Steve Parish

For the marketing businessman and co-Chairman of Crystal Palace, see Steve Parish (businessman).
Steve Parish
Born 15 July 1945 (1945-07-15) (age 66)
Great Britain
Occupation Australian Photographer and Publisher
Known for Steve Parish – 50 Years Photographing Australia

Steve Parish OAM is a multi-award winning photographer and pioneer of photographic Australian publishing.[1] Born in Great Britain in 1945, he is the founder of Steve Parish Publishing.[2]

Contents

Early life

While today, Steve is known for capturing wildlife with a camera and film, his early years were quite different. From the age of nine, Steve was a keen spear fisherman and at seventeen a practiced hunter who had bought his first rifle at age 16.[3]

Steve was first introduced to photography when he was given the opportunity to join an expedition to Kangaroo Island led by pioneering Australian underwater photographer Igo Oak. Igo would become a mentor to Parish and a cofounder of the South Australian Underwater Photography Society.

Despite his introduction to photography, Steve's disinterest in school, lack of formal qualifications and proven competency with firearms saw him start an apprenticeship as a gunsmith in Adelaide.[2]

In 1963 at age eighteen, the self admitted "mouthy" teenage Parish joined the Royal Australian Navy. Steve admits he had little determination until joining the navy, whose no nonsense training toughened him up. He would later value the skills and determination he developed in the Navy as a diver.[3]

Navy years

While in the Navy stationed in Sydney, Steve joined the New South Wales Underwater Research Group. Here, he met Neville Coleman and Walt Deas who, like Parish, would later become renowned photographers in their field.

Steve was later transferred to Jervis Bay on the New South Wales central coast. The area around Jervis Bay is well known for its natural beauty, as are the surrounding coastal waters. His time photographing in the area provided much of the material for his first book Oceans of Life

Photography and publishing

Steve Parish traveled extensively from 1981 to 1984. While doing so, he noticed the absence of photographic material for the tourist market featuring Australia. In 1985, he began Steve Parish Publishing, initially called Wildlife Publishing.[2]

Steve uses an array of 135mm, medium format and panoramic film formats in addition to digital video. He uses Fuji Velvia.

Awards

References

  1. ^ Steve Parish :: ABC Queensland
  2. ^ a b c Talking Heads - Steve Parish and Bill Bristow
  3. ^ a b Steve Parish Publishing

External links