Vision & Philosophy
From Maine to Malaysia, my vision has been forged by more than fifty years of professional and fine art photography. Over thousands of assignments and countless explorations, I am attuned to understanding, seeking and capturing the beauty of our world. We are motes born in time, and borne by forces of wonder.
I capture rich and nuanced light. My promise is to see beyond the everyday, to make visual magic — photographs that are a journey into the marvel of places, people and their stories.
In assignment work, I bring special expertise to augmenting location conditions with my own lighting. I’m known for impeccably produced interior and exterior locations, sophisticated control of light and insightful portraiture. Assignments have taken me throughout the United States and abroad for editorial, advertising and Fortune 500 clients.
My philosophy is simple — excel at every opportunity. Always over-deliver. Prepare diligently, get the shot and then stay alert for unexpected events and alternate solutions. Be considerate and patient. Remember that attitude is just as important as talent in producing the best work.
— Jeffrey Stevensen
Biography
Photography, the Language of Light, is my vocation and my passion.
I was born in Hartford, Connecticut, and raised in Windsor Locks. From my very first attempts in the darkroom as a boy, I have been utterly called to this medium.
After graduating from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Journalism in 1974, I worked for Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Boston as a neuroscience photographer. I transitioned into commercial assignment photography in 1975 and moved to Maine in 1977.
I love discovery through travel and have a lifelong pursuit of natural and vernacular landscapes. Certain moments of light, subject and framing move me with the “flame of recognition,” when the world seems poised in the breath-hold of a moment.
My fine art work embraces the traditions of film photography and moves forward with modern advances in digital media. I’m a master printer well known for the evocative beauty of my silver and giclée prints.
Now, with our world under threat from climate change and ecological destruction, capturing the marvel of our world finds special urgency. The experience of beauty is complex, neither simple nor simplistic. The rich and lyric beauty of photographic tone and detail can reinforce, or stand in ironic counterpoint to, the subject of the camera. Always, I strive for clarity.