Steve Sheppard's passion for photography began at an early age when he became fascinated by his father's Kodachrome slides and black and white images taken in Germany and Holland. His father was an amateur photographer and purchased Steve a camera at the age of six.

Steve honed his photographic skills while traveling the world as an infantry platoon commander in the United States Marine Corps. Carrying a camera throughout Japan, Okinawa, Diego Garcia, United States deserts and swamps and the Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base, gave him plenty of opportunities to learn the craft.

Steve spent seven years as a newspaper photographer and writer covering sports, news and feature stories that required both photography and writing. The experience taught him to use photography to tell a story as much as the words he wrote.

He gained recognition for both writing and photography through the Virginia Press Association. He won first place for general news writing in 1991, second place for photo essay in 1991 and a second place in sports photography in 1987. Those were the only years he entered the annual press awards competition.

He worked for 10 years in public relations and shot his own photos for publicity purposes that included sending photos to publications across the nation. He still works as a stringer in the news business including the Associated Press.

Steve brings his journalistic style to the events, portraits and weddings that he shoots. As a wedding photographer, he shoots the event as an unfolding story allowing the couple to enjoy their day without the intrusion of photographic direction. Using available light as much as possible, he captures moments that make each wedding unique. His style also comes across in the portraits, sports and events that he shoots.

Contact Information:

Steve Sheppard
1306 Mulberry Road
Martinsville, Virginia 24112
276 638-1969
e-mail: photo@stevesheppard.com