ABOUT

Steve Smith was born in Chelsea in 1953 the son of Scottish parents who moved to London just after the Second World War. His father George Smith started his working life within the ship building industry as a draftsman predominately on Clydeside at John Browns shipyard where he worked on many ships including the Queen Mary.

Steve followed his father’s footsteps into the drawing office and has spent most of his working life in design in one form or another. He reckons there must be something in the genes as his eldest daughter has also followed this route and works in Civil Engineering.

His passion for photography started back in 1978, and by 1986 his work was regularly accepted into International and National Exhibitions including the London Salon. However moving house three times within this period severely limited his photography, especially with the loss of the darkroom every time he moved.

However due to personal reasons and the running of his own business, photography stopped completely from 1986 until 2004, which Steve likened it to being locked into a time capsule. Digital cameras, Photoshop, scanners and printers were the new tools of the trade. He was to undergo a steep learning curve to bring him up to speed with digital photography and the production of high quality prints.

The watershed in his photography happened on a trip to Venice in 2005, since which time he has produced many images that have been accepted into major International and National exhibitions, collecting many prestigious awards.

He has not forgotten his roots as his darkroom has been re-equipped with some wonderful equipment, discarded via eBay from the graphics industry and hobbyists who have gone digital. Obviously Digital is here to stay but there is a place for the silver print and its various processes.