Interview with photographer Steve McMarson
Steve McMarson photographs people, couples, bands, and events around all of South East Queensland. This is his tenth year in business as a photographer and he’s loving every minute.
With an interest in people and observing people’s behaviour, Steve was initially drawn to teaching. He completed a Bachelor of Education majoring in drama and English and has taught in various areas of the creative industries for nearly twenty years.
Creatively, Steve says that he’s constantly looking for ways to keep his love of photography his passion, even after years of being in business. He does this by always keeping an exhibition or two in the future to work on proactively.
He explains, “I exhibited “Species” which explored aspects of modern femininity within the cycle of birth and death. Currently, I am shooting “Rock & Roll in Black ‘n’ White”. The live music environment is such a contrast to the absolute control of the studio, it is great to shoot at both ends of the spectrum with a common goal – to create unique images.”
Steve is continually inspired by other creatives he meets, and by the wonderful people he has the chance to meet and photograph. “I don’t consider what I do ‘work’. I get paid to do what I love and spend the majority of my life around people who are celebrating. It doesn’t get much better than this!”
With a love for his craft and industry, it’s no wonder Steve has a long list of awards and nominations to his name. He received Silver for Wedding Photography, Bronze for Portrait Photography and was shortlisted for Australia’s Top Portrait Photographer in the 2011 International Loupe Awards.
See Steve’s latest work on Facebook and Twitter, and visit his website for a much larger experience of his photographs.
How have you got to where you are today?
Some would say a misspent youth and a lack of ambition … I am fortunate though to have great parents who led by example. Mum and Dad both owned successful businesses and instilled in me some really solid moral values. They say you can’t choose your family, but if I could, I would take my parents every time!
Another thing that has worked for me is that I am not smart enough to see how I could fail! The idea of failing is not part of my DNA. I started a business with no formal business training and no formal photography training in a highly saturated market. 10 years in and I barely have enough time in the day to stop and eat.
Another thing that seems to be working, is that I’m always shooting and marketing the images that I wanted to take. My clients are the people that don’t want a mass-produced or fad-style image, they want something that is genuinely unique or true to the soul. They want to recognise themselves in the images but also see something of their spiritual self reflected in the work.
Every business needs to define who they are and what they are not, just as every artist needs to have their own creative voice.
In a few words, describe yourself…
Others might say cocky, arrogant, and self-assured, I wouldn’t necessarily disagree with them, but would prefer them to say confidently with sprinklings of mischief!
What are you spending your time on at the moment?
Each year we publish a 40-50 page Look Book that showcases the previous 12 months’ work and features ideas we will be exploring over the next 12 months. We have 20,000 printed and distributed directly to homes throughout our target demographic.
Also, I am shooting for my exhibition Rock & Roll in Black ‘n’ White. The exhibition is a celebration of the live music scene in Brisbane. Along with the big names, Slash, Katy Perry, Prince, etc, I am also photographing the corner buskers and great local bands like Nite Time Fiona that give Brisbane streets and malls their distinctive atmosphere.
I am also running a range of workshops for camera owners and photographers who would like to improve their craft and expand their creative vision.
Do you have a ritual for getting into the creative mindset? Or a creative process?
I really need rituals to get OUT of the creative mindset! I find it really difficult to turn off the flow of ideas.
John Cleese of Faulty Towers talks about open and closed modes within the creative process.
If you remain in open mode the whole time, nothing gets done. At some point the creativity needs to be closed off in order for things to become tangible, for ideas to be critically evaluated etc. He talks about working effectively as a ‘creative’, as being a pendulum of working in open and closed modes until you are happy with what you have produced. It is a model that makes sense to me and I think has been the way I have always worked.
In terms of work environment – when I am shooting in the studio I love to have music cranking and to get my dance on.
I am told I dance like a workplace health and safety violation, but I have a good time doing it!
What or who inspires you?
My internet favourite tab is a living document! When I first started out I would add to my favourites tab the people who rocked my world or I felt that I could learn something. As my work improves I remove some and add new artists.
From a post-production perspective, I love the work of Joel Grimes, Montebetti and Campbell, and Alexia Sinclair.
My wife is a creative freak. She is about 10 years ahead of anyone on the planet when it comes to ‘creative cool’.
Technology has come so far that communities of creative people are able to share ideas and techniques more effectively than ever before, on a scale and reach previously impossible.
Sites like Design Montage, Deviant Art, and the Behance Network give necessary shape and form to the technological revolution and provide a meeting place for creative minds! That excites me!
What are you most proud of?
I make a pretty awesome spaghetti bolognese. But I must say my kids and family come in a pretty close second.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
According to my yearbook, ‘The first female president in the Republic of Australia’- but I suspect that I was not taking the task seriously. From grade 2 onwards I wanted to be a teacher.
