Steven was interested in astronomy and nature throughout his life and these themes are seen in his photos. As a kid, he spent many hours playing and studying nature in the wooded portion of his parents’ 160-acre farm and spent evenings looking at the stars through his telescope. When he took pictures of the stars through the telescope the drugstore didn’t print them because they said there was nothing there, just specks. That motivated him to ask the local photographer in nearby Harbor Beach, Michigan to teach him how to print his own pictures. That’s how it all began.

Steven was a graduate of the Ray Vogue School of Design in Chicago in the mid-1960s and took more photography classes at the Illinois Institute of Technology. He was a professional photographer from 1965-2013. He was a master color printer in two custom photo labs in Chicago in the 1960s and early 1970s and was a custom black-and-white printer in Albuquerque from the 1980s until his death in 2013. During that time he made negatives and printed silver gelatin prints of historic photographs for the Albuquerque Museum from their archives of glass and metal plates.

Steven had photo studios and custom darkrooms in Harbor Beach, Michigan (Steven’s Studio) in the 1970s and in Albuquerque (Central Photographic) from 1985-2013. In addition to his landscapes and cityscapes, he photographed people, invented sets and experimented with unusual lighting and mirrors for his own creations, photographed the work of internationally known artists, printed the work of many artist photographers and taught many people darkroom and studio skills.

While living in Chicago during the 1960s Steven became very interested in the blues. He studied blues harmonica with Corky Siegel. Throughout his life he photographed people in the arts and the products of their performing or visual art.

Steven was also interested in preserving cultural and natural resources. His 1981 Petroglyph Show at the Albuquerque Public Library was instrumental in the push to save the Petroglyphs and eventually have them protected in a National Monument.

He developed and hand printed all of his black-and-white photos and excelled in hand coloring. While he worked for Anro Color Service in Chicago and the custom color lab for Kurt’s Camera Corral in Albuquerque he was allowed to print his own work. Steven experimented with digital prints toward the end of his life. His collection of work includes people, urban street shots, rural places, nature, abstract subjects, and mythology.

People remember the extra time Steven took with them, how respectful and kind he was with the people he photographed, and how he was always willing to help both adults and teens learn the art of taking photos and the art and craft of the darkroom. He donated many hours of his time mentoring young people. He was a kind, thoughtful and gifted man.

To view work created in and around this area, please visit: Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections

Steven’s addendum to bio:
• July 28, 1944             Born in Harbor Beach, Michigan. Population 2,500?
Located on Michigan’s “Thumb” surrounded by Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay.
• 1950 -1962                 Lived on 160-acre farm chemist father bought to do weekend farming. Dilapidated 1885 house fixed up by dad. Located 2+ miles from Port Hope, Michigan 8 miles from Harbor Beach. Property has 100 acres of woods.
Steven starts taking pictures through his telescope and color pictures in the woods.
• 1962-63                      Port Huron Community College, Port Huron, Michigan. SDS starts there.
• 1963-67                        Moves to Chicago to attend Ray Vogue School of Design and later, Roosevelt College. Meets people in the arts, takes blues harmonica lessons from blues harmonica player, Corky Siegel. (Siegel Schwall   Blues Band) Really gets into the Chicago blues scene.
Works at Maselli’s Studio shooting food ads for magazines.
• 1968-69                     Drafted into army during Vietnam War… but sent to Albuquerque, NM. Becomes MP and staff photographer. Lots of burial details on Indian Land.
• 1970-72                      Returns to Chicago. Works at ANRO Color Lab as a custom color printer and then at another color lab. Work is mainly for magazines. Is allowed to print his own work after hours. Meets and marries Paula Stern (also in the arts with friends in dance and music.) Continues taking photo classes at Illinois Institute of Technology.
• 1972-79                      House sits family farm. Opens Steven’s Studio in Harbor Beach and does lots of his own black and white photography of the area… study of the Thumb area… towns, people, woods, farms, old machinery, winter, and water shots. Has show in Lansing… “Past Its Prime” Wins 1^st place in Port Huron/Canada art show… “Water Lillies”  Association with local artists and others.
• 1979-2013                  Moves back to Albuquerque. Custom Color printer for Kurt’s Camera Corral and Herkenhoff Engineering firm.
Opens his own studio “Central Photographic” in 1985. Studio, Darkroom Services (custom black and white printing), starts an art co-op, rents darkrooms, mentors students, and teaches classes. Lots of pro bono work for non-profits, shoots other artists’ work and prints other photographers’ work for them. Makes negatives and prints historic photos from glass plates for the Albuquerque Museum.
• 2000 – 2013             Worked in studio rather than on location.
Moved Central Photographic to Adams north of Zuni. Custom Digital printer next door… so begins experimenting with digital photographs.
Portraits, Mythology, Homage to Artists, Nudes and Abstract Nudes during this period… and continues in that vein until his death in 2013.

Steven was interested in astronomy and nature throughout his life and these themes are evident in many of his photos. As a kid, he spent many hours playing and studying nature in the wooded portion of his parents’ 160-acre farm and spent evenings looking at the stars through his telescope. When he took pictures of the stars through the telescope the drugstore didn’t print them because they said there was nothing there, just specks. That motivated him to ask the local photographer in nearby Harbor Beach, Michigan to teach him how to print his own pictures. That’s how it all began.

He was a professional photographer a master photographic printer in custom photo labs from 1965-2013. Living in Albuquerque, he made negatives and printed silver gelatin prints of historic photographs for the Albuquerque Museum from their archives of glass and metal plates.

Wherever he lived he had photo studios and custom darkrooms. In addition to landscapes and cityscapes, he photographed people, invented sets and experimented with unusual lighting and mirrors for his own creations, photographed the work of internationally known artists, printed the work of many artist photographers and taught many people darkroom and studio skills.

While living in Chicago during the 1960s Steven became very interested in the blues. He studied blues harmonica with Corky Siegel. Throughout his life he photographed people in the arts and the products of their performing or visual art. In addition, his work also included people, urban street shots, rural places, nature, abstract subjects, and mythology.

He is remembered for his compassion and patience, and how respectful and kind he was with the people he photographed, and how he was always willing to help both adults and teens learn the art of taking photos and the art and craft of the darkroom. He donated many hours of his time mentoring young people. He was a kind, thoughtful and gifted man.