From his first encounter with photography to the opening of his gallery…
When he was 10, someone gave him a cheap Kodak camera and he started taking photographs “without really thinking about it.” When he graduated in psychology he realized he didn’t want to be a psychologist. While in this void, one of his friend brought him into a dark room and he remembers being completely fascinated by the image appearing on the white paper in the developer. “That was it!” he adds. From there he started working as a photographer in England for 5 years before realizing there were better photographer than him. It was a hard acknowledgment but also a great lesson since his path has been very diverse (curator, business, creative in commercial, journalism, fashion…) and successful since then. At the time he had taken 2 resolutions: take one photo a day (which he still does) and never take photographs for money so that he doesn’t have to shoot for an audience. He really believes in an old rule of science: Active observation changes that which is observed. So taking picture has really become an exercise in awareness of the world around. Almost like meditation.
After he stopped being a photographer, he traveled the world of photography for years: He started as an editor for Rex Features, then moved and became director of Network photographers, then worked for Tony Stone (and subsequently Getty Images) in stock photography, and Amana/Photonika in Tokyo (where he worked to specifically bring a distinctive and personal photographic voice to advertising and stock), then became creative director of EyeStorm.com, (one of the first exclusively online art galleries that aimed to make contemporary art more accessible to a larger number of people ), then skipped to the fashion world at Art and Commerce, before starting as CEO of the VII agency and gallery in 2008.
He has announced a few days ago that he “feel(s) the need to pursue new creative projects that will combine (his) experience and passion in many different parts of the photographic world”. His resignation from VII will be effective May 30th 2013. Stephen was kind enough to welcome me for another cup of tea to tell me more about his years with VII and what he sees in the near future. This interview is published in Le Journal !
A fond memory…
Not really a memory but an admiration for the imagination of photographers in their renewed ability to experiment in the last years with diverse ways of showing their photographs and expanding their engagement and business at VII.
A bad memory…
Not really a memory either, but a constant frustration to see so much potential and opportunity and not to be able to reach it all the time. Stephen explains how much he would like to take advantage even more of this beautiful space and great photographers to organize more shows, discussions, programs, workshops…
A photograph that has a special importance in his life…
Souvenir, from the series Springtime in Poland, by Jindrich Marco in 1947. This illustrates the essence of photography: creating fiction from reality. To Stephen, it has even more strength since it gathers in one single photograph the many different style of photography: photojournalism, portrait, studio, advertising, even maybe fashion…
On his bedroom wall…
A poster of an advertisement for GAP jeans
A wallpaper of a picture of the sky
What is next for photographers…
Stephen strongly believes that the photographers of the future will be the ones who know how to let go of the old system. He says we have to stop thinking of a photographer as a supplier (the photographer takes the picture and sells it to the magazine, or the magazine tells the photographer what it needs). The new photographer is a publisher: chooses his subject, finances it, choose his audience, builds it, creates a colony around it – He has control, options, opportunities, management possibilities… Stephen says that we are in the interspace between the two systems now and acknowledges how difficult it is to earn a living in photography no matter your talent. He says that we are probably missing in imagination and having a hard time to let go of what we know. He shared with me the successful example of National Geographic and VII co-founder John Stanmeyer who entirely reshaped himself in the past year. He explains how John went from a classical photojournalist career working mostly on assignment to embracing the new world of social media to spread his message. He is a very engaged and passionate photojournalist and love to share his experience on his blog but above all engages his followers to respond and act. He is growing a huge audience and counts on this and his perpetual engagement as a photographer to open new roads for him.
Thank you Stephen and my best wishes for whatever you will do next !
Stéphanie de Rougé
