Robert HardingA chat with Steve Vidler
Veteran travel shooter Steve Vidler has seen the photography industry change radically since he first presented a suitcase full of 35ml slides to an agency in 1972, launching a lucrative career in stock travel photography. “In those days people were hungry for pictures,” he says. “It was a great business to be in. Now it’s harder to get started as a photographer.”
© Steve Vidler
Chatting in his spacious London flat overlooking Tower Bridge, secondary to his main base in Hong Kong, Steve explains how he built his fortune from humble beginnings. “I grew up in Dover and ran away from school before the exams,” he says. Aged only 16, the single-minded youngster travelled alone to Australia, and a few years later he arrived in Japan where he bought a camera and started shooting.
“I love travelling and photography complements it. It certainly beats working for a living,” he laughs. But despite his playful turn of phrase, Steve’s career has been shaped by a high degree of commitment, as well as a fiercely independent attitude. “I’ve always worked for myself,” he says. “I do my own publishing as well. One book I made, called ‘Portrait of London’, is a best seller here.”
© Steve Vidler
Steve’s favourite subjects include festivals, and he arranges trips to coincide with key events like London’s Notting Hill Carnival and Chiang Mai Flower Festival in Thailand. However, his all-time favourite shoot was in the Peruvian jungle in 1984 where he hired a plane for ten minutes at the (then substantial) cost of $100 to take photos of a meandering Amazon tributary. He knew he had captured something of value. “The pictures that make money are the ones that are difficult to get,” he explains. “This was one of those. That shoot probably brought in total gross sales of half a million dollars.”
© Steve Vidler
“Having come from a working class family my favourite moments are where you get a picture that you know is going to sell,” he adds. “Every day’s a treasure hunt so it gives you a great buzz when you get the image and the perfect conditions.”
Travel photography has thrown up a few frightening moments too, like the time 20 years ago when Steve got stuck out on the sands while photographing Mont Saint-Michel on the French coast. “The tide started coming in quickly and I thought ‘I’d better start walking’. Suddenly it was up to my shoulders and I had to throw all my camera gear away and swim to shore,” he says. “I was lucky to make it.”
© Steve Vidler
Looking back on his career, Steve is thankful for having survived the hairy moments, and for being able to capitalise on so many opportunities. But ultimately this owes to his great dedication. Even in the rare times when he’s at home, he is constantly on the lookout for that winning shot. “This morning I was out at three shooting Tower Bridge.” he says. “By then the morning glow has started so it’s the best time to shoot without masses of traffic. That’s the kind of commitment you need to get the nice images.”