We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Steven Emile. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Steven below.
Steven, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, let’s start with trends – what are some of the largest or more impactful trends you are seeing in the industry?
In the photography field, there are many evolving trends that have come up in the last ten to fifteen years. What strikes me as the most impactful trend is the evolution of technology, and the ability for anyone to capture the “perfect” image with their smart phone and access to a computer. This form of art used to take years of practice behind the lens and in a dark room developing techniques with the different camera equipment, photo paper, film, and chemicals, to finally end up with a beautiful image you could share. Now just about anyone can be a photographer with a digital camera, computer, and access to social media.
I began learning photography in high school on a 35mm film camera, as digital cameras did not exist for consumer use yet. The classroom had a dark room installed in the back, and the course itself was geared around both the use of the camera equipment as well as the work required after taking the photo in the dark room and on the cutting table. This class taught me to appreciate the scene I was trying to capture before pressing the shutter button, as there was no going back or altering an image afterward. One photo assignment had me taking photos in my father’s attic. He was starting to expand his house, and I wanted to capture the place before it changed. The attic had long drooping spider webs and cobwebs, lath and plaster walls, and ancient roof trusses of his house exposed. Of course, there was extremely dim lighting as well. It had the feeling of age, time, and experiences long passed. Without thinking too much about it, I snapped some images and proceeded back to class to develop my film. When I finished processing the image and turned it in, I was surprised to get a B- on my assignment as I had not put too much thought into it. My instructor commented to me that my photo easily could have been an A if I had simply stopped to think about the image I wanted to create, the lighting, the composition, and how I wanted the viewer to feel when looking at it. This would have informed my camera settings, composition, and the way I developed the image. I still have this photo, and when I look at it now, I believe I understand what he meant. Had I spent the time being present in the moment, considering my shot before taking my picture, I could have had a wonderfully haunting image of the past, and a piece of history for my father’s house. Instead, I have a mediocre image with a dusty wall and some cobwebs. The image is set, and I cannot change it. I can only learn from it and grow going forward.
This is the type of thinking I feel like has gone by the wayside with the powerful tools we now have at our fingertips. Now nearly any component of an image can be added, removed or adjusted with the click of a button. The process of creating truly moving images is one many famous photographers spent their entire lives working on and perfecting through trial and error. Now with the advent of smart devices, digital cameras, and especially applications like Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, the process behind creating an impactful image has changed greatly. Although the process behind the image has changed in form, it is no less work to create a photo that will touch a viewer, however. A photographer used to expend several rolls of film, if they remembered to bring extras, just to capture a single shot. Now an artist can take nearly limitless photos, greatly increasing their chance of capturing just the right moment or moments. Instead of spending hours in a dark room developing the film from that shoot, transferring the image to the right photo paper then cropping and mounting it, the artist will spend hours pouring over their mountain of photos, and after selecting their images spend hours more adjusting them on a computer. The photography class I attended twenty years ago now focuses on these aspects of photography. Specifically the adaptation of Photoshop and Lightroom in developing imagery. There is no more dark room, and no more film. While I can appreciate the evolution of the art form, I cannot help but feel a little bitter about the change.
This evolution has great potential for the art of photography. Unfortunately it also has possibly devastating consequences. The process of creating art in any medium is a very human experience. So too is the appreciation of that art. Whether it is photography, painting, drawing, sculpture, or the creation of music, film or poetry, the entire process is subjective both from the artists standpoint as well as the viewers’. It is an expression of emotion, the transmission of feelings from one human to another, in some cases without using words. The evolution of technology as a tool in the field of photography has enabled more people to express their creative side, which helps us connect with ourselves and others on a fundamental level. I fear, however, that the recent development and implementation of artificial intelligence is diluting some of the photography being published by eliminating the human component. By enabling a creator to remove elements they dislike from a scene after the fact like an entire sky, tree, unwanted person or animal, I believe the art of taking photos is being undermined at it’s very core. There is much less consideration and time put into creating an image when an artist is behind a lens since, “anything can be fixed in post,” as I’ve heard it said. This means we as photographers are missing out on appreciating the actual setting we are attempting to capture. Whether that is a sunset, a bison, or a wedding. The first and most important skill of a photographer is being present in the moment with gratitude and appreciation. Only then can we really share that moment, and how we feel, with others.
