Photographer Offers Free Sessions for Local Businesses
Local photographer and Ballot Box winner, Stephen Bivens, will be photographing local business owners and staff members throughout the month of May.
This is part of his recently funded Ballot Box project entitled This is Collinwood: History in Everyday People. The project aims to capture present-day history-in-the-making through photos. Photographs of area businesses and resident families will be taken. All free of charge. Traveling exhibits of this work will be seen throughout the Collinwood neighborhood in late summer and early Fall.
A recent transplant from Tampa FL and resident of the Glencove Artist Building, Bivens has quickly become engaged in the Waterloo District. “I’m amazed by the rich, vibrant history of the business community here,” says Bivens. “I just want to share that with others. It’s my way of saying ‘thank you.’”
Business owners wishing to participate in this project should contact Stephen at ballotboxbivens@gmail.com. A photo session date and time can be scheduled at your convenience. A photo release will be required for participation as images will be shared throughout the neighborhood in traveling displays. Participants will receive a compilation of digital images for their use.
This project is made possible through the generosity of Northeast Shores Development Corporation and ArtPlace America.
Stephen Bivens
About As an Embassy Guard in the United States Marine Corps I have traveled the world. My father was also military, so I moved a lot as a kid, and spent many of my childhood years overseas. This experience has given me a wonderful appreciation for different cultures and ways of life. I like to think that the years I have spent traveling and enjoying different people and customs gives me the ability to adapt to new situations, make friends quickly and, of course, capture beautiful images with a unique perspective. I picked up my first camera as part of a photography class in the 9th grade. I fell in love with film photography. It requires such technical know-how and a sense of purpose when you take your shot. I loved (and still do) the challenge of thinking about composition, lighting, and exposure. If I have time to myself I choose to shoot with film. It’s my favorite. I view photography as a way of life. It is my passion and I’m thrilled to have made it my full-time profession. I want to provide my customers with world-class images alongside a personable experience. I think my love for and commitment to film photography allows me to deliver Photoshop-free images quickly (requiring few hours for editing—and less customer expense). I live in Cleveland, Ohio with my wife Jennifer. I spend as much time as I possibly can with my two beautiful daughters, ages 10 and 15.