Starting a career in Photography
Q: How did you get started
in photography?
Stephen: My friend (now girlfriend, soon to be fiance,
funny how that works) suggested I take a B&W
photo class in college. I was studying Computer
Science, but soon had a darkroom set up in my
apartment. By the time I got my degree in CS,
I was working for a photographer and knew that
was the life for me.
Q: What other photographers
do you most admire and why?
Stephen: I admire Eugene Richards for his ability to gain
people's trust and produce intimate, compelling
images of their lives. I also like the way he
puts together pictures to tell stories. If I strove
to emulate anyone in my photography, it would
be Gene. I admire James Nachtwey for his
commitment to his profession and his steadfast
determination in documenting the horrors of the
world. I admire Alex Webb for using color
in a new way in his photography. Finally, I admire Robert Frank
for blowing the lid off of documentary photography
in the 50's and making it something entirely different
and new.
Q: What are your favorite locations
and subjects to shoot, and why?
Stephen: I really enjoyed taking pictures in Hawaii this
past summer, I like the pace of life there. Mostly, I'm interested in people and in social
issues. I take pictures because things concern
me, or sometimes just interest me strongly. I
stumble across most of my stories by just walking
around a lot.
Q: What type of camera/s do
you use?
Stephen: I use a Canon 10D for my everyday digital camera
along with a few lenses (usually a 24mm/1.4 and
50mm/1.4). I have a Leica M6 for the occasional
times when I want to shoot film. I'm still waiting
for someone to produce a light, small digital
camera that takes great pictures and that I can
mount my Leica lenses on.
 Q: What
are you currently working on?
Stephen: I've just been finishing up with editing some
photographs I took on the Burnside Skatepark.
It's a really interesting place, hand built illegally
by skateboarders with leftover cement from trucks.It's dirty and incredibly challenging
to skate, even moreso when there are four people
skating so fast in such a confined place, trying
to pull something off and avoid hitting each other.Some of the best skateboarders I've
ever seen skate there every day, without any interest
in being a professional skateboarder, and I like
the purity of that.I've also been working on a grant-funded
documentary project with people experiencing homelessness
in Portland. I'm hoping the project will be wrapped
up this year, and should appear in a major US
magazine upon completion. .
Stephen Voss Profile: http://www.sessions.edu/faculty/facultybios/svoss.asp
Stephen Voss Photos: http://www.stephenvoss.com/photo/
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