IN CONVERSATION WITH: MICHAEL STEVERSON, AN AMERICAN DOCUMENTARY AND TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER
Michael Steverson, an American documentary and travel photographer based in South China’s Guangxi Province. Introduced to the wonder called camera from a very young age, he could never stay away from it. According to him, ‘The best photographer out there is the one having the most fun.’ He loves meeting people and captures their stories. He has a deep connection with India and Indian people. We, the photography enthusiasts follow his work and learn something new every day. Here, Michael talks about his family, work and his affection toward India…
Tell us something about yourself:
I’m an American documentary and travel photographer based in South China’s Guangxi Province, where I’ve lived and worked for the past 13 years. Most of my work focuses on people in their everyday environment. While I do photograph landscapes and iconic architecture when I travel, and I also love street photography, I seem to gravitate toward people. For me, it’s the people who make a place appealing or special. I love the interaction, the connection, and I want to tell those stories.
Tell us something about your family:
I’m married to the most remarkable woman, Lily. She’s Chinese and the primary reason I’ve stayed in China all these years. We have four adult children spread out across the globe and we’re very proud of them. They’re each remarkable. We’re also blessed to have two lovely granddaughters in California. Oh, and there’s our little dog, Elvis.
How did your journey as a photographer start?
I was a very small boy when I first picked up my dad’s Rolleiflex TLR. I must have been 8 or 9. I played around with it for a few years but never anything more than snapshots around my grandparents’ house on the Kentucky River, where we lived at the time. I do remember loving the way the camera felt in my hands, the heft. I was intrigued by all the dials and settings and tried to read and understand the manual, but of course it was a struggle at that age. I did figure out how to load the film. I would shoot anything and everything and most of the results were absolute rubbish. My dad was a career soldier and had used the camera wherever his assignments took him. He was killed in Vietnam in 1967 and the camera remained a connection to father. My infatuation with photography wore off after a while. I was told we couldn’t afford the film and processing. As we all do as kids, I moved on to something else. I was hooked though. To this day I still “see” a lot of shots in square format! I wish I knew what happened to that camera.
How much Street Photography does take place in your routine?
Well, I do love street photography, but I’m not really a street photographer per se. As I said earlier, I’m typically more interested in meeting and talking with people as opposed to being strictly candid. Still, I do love it and I hope I have managed to catch some decent street images over the years. It’s without a doubt the most difficult genre of photography to do well. It’s evolving for sure.
Interesting! Let’s talk more about it:
How was the response you received to Street Photography in the early years and how has it changed with time?
I think early on, a lot of people didn’t really “get” some street photography, surely myself included. At first glance, it can be easy to miss the details, or to not see the connections that form a story. I mentioned before the evolution of street photography. These days it seems everyone is chasing juxtaposition or layers or something “extra”. At times it feels to me almost gimmicky now. The problem is, only a few people can actually “see” those shots. Guys like Vineet Vohra, Siegfried Hansen and Tavepong Pratoomwong come to mind. These are all special photographers with unique vision and talent. They’re freaking unicorns and most of us will have a difficult time trying to reproduce their styles. I’d encourage folks to forge their own path. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take lessons or study great photographers or their images and I don’t mean we shouldn’t strive to get better via workshops and the like. I’m nearly 62 and I learn stuff every day and I’m still attending workshops! I just mean that at some point we all need to be true to our own creative vision.
Street Photography is challenging. Please share the critical situations you had to face during your photo-walks:
It can be challenging, yes. I have to say I’ve had very few “critical” situations arise on the street. We are all going to get those people who say no, and some folks are certainly more aggressive than others. I find that 98% of the time; a smile and a nod will go a long way to defuse those situations. I’m pretty open with folks and will even approach them after they’ve said no, hoping to perhaps break the ice. When that doesn’t happen, I simply walk away. I’ve rarely been afraid on the street. That said, there was this one night in Bangkok (song reference). I was out very late by myself; I was just exploring and not really aware of my surroundings. I turned a corner into an alley and suddenly found myself surrounded by a group of about 7 or 8 young men. It was instantly uncomfortable and they were definitely thinking about taking my camera. I quickly brushed by a couple of them and made it back to the corner where there was some foot traffic and got out of there. It was foolish. I admit I was scared at the time but didn’t panic. I’m a fairly big guy and they were all smaller guys and they hesitated just long enough for me to move. Still, they were a group. From that day I’ve become acutely aware of my surroundings and I’m no longer foolhardy in the pursuit of the shot. Be confident in your posture but yeah, be aware. Again, 98% of the time you’re going to be fine.
In how many countries do you work?
