Steve Simon
I’m Steve Simon, a New York–based Canadian-American documentary and street photographer, author and educator.
Through my photography and teaching, I’m interested in helping us look more closely, trust what draws our attention and make photographs that feel like our own.
Photography & teaching
I’m the author of five photography books, including The Passionate Photographer. I’ve photographed on assignment in more than 40 countries, with work appearing in The New York Times Magazine, Time, Mother Jones, Le Monde, Life and other publications.
My photographs have been exhibited in New York, Toronto, Montréal and Buenos Aires, and at Visa Pour l’Image in Perpignan, France. The 9/11 Memorial Museum acquired the complete set of prints from Empty Sky for its permanent collection.
Teaching has become an important part of that work. I’ve taught at the International Center of Photography in New York and created the editorial course for the School of Visual Arts’ Master of Professional Studies in Digital Photography program. I’ve also created online photography courses for LinkedIn.
Finding your own way of seeing
Photography workshops can be exhilarating. We take chances, make mistakes and learn from them. A good workshop gives us time to get past familiar habits, ask questions and discover what we want to say with our photographs.
When we work together, I’m interested in what you respond to. We’ll spend time photographing, look closely at the results and talk honestly about what is working and what you might try next. The aim is not to make your photographs look like mine. It is to help you recognize and develop your own way of seeing.
The technical side matters, but it should support your attention, not compete with it. We can simplify your shooting process, build confidence with your camera and work on editing, Lightroom Classic and a dependable workflow. And we’ll leave room for the pleasure of being out there with a camera.
The Passionate Photographer
The Passionate Photographer brings together my approach to making photographs in a practical ten-step plan. It is about strengthening your instincts, working with purpose and finding a direction that matters to you.
My other books include Empty Sky, Healing Waters, The Republicans and Heroines & Heroes. Each brings a body of photographs together around a subject, allowing the images to speak to one another as well as stand on their own.
A book gives photographs a life beyond a hard drive. Editing and sequencing can also reveal things about the work that are difficult to see one image at a time. I work with photographers on that process, too, helping them bring a project or retrospective into book form.
What would you like to work on?
Whether you’re considering a workshop, looking for guidance with a project or thinking about a book, tell me a little about your photography and what you have in mind.
Contact Steve