Steve’s Bio

S teve discovered his passion for photography back in 1998 at the age of 16 when he came across his uncles old Canon AE-1 Program. After studying for his A-levels, Steve decided that he wanted a career in the photographic industry and set about gaining the necessary skills, experience and qualifications that are vital to be successful. After various night courses under the guidance of a professional press photographer, Steve enrolled on a 2 year National Diploma at Amersham College. Quickly realising the diploma was too basic for his skills, Steve was upgraded after just one year to the HND Applied Photography and Digital Imaging course where he would be taught by industry leading fashion and studio photographers.

While studying for his HND, Steve fed his passion for racing by taking full advantage of student perks and securing various press passes for motorsport events. Still using manual focus 35mm film cameras, Steve honed his style and skills for which he is known today by photographing such events as Ascar racing at Rockingham and Formula 1 testing at Silverstone. After the 2 years of study Steve qualified with a Merit and decided to complete a one year top up course for his degree in the same subject.

After qualifying in 2005 at the age of 23, Steve decided he wanted to pursue his new career in photography as a freelancer and setup Small Red Gorilla. Initially working as a general photographer, Steve worked for several clients providing everything from PR images to event coverage, the highlight being PR commissions by Saab and Arriva. Disaster then struck late in 2006 after Steve had a major motorcycle accident, putting him out of action for 5 months while he recovered.

As soon as Steve had recovered, luck was back on his side and he was able to focus on his first passion - motorsport! The first big break came in 2007 when he became the official Thundersprint photographer. This lead to his first published racing images and also a chance meeting with Darvill Racing, a racing team Steve now sponsors and travels to race meetings with. That same year, Steve also became a photographic sponsor of the Festival 1000 Bikes, again leading to many published images and Steve will be working with them again in 2011. As well as various other motorsport work, Steve also pursued commissions to satisfy his second love, music.

Steve's skills are not just limited to taking photographs, he is also proficient in everything from film processing, printing and retouching through to the full modern digital workflow. These skills and his relevant experience have often meant Steve is in demand when it comes to working for other companies. In 2007 Steve joined Photocorporation UK Ltd, working in their industrial lab until 2009, where he operated and maintained industrial laser chemical printers, boarded and framed prints and even trained staff. After being forced to leave the lab due to the recession, the company offered Steve the role of Studio Manager in a flagship MK store which he turned down in order to concentrate on Small Red Gorilla. In 2009 Steve also joined forces with an Amersham based photography company on a temporary basis, training them to an acceptable standard in order to succeed. During this time Steve also secured a deal with a local studio in order to carry out motorcycle photography on a trial basis.

Things have quickly moved on and as of 2011 at the age of 29, Steve is now busy preparing the business for the latest developments in technology. He's just invested in new HDSLR camera equipment, training himself in video editing software, 3D modeling and planning various video shoots that are to take place throughout the year. He has also just accepted a new contract to provide his colour correction, artworking and printing expertise at one of Britains oldest and most prestigious photographic companies. There are exciting times ahead!

Steve is available for head-hunting and full-time or temporary work for other companies. If you would like to view a copy of Steve's CV, please click here.