Steven, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am a landscape, nature and wildlife photographer. I have been snapping the shutter since the days of 35mm film, and have a deep appreciation for the land and the wilderness we often lack but seek. I began taking photos in high school as just another class, but it quickly grew on me.
My images are as diverse as nature itself, including landscapes, animals, and night sky photos. My passion for these images does not come from a desire to sell them or to create them for specific individuals. Rather it is to share the beauty I see in the world around me with others. In an ever-developing world with many of us locked in a traditional job in a city, having a window to a serene meadow or a seaside landscape in someone’s home through one of my images can help them return to themselves and find their center.
I do not push the sale of my images as a business, as I believe we all have an innate desire to connect with nature. I feel that by sharing my images with the world I can help bring people closer to the land, and hopefully help raise awareness about the needs of that land. When I do get the opportunity to do work for a client or sell an image, I am thrilled. But it is not my main focus. Instead I am focused on creating the images themselves.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the freedom to follow the call wherever that takes me. Sometimes I am called to a riverside hideaway sheltered from the sun by a tall willow tree to watch the water pass me by, reminding me that no two days are ever the same, and tomorrow will always come. Sometimes I am called to the foot of the mountains to bask in their overwhelming majesty and fortitude, where they have withstood the test of time and the elements, where I am inspired to find my strength during difficult times. Still other times I am called to gaze across a field of flowers to watch the sun drop below the horizon, helping me slow my mind and reflect on the day, as all things must come to an end. All of these calls reward me in a thousand small and almost immeasurable ways that restore my soul. These are the feelings, the thoughts, and the intentions that go into my images. I hope to impart some small measure of the peace I feel when creating my art to those who enjoy it. These rewards are worth more to me than all the gold or money in the world. You cannot put a price on that feeling.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
The thing non-creatives tend to struggle to understand about my journey, and the journey of most artists, is our commitment to the art despite the lack of stability as a career. One month as an artist can be extremely rewarding financially if the winds favor your sails. The following month may find you in the doldrums, languishing without any clients or purchases. Being an artist is not something one pursues because of a paycheck. Not at its core. It is a passion, a fire that burns within so bright and so hot that the darkest night of the soul cannot extinguish it, though it may dim from time to time. The very act of creating art is the reason for it. It is a difficult concept for some to wrap their head around, especially in today’s society where so much of what we do is geared toward success in a career or in financial security. Many, and dare I say most, artists I know have a distinct lack of need for material things which frees up space inside them that they might share a piece of their souls with the world. For that is what makes truly great art, in my opinion. Whether it happens incidentally or with immense attention and focus, creating art in any fashion captures a portion of the creator to share with the world. And the act of surrendering yourself over to the creation of your art is incredibly liberating, and unbelievably rewarding, all financials aside. So, I am unconcerned with the sale of my images. If I am able to make a living sharing what I find beautiful with the world someday, I will be thrilled. If not, I will remain fulfilled knowing that I’ve shared my visions and that many find beauty in them, even if they are not framed on someone’s wall. When my time on this earth is up, as all ours will surely be one day, when I go, I will be able to think back at all the amazing images I’ve created and moments I have experienced. I will not be concerned with the number of photos I have sold, or how may reviews or ratings I’ve received, nor how many followers I have on social media. I will know that I lived a life that made me happy, and that I did my best to share those moments with anyone who was interested.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.viewbug.com/member/stevenanderspix
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevenanderspix/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stevenanderspix
Image Credits
Steven Anders Emile