established firm footholds, Cheetah Stand differentiates itself not necessarily on pure power, but on speed and workflow.

While the competition provides excellent strobes, the structural supporting gear—the stands and modifiers—must disappear into the background of the creative process. By focusing on rapid deployment, the brand effectively converts setup time into shooting time, providing a tangible, professional advantage. The shared identity of the company’s leaders with its customer base becomes the most effective bridge to connect with an often-reserved artistic community, allowing the gear itself to do the talking.

The relentless demand of balancing a thriving commercial photography business—which requires him to be physically present at sprawling locations and engage in high-stakes client pitches—with the day-to-day operations of an equipment company is a unique challenge. Loi manages this duality by ensuring the two roles are symbiotic: his work in the field serves as the ultimate R&D lab, providing continuous feedback loops for product refinement.

The Supremacy of Controlled Light

When considering the most essential skill for any photographer today, Loi does not hesitate. “I think the most important skill a photographer can have is their ability to understand light and composition,” he stated. These foundational elements remain the constant, regardless of changes in camera technology.

However, Loi quickly pointed out the limits of relying solely on ambient sources. Working only with natural or existing house lights means a photographer is tethered to “certain time of days such as sunrise and sunset to create dramatic, beautiful photos.” For a professional, this limitation is untenable.

The introduction of strobes and softboxes changes the calculus, ensuring lighting quality is exceptional, irrespective of location or time. It is a transition from merely capturing light to actively shaping it. This is where the product line, particularly the softboxes and automatic light stands, becomes indispensable.

For the aspiring photographer looking to make the leap into OCF, Loi has definitive, practical advice, suggesting an investment in the company’s C8 light stand paired with a 36-inch umbrella. When combined with a capable flash unit, such as a Godox V1 or a Westcott FJ80, this setup delivers a “powerful combination to start learning how to use off camera flash.”

Loi contends that this investment in controlled light is foundational, providing “that pop that can be lacking when you have just natural light to use.” He makes a provocative claim about priorities in a novice’s kit: he considers OCF equipment “almost more important than a low-aperture F-stop lens.” While a fast lens can beautifully blur the background, controlled lighting can transform the quality, texture, and mood of a subject in a way that no lens can replicate.

The rise of computational photography, largely driven by smartphones, has done a remarkable job of correcting for poor exposure and inconsistent color balance. Yet, Loi notes that this has not diminished the professional equipment market; in fact, it has raised the baseline expectation for image quality. Computational tools can manage light exposure, but they cannot manage light direction, quality, and shape. Professionals still require the physical, off-camera tools—the stands, the grids, the softboxes—to create the separation, drama, and narrative required in high-end commercial work.

Rolling into Tomorrow

Looking ahead, the philosophy of reducing friction continues to drive Cheetah Stand’s innovation pipeline. Loi expressed particular excitement about stands incorporating wheels.

On large commercial sets, moving massive lights and awkward softboxes can be a physical burden that breaks workflow and consumes valuable time. The addition of robust wheels makes transportation significantly easier, a feature he describes as “invaluable” on professional sets.

The company is also moving toward greater integration and simplicity, exemplified by new products featuring built-in booms. These innovations—such as the Rolling Boom and the Heavy Duty Boom—eliminate the need for photographers to carry and track separate components like knuckles or extension arms. “I don’t have to worry about forgetting a knuckle or the boom, unlike older setups that photographers and videographers might be used to,” Loi said, calling the integrated approach “a game changer on larger photoshoots.”

He sees the democratization of quality as the biggest opportunity for growth over the next decade. As cameras become more accessible and powerful, the barrier to entry for image creation lowers, but the barrier to creating excellent light remains. By making professional OCF gear simpler, faster, and more portable, the company can empower a wider range of creators to achieve results previously reserved for large studio operations.

When reflecting on his career, Loi speaks not of satisfaction, but of hunger. He measures success not by past accolades, but by future ambition. “The most proud moment I’ve had has yet to come!” he declared, emphasizing the need to constantly seek new clients and new work. He maintains that once satisfaction sets in, “you lose the hunger and everything will start to take a step backwards.”

While always looking forward, he noted his pride in past work with brands like BMW, Lowe’s (featuring Dak Prescott), and his work with the U.S. Soccer Team for American Airlines. However, for Cheetah Stand, his pride rests on the conviction of their product, a conviction shared by prominent ambassadors like Scott Robert Lim, Jason Vinson, and Hanson Fong—all working professionals who recognize the value of reducing workflow pain points. Their belief underscores the company’s mission: to allow every photographer to focus less on their equipment and more on the craft of light and composition, elevating the client experience with every shutter click.