Stephen Damen

I know the usual way of doing a Bio is to write it in the third person. I know that it gives the appearance of being unbiased and can look quite flattering. Personally I think that if I have it on my website it will be my biased opinion and hopefully it will make me look good!

I am a professional photographer based in Melbourne, Australia. I studied photography at Photographic Studies College in South Melbourne approx. 10 years ago and would recommend their courses to anyone who is serious about having a career in photography. I am a member of the Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP).

My initial interest in photography came while studying horticulture. When learning about plants we used to walk around the gardens and take photos so we could remember the plants. So after finishing horticulture and working in that field I saved up enough to study photography.

I believe that you have to know your subject well to be able to photograph it well. As a result plants, flowers and gardens feature prominently in my work. My other interest is people. I love watching people go about their business and I especially love seeing people who put in the extra little bit of effort. To me if something is worth doing it is worth doing well. So this led me to lots and lots of people shots. This is why I love working on weddings, events and portraiture.

If I had to select a master of my trade that I draw strongly from it is Henri Cartier- Bresson. He worked to a principal called ‘KAIROS’ which is an ancient Greek word that translates roughly to ‘the decisive moment’. His theory was that a moment will come and go just once. You can take a shot a second before and you can take a shot a second after and you could miss it. He was able to capture those moments and record them for the generations to come. That moment, the decisive moment, is what I aim for every time I press on the shutter.

On a personal level my priorities in life are my faith and my family. I have strong Christian beliefs and know I was created by an awesome God. He has blessed my life abundantly.

Thank you for taking the time to look through my website and I hope that it has assisted you in your search for a photographer, whatever the occasion. I look forward to meeting  you in the future.

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