Jo Stephen Photography

I put down my roots and raised my family in a small village in rural north Dorset after growing up in North America, South West England and India. I started my working life in nature conservation and have also worked in the woods as a charcoal burner and coppice worker, in environmental engagement and education, and spent many years blowing glass in a small rural studio, I currently work in field ecology. My photography is informed by my love of the wild and explores my path to belonging, healing and finding my voice in the world as a person of third culture.

I’m often drawn to the abstract and impressionistic in my photographic work as this enables me to communicate my connection to the natural world in a way that representational photography does not always allow. But also I enjoy creating portraits of wild subjects especially our native flora. Most of my work is taken within a 15 mile radius of my house, much from the woods and fields in the village, in places I revisit year in and year out.

I’m self-taught as a photographer, despite having always enjoyed exploring my creativity, my love of wildlife and passion for protecting the environment led me to persue academic qualifications in ecology and sustainability, I have a BSc (Hons) in Ecology and Wildlife Conservation and an MSc Green Economy. Bringing art and science together, as part of my Masters research I explored how photography can be used to promote pro-environmental and ecological behaviours,the carbon footprint of landscape photography and the wellbeing effects of reconnection with the nature through photographic practise.

It is important to me to ensure my art has the smallest possible ecological and carbon footprint and is respectful of our wild kin and their habitats. I have always created my imagery locally and use public transport when travelling outside of Dorset to reduce any impacts associated with travel and never fly. I follow the RPS Nature Photographers Code of Practise.