Artistic Statement

Steven House describes his photographic intent for the House Light Gallery

An English Photographer creates images of Flanders

Originally from Canterbury in England, I have been creating photographic artworks for many years. For the past five years I have dedicated all my time to photography. I have travelled all over the world in this time but always return to capture the beautiful light of Flanders,

Flanders, of course, is famous for its painters. In the Flemish centres of Antwerp and Brussels, the development of landscape painting was particularly strong. Famous artists such as Patinir, Bruegel, and Rubens, and many others, played important roles in the development of landscape painting during the 16th and 17th century.

These artists provide the inspiration for me to capture the essence of the light and landscape of Flanders.

My goal is to use my knowledge to create artwork which you will find both inspiring and enjoyable, which will bring back wonderful memories and will generate endless enjoyment each time you admire it in your home.

Landscapes around the World

When travelling I like to hike and camp. This means I can be out there in the early morning and late evening when the light often turns the landscape gold. It can be hard rousing yourself to get up and about before sunrise but the rewards are almost always worth it. I like nothing more than to stagger back to camp and find a fire on the go and breakfast already in preparation! It’s great too when my morning excursions inspire others in the group to come out with me. It sometimes happens!

During the day when hiking I’m always the one lagging behind as I wrestle my tripod into position at every opportunity. Even on days when the light is not right; too bright or overcast I’ll still be dawdling at the back as I chase butterflies and dragonflies for macro photography. In fact it was only through hiking that I came to love the world in miniature at my feet, and now these macros form a large part of my photographic enjoyment of the outdoors.

Of Creeks and Paddles

I also travel a lot by canoe in my guise as a Trail and River Guide for Battenkill Canoe. This has given me many opportunities to travel in some exotic places as well as to see more familiar places from a different vantage point. The world from the river is a world apart from that of the trail or road. The light, the reflections, the sounds and the atmosphere all conspire to draw you into a world which seems more ancient and alive.

Of course it’s not easy to paddle and photograph at the same time. I often use a small point and shoot that I can grab quickly and put away as quickly too. It can be easier when paddling in tandem but then I always have the responsibility of the group to manage.

To offset this I usually take responsibility for organising and leading the hikes we do on these trips. I often suggest walks before breakfast and am amazed when I’m joined by other members of the party. Sometimes they come everyday and then tell me at the end of the trip that they feel like they’ve had a double holiday. One thing about hiking in the temperate zone is the early morning and late evening light, and when we go to the tropics I find the sudden rise and fall of the sun at 6 am and 6pm a major disappointment.

Camera Obscura

I don’t particularly think photographic equipment is that important. The real trick is to be there, to be out there, to be out there in the light and land, to be out there gliding along the water in the early morning mist with the sun rising, the birds singing and the promise of a warm day ahead.

I’m currently shooting with a Mamiya 7II Medium Format film camera and a Nikon D700 digital camera.