About Stephen Spraggon

I started out as a graphic designer after graduating from the University of Plymouth with a BA in Packaging Design. After graduating I gradually got more and more into photography, having purchased my first DSLR. Before that I had experienced taking and developing my own pictures using a darkroom at college. However, I always felt limited by costs so my interest never really had the chance to grow.

Over time my interest in photography grew until I had made enough different pictures to hold an exhibition. This was a great success and I received a lot of positive comments about my work. I started selling photographs and greeting cards at craft fairs throughout Somerset and held a second exhibition. By 2009 I had images published in Amateur Photographer, Digital SLR Photography and Practical Photography magazines. I also had my image "Holy Sunrise" used on the front cover of Derek Johns' novel "The Billy Palmer Chronicles".

Since then I have worked on a wide range of projects, from commercial property shoots, to private commissions and even the dreaded wedding! I publish my own greeting cards featuring my pictures and sell them in a wide range of shops in Somerset. You can buy some from my shop if you wish (they suit many occasions and are blank inside). I contribute to Outdoor Photography magazine and have written articles on various locations. You can keep up to date on any new images by reading my blog. See below for a selection of screenshots and clippings of published images.

Talks or tuition

I am happy to talk about many aspects of photography, from the technical to the creative, so please contact me if you're interested in having me give a talk to your camera club or organisation.

I enjoy teaching and can give tuition on many aspects of photography. I hold one-to-one or small group tuitions so again please contact me to discuss your requirements.

Why photography?

Photography is my escape from the 'real' world. I find that when I'm taking pictures nothing else really matters and I lose myself in the moment. That's something I've heard a lot of landscape photographers experience and it's hard to describe, apart from to say it's the same feeling anyone gets about anything they're completely passionate about. It's my way of exploring, enjoying and celebrating the environment around me.

I found myself drawn to landscape photography very much from the start. I've always thought it is the most amazing genre of photography because it can't be faked and it requires pure determination, patience and trust in mother nature to make it all come together. You can't adjust the lighting of a landscape like you would the lighting in a studio or elsewhere so you have to just wait and wait and wait. Every failed outing, because of the wrong conditions or whatever, is a lesson. In persisting I've learnt a lot about the world around me and the process has made me focus on things that I wouldn't have paid attention to before.