JONATHAN CHERRY: What did you want to be growing up?
STEPHEN MARK: As a four year old I wanted to be a tramp. Maybe it had something to do with being outdoors. I was often found standing under torrential rain while everyone else was warm inside. I still do it now, just with a camera in my hand.
JC: Who or what is inspiring you at the moment?
SM: In this digital age, I’m constantly drawn back to researching traditional photographic techniques. Like many landscape photographers, I’m a big fan of Ansel Adams and I’m currently revisiting The Zone System using Adam’s book The Negative.
JC: What are you up to right now?
SM: I am married to Sarah and we recently had our first child, so I am enjoying my new role as a dad. I work as a Creative Trainer for a leading technology company based in California.
JC: Have you had mentors along the way?
SM: I’ve met lots of inspirational people along the way, but the people who have made the biggest impact on my creativity are not creative types at all. They have helped hone my ability to communicate and have given me a grounding in what’s really important in life.
JC: Where are you based right now and how is it shaping you?
SM: I live in a village in Liverpool where Paul McCartney and John Lennon met. The city has a heritage of creativity, and you can feel it when you walk around town. It has to be the friendliest city in the world.
JC: One piece of advice to photography graduates?
SM: In all you do, try to maintain an enjoyment of your craft. I reached a point soon after graduating, where the sound of the shutter release wasn’t followed by the sound of money. We produce for others to consume, but it is so important to keep something just for you, to remind yourself why you picked up the camera in the first place. For me, that’s going out into the wilderness to find some solitude, regardless of how many prints result from my time there.
JC: If all else fails - what is your plan B?
SM: It can be good sometimes to step back and evaluate what’s really important. We get so consumed by our work, but if we’re not careful it can be to the detriment of those around us. In many ways, I have chosen to make photography my Plan B because being a husband and a dad is my Plan A.
JC: Is it important to you to be a part of a creative community?
SM: It is so important to be part of a community, but i’m not overly concerned if it’s not made up of creatives. There is a lot to be said for spending time with people you have nothing in common with.
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