We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Steve O. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Steve below.

Steve, appreciate you joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

The way I learned photography was primarily self-teachings. I picked up a camera in 2016 and started messing around with it. As I started learning and playing with the settings, I started to get invested within videos on how to shoot using manual mode. From there, I began to understand the exposure triangle and advanced composition, thus leading me to pursue a bachelor’s in photography. Something that could have sped up the learning process was utilizing workshops and find like minded artists who have the same niche as me. Doing so would allow me to breakdown what they’re doing and how they’re doing it to gain insight as to what I can do better and how I can stand out by analyzing their art.
In my opinion, the most essential skills are being able to effectively communicate with people, but also have a clear idea of what you’re trying to convey to your audience. Without this clear idea, your photos will not be successful or have as great an impact.
The biggest obstacle that stood in the way of learning more was money. There is only so much you can learn from YouTube videos and googling. Once I started investing my time into my bachelor’s, I was able to expand my skills and knowledge while also gaining wisdom from different mentors with specialized knowledge.

Steve, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Before diving into the photography industry, my goal was to be a scout in the military for 20 years. However, when I got a camera after my son was born, I began to realize the artistry that can come with it and thus started my journey into photography. My overall goal as a photographer is to set foot in every country to see and experience everything life has to offer and convey my experiences through my photos in hopes to motivate people to get out and see the world. Life is too short to not experience all the joys humanity has to offer.
The services I currently offer are prints, individual workshops and collaborations/promotional work. More information can be found at steveoworld.com
Something that sets me apart from others is that I’m a very open-minded person, but also realistic. I practice Buddhism, which allows me to see people and the world for what it is. With this mindset, I will always be open to new ideas and will never steer you in the wrong direction.
I’m mostly proud of my ability to capture and convey the world through my point of view. It allows people who aren’t able to due to any circumstance to see the beauty of the world and bring this beauty into their lives by seeing my photos on Instagram or investing in my prints to bring it into their homes.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Some of the best resources I can recommend as an entrepreneur are books that have made a great impact on my mindset being industry and can set you up for success and can do the same for you, so long as you apply dedication, time and effort. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Atomic Habits by James Clear
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Spiritual Awakening by Paolo Marrone
The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
The Law of Human Nature by Robert Greene

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My main goal and mission is to capture the world from a new perspective and motivate people to travel and experience the beauty this world has to offer. Everyone forgets that there is more beyond our screens, hometown and 9-5 job. There’s people and their cultures we have yet to experience because we save it for later but later often never comes. We’re not meant to live so we can work. We’re meant to work so we can live and living is out there, doing and seeing new and exciting things.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.steveoworld.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/steve_o_world?igshid=ZDdkNTZiNTM=
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Steve_o_world?t=yy-Ar1rDkvo_1zHBdoBrzQ&s=09
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@steve_o_world

Image Credits
@steve_o_world