Hi, I’m Stephen Ironside

I tell stories through imagery. Stories of people, stories of places, and especially stories of people in those places.

In just fourteen short years as a full-time photographer, photography has taken me all over the world, but has also introduced me to some fantastic people right here at home. I've come to cherish my Ozark origins, and am proud to call Northwest Arkansas home. I haven’t yet set foot in the depths of the Congo, nor have I had tea at sunset high in the Alps. I haven’t been to Antarctica (though it almost happened once). But I’ve experienced many far away places, and created a lot of images of and for the people who call those places home. I’ve made it my life’s endeavor to use my talents as best I can to leave the world, as I’ve seen it, as I’ve known it, a little better off.

Storytelling through visual imagery has already brought me many opportunities. I’ve documented clothing factories in India, a wedding in Bolivia, backpacking gear in Ethiopia, toy factories in China, and smiling schoolchildren in the remote Himalaya. But it doesn’t matter if I’m abroad or right at home in Arkansas; looking through the lens to craft a story and share it with others, and to see their reactions and how it can impact their lives, is what gets me up in the morning… oftentimes before sunrise. It’s better than the awards I’ve won, and it’s better than that tingly feeling of being published.

In the short term, I’m working to expand my commercial, corporate, advertising, and editorial photography & videography business to a national scale. But, long term, I’m pursuing storytelling photography as both a profession and a life goal, and hope to help revitalize peoples’ love for the natural world and for cultures besides their own.

If I leave a mark on this world, it better be a good one.

When not taking photos you can usually find me at the computer editing them; playing with River, our toddler; working in the garden; cuddling my better half; giving our pup a belly rub; out on a hike; or eating Indian food. I serve on the board of the Himalayan Village Fund, a local organization providing education to impoverished children in rural Nepal.