Stephen Stringer
Born and raised in Essex. The first camera I remember owning as a child was a Kodak Cresta 3. With this camera you changed aperture by sliding a metal sleeve left or right to move different sized holes in front of the lens. It was this piece of equipment that originally sparked an interest in photography for me.
Having left school at the age of 18, I spent many years working in the finance industry in London. During this time I owned a succession of Praktica and Canon SLR cameras, but never really moved beyond being a holiday and family gatherings photographer. I was made redundant in 2005 and since then I have had the time and enthusiasm to expand my interest, experience and knowledge of photography. It was in 2003 that I bought my first digital camera (Canon EOS 10D) and I have shot digital ever since.
My new found freedom from commuting and 8 to 6 working gave me the opportunity to revisit places that I had been before. But now I had the time to appreciate the scenery, seek out compositions, be there at the best possible time for great light and overall enjoy the experience of photography. It is fair to say that part of the appeal of photography is that, in order to obtain good landscape photographs, it is often necessary to get up before dawn, travel a fair distance and arrive at a scenic viewpoint before sunrise. To many this would be a hardship. But it also means that I can be on the coast, by a lake, among the mountains or in freshly fallen snow enjoying the magic of being alone at the best time of day with just the sound of birds for company. Even if the conditions happen not to be ideal for photography I just enjoy the experience.
Since 2009 I have been a member of a local camera club. This was a great catalyst in feeding my enthusiasm for photography. Through viewing other people’s work and discussing techniques with them my knowledge and ability was further expanded. As a group we make regular monthly trips to all manner of different venues and try different genres of photography. It is through the influence of some of these trips that I now include some macro, street and architectural images in my portfolio.
With the cost of equipment, travel and accommodation, photography can be an expensive hobby. In order to help fund my passion I have started to sell some of my work through the stock photography agency Getty Images. Buyers of my photographs include National Geographic, Channel 4, Telegraph Media and BBC Sport. I will never make a fortune from stock photography but it is gratifying to know that my work is seen worldwide.
10 years ago I set up a business “Essex House Photography” specialising in taking photographs of houses for estate agents and private individuals. This was a natural progression of my interest in photography and I enjoy getting out and meeting agents and vendors whilst being paid to do something I enjoy..