1. STEVE BLOOM
Steve Bloom is a writer and a photographic artist who specialises in
evocative images of the living world.
He is most famous for his wildlife
photography that shows the spirit
of the wild in their environments,
and also for his books about Africa
and wildlife.
2. Style & Subject
Born in South Africa in 1953, he first used the camera to document life in
South Africa during the apartheid years.
In the early nineties, during a safari holiday, he began photographing
animals, and within a short time he had swapped his established city
career for the precarious life of an international travelling
photographer. Steve Bloom’s concern for the environment is strongly
evident in his wildlife images. He strives to capture the animal’s spirit, and
blur the lines separating different species. His photographs of people
reveal a compassionate understanding of his subjects, evident in his books
Living Africa and Trading Places: The Merchants of Nairobi.
3. Contribution to Photography
Steve Bloom frequently reinvents his creative approach to his work. In the
1970's he pioneered the process of morphing images into each other, long
before such techniques became popular on the computer. His work in
Apartheid South Africa, poignant and edgy, reveals the alienation of a
country on the cusp of change; placing Bloom among the select few
photographers who caught the mood of the time. He was exiled from
South Africa for thirteen years as a result of those photographs, and
settled in the UK in 1977. In 1980 he converted monochrome pictures of
Britain's holiday camps into highly saturated colour images which were
printed in layers as unique Cibachromes and exhibited in London's
Photographers' Gallery.
4. Influence and Change
His venture into animal photography was a continuation of his exploration
of different genres of photography, and it struck a chord with the general
public. His goal was to use images to communicate with the masses, and
take photography exhibitions outside galleries. This was done in
spectacular fashion with the publication of Untamed in ten languages for
its first edition, and the staging of major outdoor exhibitions called Spirit
of the Wild. The exhibition has been seen by millions of people in eleven
European cities. Steve Bloom’s free outdoor exhibitions, promoting
environmental issues, are major events staged in conjunction with city
authorities, and attract visitor numbers in the millions.
5. How he makes a living
Steve earns his living by winning international awards for his work,
including The Power of Photography Award, The Golden Eye of Russia, and
Lucie Awards. Numerous magazine publishers such as Life, Time, Terre
Sauvage, National Geographic, Geo, Airone, and Geographic, as well as
many photographic publications, have featured his pictures. His own
books have been published internationally in over seventy editions.
In addition, he has many exhibitions and also is a speaker that has lectured
at venues such as the Edinburgh Book Festival, Oxford Literary Festival,
The Guardian and The Royal Geographical Society.
6. Special Techniques
Aerial photography: Steve Bloom likes Motion photography: A slow shutter
to take aerial pictures of animals when speed might be used to create this
the sun is at a low angle, resulting in blurred effect, with the animal looking
long cast shadows. This allows a clear like its moving through multiple frames.
silhouette of the animals to be seen Steve might have used multiple images
even though it is a bird’s eye view. and played with opacity and
superimposition to achieve this effect.
7. Distinguishing Traits
Just like any other wildlife photographer, Steve Bloom’s photos show a deep
understanding of the animals and their interaction in the environment. But
what really makes his pictures stand out are the way he portrays the raw
imagery of what exactly happens during conflicts in the wildlife, the shocking
reality that gives a huge impact.
8. The emotional impact of imagining you are the lone elephant drinking from the
same pool of water as a whole other group of lions is very frightening. Steve
cropped the huge stature of the elephant to minimize the power of the elephant,
while keeping its single trunk, the most distinguishing trait of the elephant.
9. This shot gives a feeling of suspension in the air with this single frame out of
the many subtle movements in their moment of conflict. Every other frame in
this shot seems to have converged into this single frame and you can tell the
whole scene of the upper eagle trying to claw the eagle below.
10. Another shocking frame that captures the stark reality of a zebra fighting for
its life against the clamping jaw of a crocodile. Even though the majority of the
animals are submerged under the water, enough can be seen above water
such that what is happening can be read.
11. In this photo, Steve Bloom has successfully captured the motion blur of the
water droplets whilst still keeping the penguin largely in focus. There is just
the right amount of details and other events going on in the background,
without causing too much distraction from the main focus, the penguin.
12. In this photo, Steve Bloom has focused on the horns of the beasts, at the cost
of their body and faces. But I feel that this was a good choice of focus as the
shapes of the horns are the really unique parts of the beasts and only one
body of the beast is needed for the information to be filled in the other
beasts. The fog and water vapour adds interesting variations in the horns too.
13. Conclusion
The wildlife photography of Steve Bloom has really opened up my eyes to
how impactful a wildlife photo can be if one captures the raw image of reality,
not shying away from the harsh reality of prey being stalked and hunted down
in various situations.
I really admire Steve Bloom’s excellence in cutting out elements in the frame
that helps to highlight what he is trying to express in a photo, whilst keeping
enough of various elements in a good mixture