Wow. Too many. I’ve been just about everywhere in Asia now. 75% of what I do is China-based and more than half of that is produced specifically for the Chinese market. I’ve also developed a strong relationship with India over the last 6 years or so.
Please share your photography experience in India with us:
The India connection actually began with my affiliation with the Vohra brothers and APF (Artphotofeature) Magazine. I’d met Vineet on 500px and we just kind of hit it off. Soon afterwards, I met Rohit via Facebook and when they began their Facebook street photography group, I joined their admin team. Through that group, I met thousands of Indian photographers and soon enough made my way to Delhi and Varanasi. Since then I’ve made another return to Delhi, been to Agra and have been back to Varanasi twice more. My wife has joined me in India twice now and our daughter was able to make the last trip with us, where we got to experience the magic of Kumbh at Allahabad. Then there is Kolkata.
Lily and I have developed a special affinity for The City of Joy. I’ve been there four times now and have been treated like family every time I’ve visited.
I have to single out Sabya and Lopa Talukdar, as they’ve been instrumental in introducing us to the Kolkata photography community. There is something so special about India. It’s beautiful to be sure but it’s developing so rapidly that the infrastructure is hard-pressed to keep pace and that, of course, creates some unique problems. It’s the people though, who make India unique. There is something genteel about Indians, something genuine in their concern for their fellow man. I’ve never been treated with more kindness than when I’m in India.
Tell us something about APF (Artphotofeature) Magazine and your role in it:
It’s funny. APF has, in some ways, become something of a runaway train. I don’t think any of us, when we started that FB street group years ago, foresaw how big or influential it would become, especially in Asia. The magazine continues to produce quality work and the FB street group is still going strong. Officially, I’m a Senior Contributing Editor at the magazine and I’m still an admin in the FB group, but man, it’s so large now that it is truly difficult to keep up. We (the admins) all have our own photo careers to maintain and let’s face it, Vineet and Rohit have become authentically famous in the street photography world. I’m not sure what the future holds, but I know I’ll forever be thankful for the opportunity to have been a part of APF.
How do you see the future of Indian Photography according to your experience?
The future is bright. India has so many great young photographers and there are so many strong photographers to serve as mentors and stewards for the next generation. Honestly, there are kids doing things today with smartphones that I can’t even approach. So, yeah I think the future is in good hands, and not just with street photography. I discover amazing young Indian photographers on Instagram every day.
And about Indian Street Photography…
As for street photography, in particular, India is producing a hugely talented pool of young photographers. I’d name some of them off, but inevitably I’d leave someone out. India has to have the highest level of photography talent per capita, than anywhere else in the world. One unique thing to India, at least in my experience, is that people on the street are fairly amenable to having their photo taken. It’s much more so than in most other places and I hope that doesn’t change anytime soon.
What would be your advice to the young photo enthusiasts?
Over the years I’ve been asked for advice, especially from younger photographers, on just about everything you could imagine. The obvious things come up, like exposure settings, composition, what equipment I use, how I process my work, how I get published. Then there are the esoteric questions like, “What were you feeling when you took this shot?” Man, I’m 61. I can barely remember what I had for breakfast. I do my best to answer thoughtfully in ways that are relevant and helpful, but honestly, I’m not sure how effective or useful it is. I think all too often we let ourselves get bogged down in the details, the minutia, looking for shortcuts or magic bullets. Too much thinking, too much analysis, can be paralyzing. There is no substitute for just getting out there and shooting and remembering why you picked up a camera in the first place. You picked it up because it was fun.
The best photographer out there is the one having the most fun. Follow your own creativity, your own creative vision, your own passion and desire to create. Trust yourself. As long as you love what you’re doing, everything else will come with time.
What are your future plans ( Do they include India )?
I’m slowing down some, but I still have things I want to do. I’ve got two long-term projects from here in China that will be published this summer, both of them more than a decade in the making. I just this week began a new relationship with arguably one of the best photo tour companies in the world, Photo Workshop Adventures. I’ll lead three or four photo tours a year for them. It’s a quality outfit and I’m really looking forward to it. Personally, I’ve kind of been thinking about visiting every Province in China and documenting the journey. Certainly its ambitious but I’d still like to try. I want to explore more video work and I definitely want to buy a drone. I also want to stay married, so the drone may take some work. As for India, I have a dream to somehow do something to give back to the people that have given me so much. It will involve another long-term project and the details are still being sorted out but I’m very excited about the possibilities. It would involve a move to India for an extended period, perhaps twice over the next few years.
Oh, did I mention I want a drone?
[Photographs By: Michael Steverson]
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