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/biography
B. 1951 Born in Klamath Falls, Oregon
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Steve Hamblin has been working in photography since 1972 when he was a journalism student at the University of Wyoming. He then attended the well-known Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara California where he received his BFA in commercial and illustrative photography.
His professional career began in Los Angeles. Later Hamblin moved to Dallas, Texas where he owns and operates a commercial photography studio serving such clients as Johnson & Johnson, Electronic Data Systems (EDS), Boeing Corporation and NASA. Additionally, many of his creative personal images have been selected for numerous book covers, and mainstream magazine publications such as National Geographic, Travel and Leisure, and Time magazine.
Creativity is a Mysterious Character
I was not aware of it at the time but the “ physical limitations” of traditional photography always affected my work. I always had the ideas and concepts but could not physically produce what I envisioned to my satisfaction. With the advent of digital technology those limitations were all erased.
After years of creative compromise I was finally able to create conceptual images how I visualized them. Often this included various degrees of mischief and whimsy. It was liberating. I began creating images for my own self-satisfaction. “Shoe sale” became a “shoe sail”; “Thumbnails” were quite literally nails piercing thumbs.
People tell me my mind works differently than most. I agree. For instance, one day my wife accidentally broke a bottle of vodka. She ran to get some towels to clean up the mess while I, on the other hand, immediately saw a photo opportunity. I took the numerous pieces of broken glass and roughly reassembled the bottle. In my mind, I saw the broken bottle as a symbol of how alcohol can shatter the lives of people who become addicted. As it turns out, the photo I created that day was chosen for the book cover for a book entitled The Facts about Drug Dependence to Treatment.
I don't mind it when some people say "I don't get it" when looking at one of my images because there are always many more who totally grasp my idea and it is those people that make what I do so worthwhile.
My images are currently marketed around the world for various purposes including magazines, book covers, billboards, and for corporate and consumer advertising campaigns.
Please enjoy browsing my website and return often to see new images.