IN FOCUS:: Joshua Steadman - The Oddest Year
There is no question that last year was the oddest year of my career.
At the tail end of 2022 and 2023, I was fortunate to win some awards: I was featured on several trade sites; and bid on a few interesting leads – some that I won and some that I lost. If I’m being totally honest, most of them I lost.
~ Joshua Steadman
Meet Joshua Steadman
North Carolina-based photographer/director Joshua Steadman is an intuitive storyteller who captures the unspoken energy and connections between people. His humanistic approach resonates with clients and has won him numerous awards. He snagged the an American Photographic Association 2023 Award in the Sports/Adventure category for his photograph “Kenny in the Keys.”
I come from a long line of storytellers. I grew up listening to them; tales told by all my aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, and my parents. My father’s Nikkormat and a 28mm lens captured my childhood with love and attention. Listening and photographing go hand in hand. That’s what I try to do when I’m working.
~ Joshua
atedge: During this slow year, tell us how you tackled it. Were there any smaller gigs that jump out that you might not have normally taken?
Joshua: When you are having a slow year, you say yes to all of the unusual (and generally lower-budget) jobs. But those smaller budget shoots often times have the biggest fun quotient, and can be incredibly rewarding.
During one of the coolest gigs last year, I travelled to Wilmington, North Carolina with a small team to photograph Hunter Mooney and Ben Hammer, of Carolina Beach Fossils, for Walter Magazine, diving for fossilized shark teeth – those huge (and ancient) megalodon teeth!
Joshua: I also wrote and photographed an editorial piece for the online publication Salvation South. The piece revolves around the Haywood House, the oldest owned private residence in Raleigh, NC. Built in 1854, it’s still owned by the family that built it. Betsy, the owner, began opening up her home for dinners with family members, friends and historians in the past few years. And in the process, her own family’s slave records have allowed descendants of those slaves to connect with long-lost family members, and share stories of those connections with others. This small left-field project has introduced me to some wonderful people, and new friends.
atedge: You also shoot and direct motion, did you have the opportunity to produce a video this year?
Joshua: A bigger project that was awarded was a motion job for Georgia Power, that I worked on with my longtime friend and fellow photographer, Geoff Wood. Together, this week-long project took us to 3 different cities throughout Georgia, capturing line workers as they installed poles and wires, for an annual lineman appreciation campaign called “Heroes Behind the Line.” That was an incredibly rewarding project as we connected with these hardworking men and women. They really are heroes in their communities.
It was a true team effort. With no attitude, and some long hours, we were able to shoot authentic moments; Geoff had some incredible portrait work from that campaign, and I was able to deliver a final motion piece that I was super proud of.
atedge: Coming from North Carolina, we see that you focused on several local stories and jobs in your backyard. Was there one story or project that stands out among the rest?
Joshua: One job that stands out was a magazine feature on Dr. Ashley Hink, an NC State grad and trauma surgeon who started a grassroots organization combating gun violence in Charleston, South Carolina. This project was transformative for me.
We met with Dr. Hink’s tightly knit team, advocates who immediately get involved with gunshot victims the same day they are brought into surgery. They patiently wait behind a red line, watching the surgeons and nurses work to save a life, until the patient is stable enough to have a conversation. In addition to portraits of the surgeon and her team, we visited Gadsden Green Homes, public housing in the West Side neighborhood of Charleston, and several other neighborhoods throughout the city. We met and photographed a gun violence victim, Katrina, whose life path was completely changed by being in the program, called “Turning the Tide.” It’s an amazing story on a transformative organization, and I plan to continue to work with the group in the future.
Joshua: Photographing outside my comfort zone is a challenge, but I haven’t ever been disappointed on a production where I’ve tried something new. The Oddest Year provided moments of real joy, excitement, and freedom, and has led me to so many connections with new friends. As an independent contractor and artist, I feel it’s so important to keep shooting both big and small projects and find the grace in both.
I’m grateful for 2023 and look forward to new adventures in 2024.
