|
Ryan B. Stevenson
I can take pictures. But then again, so
can just about anyone. When I photograph, I do so with thought,
with passion, with composition in mind. I'm a people person.
Whenever time permits, I try to get to
know a little about my subject first. I like to explain what
I'm there for ,and what I'm going to do, if I can. If it's hard
news, I make every attempt to blend in. My goal is to capture
the moment. It doesn't always happen. But that's my goal.
I've been learning from some very good
people in the business. Peter Schwepker is an award-winning Arizona
photojournalist whose eye for composition and creativity is second
to none. In recent years, he's been sharing his 30 years of photojournalism
knowledge to students at the photo-j school at Northern Arizona
University in Flagstaff. He is honest and straight forward. Another
extremely talented instructor here at NAU is Gene Balzer. He
specializes in corporate and studio photography and has been
a guiding light in my photographic pursuits.
I've also had the priviledge to assist
John McDonough, the highly-regarded, award-winning Sports Illustrated
staff photographer for many years.
And, I don't hesitate to say that I have
learned a great deal from a man who spent 10 years as an award-winning
photojournalist, a Pulitzer Prize nominee, and the past 20 years
as a very successful freelance corporate and editorial photographer.
His name is Don Stevenson. He is my father and president of Stevenson Photograpy
on Location. He has neither encouraged nor discouraged me
in becoming a professional photographer. Whether it has been
a photojournalist, corporate photographer, wedding, portrait
or an event photographer, he in fact never really brought the
subject up. He has always said that I should pursue what I enjoy
most and then work as hard as I can at it. And in the end, it
will never seem like work. He's shared alot of wisdom with me,
and for that I am grateful.
|
Ryan on the Job
|
An architectural assignment found my camera equipment and
me at sunrise at the prehistoric Wapatki Indian Ruins in the
northern part of Arizona.
|
Yes, that's me strapped into this parasail harness while photographing
the Colorado River along the California - Arizona border. One
of the images I took here was my first published photo for the
internationally acclaimed Arizona Highways Magazine story in
the July 2004 issue.
|
Here I am in a full "bunny suit" while assisting
on a photo shoot in a high tech clean room for GE Healthcare
at a facility in Chandler, Az. in August 2004.
|
Honors & Awards
|
Through Each Others Eyes
As part of this non-profit international photography organization
based in Phoenix, I spent a week photographing people in the
heart of Mexico. An exhibit of the work traveled to Arizona and
Mexico.
America 24/7 Photo Book
As a student photographer, I participated
in this nation-wide project produced by the folks who created
the wildly successfull "Day In The Life Of" series
of books. America 24/7, published in October 2003, was featured
on the Oprah Show.
|
Epson Award
Following the America 24/7 book project, one of the project's
sponsors Epson Printers, selected me as top student photographer
and awarded me a high-end color photo
printer.
Arizona Highways Magazine
I have the honor of being published in the internationally acclaimed
magazine; no easy feat as top professionals work for this publications.
The image was taken of the Colorado River while attached to a
parasail.
|
Arizona
24/7 Coffee Table Book
The award-winning "America 24/7" book last year has
given birth to 50 individual state books being published in October
2004. Three of my images shot for the America 24/7 project appear
in the Arizona 24/7 book. The book is available online at: america24-7.com
or amazon.com and at Costco and most bookstores. |
|
"The rules of
photography were made to be broken. And I'm on my way
to breaking most
of them!"
- Ryan Stevenson
|