Meet Steve St.Lawrence

Today we’d like to introduce you to Steve St. Lawrence.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
My early inspirations were 2 uncles. One was a bush pilot during the summers in Alaska who helped map the state. He sold a lot of his photographs to National Geographic and calendar companies. He passed away when I was 10. We had a beautiful black and white photo of a mountain peak that I used to be fascinated with that image because it had life to it. It told a story. My other uncle was the guy taking all the people pictures at family get togethers. He became the family historian. We didn’t have much money for cameras with 5 kids in the family. Those photos have become treasured heirlooms as a result.

My first camera was purchased when I was 18 for a trip to England. My first trip of any distance at that age so I was determined to capture what I saw. I took 10 rolls of 36 exposure slide film. I took it to be developed only to be told that 6 rolls had no images because the film hadn’t advanced through the camera. In those days you paid for every image, blank or not. It took a week’s pay to get 4 rolls back. But I was hooked. I saw images that I really liked and was determined to never let that happen again.

I went to college and was a broke student so photography was pretty much on the shelf for about 5 years. When I got back into it I was spending more time in Maine and started to get into landscapes. Acadia is such a great place to try and capture.

The advent of digital photography was an incredible opportunity for me because I was never formally trained. The ability to shoot and peak on the screen to see if my settings were right was a huge learning aid. Software allowed me to see my settings on a larger screen and I could start to figure out what was working. The internet allowed me to learn from photographers whose work I admired. They were generous enough to share what they knew and I am forever grateful for their generosity. I soaked up every bit of information I could get. Digital photography and the internet provided me with the equivalent of a Master’s Degree in photography at a fraction of the cost. With every shoot and editing session my passion was being stoked.

About 5-6 years ago I decided to see if I could pull off environmental portraits and started asking friends if they would consider a session with me. It turned into such a great experience. I got to learn about posing, lighting and getting my subjects to be comfortable. As it turned out I have the ability to get my subjects to trust me, forget about their insecurities and we have some amazing collaborations. I have gotten to know my friends better, learned new skills and they have gotten some pretty cool portfolios. My favorite thing is seeing the smiles when they see the results of our collaboration. To see them walk taller when they leave and see a new confidence in them is the best feeling in the world.

10 years ago I started a personal project called The Friday Photo. I did it to push myself to create new work each week. It pushes me to look for new subjects each week to present. It goes out to about 400 people around the country as well as on Facebook the last few years and on Instagram. I include the story behind the photo and to my great surprise and delight, a number of people tell me they enjoy the writing as much as the photo. It has generated many a great conversations. I learn something new every week from the folks that write. The give me new perspectives and all kinds of information that I believe help me become a better photographer. It’s been a very rewarding experience and great learning opportunity.

Please tell us about your art.
My goal in photography is to bring out the soul in my subject, whether it be an inanimate object, a person or wildlife. I want the viewer to be engaged and curious to know more. I hope they connect with it. So many people feel like they have to travel long distances and my premise is that beautiful things are all around us. We get so caught up in the rat race and forget to stop, take a deep breath and just look around. It feels good when I am able to share a scene that someone else has never seen or didn’t know existed and it captures their imagination or helps them relax when they see it.

I been fortunate to sit 15 feet from a bald eagle, a paddle’s length away from a loon, seen the first daylight in America because I was willing to pay my dues with early mornings, late nights, blizzards, driving rain and extreme heat. When you get the shot all the struggle melts away. When a photo starts a conversation with a friend or perfect stranger it’s a chance to make a connection. If I can make someone forget their troubles when they see the beauty of a sunrise or sunset, if I can help my human subject feel more confident in themselves it helps me think that what I do is worthwhile. If we can connect with each other, the world has a chance to be a more peaceful place.

Do you have any advice for other artists? Any lessons you wished you learned earlier?
Be fearless! Follow your passions. Open your heart. Tell your story. I had the good fortune to attend a one day training with Joe McNally in Boston a few years ago. Joe has shot for National Geographic, Sports Illustrated and many other national publications. He steps to the front of the podium in front of 300 photographers and says “Let’s get one thing out of the way. I’ve taken more bad pictures than all of the rest of you combined. Now let’s have some fun.” The room became one great big smile and Joe had them hanging on every word afterward because he wasn’t afraid to laugh at himself. I admire his humility and humanity and aspire to be more like him. Share what you know. Be generous and kind to other aspiring artists. You will have it returned 10 fold. Feed your soul and have fun.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
People can see my work online at www.stevestl.com You can purchase traditional prints as well metal, canvas and wood prints. There are also a number of items like keepsakes like mugs, puzzles, coasters, mousepads and more based on my photos.

You can find me on Facebook at Steve St. Lawrence Photography.

SteveSTLPhoto on Instagram

https://500px.com/stevestlphoto

My work will be exhibited at Andres Institute of Art on Rte 13 in Brookline, NH the first two weekends in November. The opening reception will be Friday evening, Nov 2. 6pm – 8pm. Nov 3 and 4 and the following weekend Nov 10 and 11. I have the privilege of sharing the space with my good friend Noble Farrow who’s an incredibly talented pyrographer (woodburning as fine art). We are reprising them called Expressions in Nature that we presented last year but will be updating with lots of new work.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.stevestl.com
• Phone: 603-546-5156
• Email: Steve_PSC80@yahoo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevestlphoto/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stevestllawrencephotography/
• Other: https://500px.com/stevestlphoto

Image Credit:
All Images Steve St.Lawrence Photography

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