Steve Bloom

Around the world with Steve Bloom

Steve Bloom is a vibrant and entertaining public speaker on issues related to wildlife, travel, the environment and photography. Hear him describe his diverse encounters which include swimming underneath an elephant, being charged by a wild rhinoceros and photographing in one of the world's deepest gold mines. His speaking engagements are accompanied by stunning imagery as he recounts his experiences travelling to all the world's continents. A prolific author of photography monographs as well as children's books, now in over seventy editions, he tailors his talks to suit a wide variety of audiences.

At the age of forty, Steve Bloom gave up a lucrative career providing photographic services in London and chose instead to travel the world documenting the planet's endangered wildlife. It seemed like a crazy idea at the time, making no business sense, as no bank would offer a loan for such a seemingly frivolous exercise. He was strongly advised by his doctor not to take the risk, given the inevitable strain on family life. It was a great challenge in lateral, creative thinking which untimately paid off. He was able to balance family life with travel and sell the pictures for a decent income. With his wife, Kathy, he formed a photo library to fund the family, books and photo shoots.

He lectures at venues such as The Royal Geographical Society, The Natural History Museum, The Edinburgh Book Festival, Oxford Literature Festival, Travellers Tales Festival, Bath Festival for Children's Literature, The Durham Book Festival, BJP Vision, Adventure Travel Show, Edinburgh Science Festival, Chichester Festivities, Focus on Imaging, Wild Photos. Bookshops such as Waterstones, Blackwells, Stanfords and Borders have hosted his presentations. Charity events include after dinner speaking for the WWF and Save the Rhino. Corporate presentations include a show for Canon Europe where he gave a keynote presentation to 100 international photography journalists who were flown to a camp deep in the Kenyan bush. Imagine the wildlife watching from the sidelines!

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Video Interviews

Untamed

Around the world in four thousand days. What started as a innocuous visit to the zoo turned into a ten year quest to visit all the world's continents and photograph many of its endangered species. Steve Bloom recounts the journey, sharing his experiences and the lessons learned. How do you get close to a grizzly bear? What is the best way to behave in the presence of a gorilla? He tells the stories behind the creation of his books In Praise of Primates, Untamed, Spirit of the Wild and Elephant!.

My Favourite Animal families (for younger audiences)

Tailored specially for children and families, this presentation is both informative and entertaining. From the African plains to the frozen Arctic, internationally bestselling photographer Steve Bloom’s celebration of animal families is both a feast for the eyes and a fun-and fact-filled event for all the family! Why do hippo families like to wallow in mud? How do adult polar bears keep warm? What do giraffes sound like? An event full of amazing pictures and entertaining animal facts! Steve has had seven chidren's books published.

Living Africa

Steve Bloom shares the photographic challenges he faced during fourteen years documenting this diverse continent for his book Living Africa. He takes the audience on a visual tour, covering everything from stunning wildlife photographed from a helicopter, to workers in gold mines 3km underground, to the fascinating male beauty contest of the Wodaabe in the Sahara Desert. He tells of his encounters with subsistence shopkeepers in the poorer areas of Nairobi, which resulted in his book Trading Places – The Merchants of Nairobi.

Shooting the world - A travel special

Join acclaimed photographer and author Steve Bloom on a visual extravaganza as he journeys around the world encountering human cultures and wildlife. Share his experience searching for powerful images, from orangutans in the jungles of Borneo to tribal cultures in Ethiopia's Omo Valley. Steve shares the secrets to the making of his books which have been published internationally, and his record breaking outdoor wildlife exhibitions which have been seen by millions.

Photography: Truth, Ethics and Photoshop / Making a Photobook

This two part talk asks some challenging questions: What is truth in photography? Is it ethical to alter images? Steve Bloom examines the issues, raises tough questions and poses some interesting answers. This presentation is likely to spark heated discussion. Writer and critic Geoff Dyer described it as "The most incredible thing I've ever seen." The photo book is undergoing many changes as e-books make inroads into our culture. How does a photographer go about getting a book published? What are the merits and pitfalls of self-publishing? Steve Bloom had has numerous books published and shares his vast experience in the field.

EVENTS INCLUDE

Sunday 1 April 2.00 PM with Gill Lewis, Wildlife Tales- OXFORD LITERATURE FESTIVAL

Thursday 19 April 6.30 pm My Big Cats Journal Launch - WATERSTONES CANTERBURY

Saunday 29 April World Photo Day Seminar - THE BUSINESS OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Saturday 6 October Wildlife Journals - BATH FESTIVAL FOR CHILDREN'S LITERATURE

June Documentary Photography in Africa - LONDON FESTIVAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY

June My Photographic Journey - YORK FESTIVAL OF IDEAS - TBA

 

©Tycho Müller ©Kathy Bloom

Thank you both for a wonderful evening at Kempston. The beautiful selection of images captivated the audience, and can only have endeared them even more to Steve's work. In a world where self-publicity and ego appear to rule, people were also refreshingly surprised by Steve's un-assuming and modest manner. A true diplomat for his cause! I've already received a number of e-mails asking me to pass on thanks, and that list will grow significantly I'm sure. Several people said they appreciated the welcoming way in which you handled the book sales, feeling that they were able to look, and ask questions, without being under any pressure. Overall then, it was a wonderful combination of stunning images and an amiable and committed presenter, that will ensure the event stays in the mind of all the audience for years to come. 
- Rob Boler

It was a great pleasure having you speak at the fundraising dinner. There are times that you want something badly to happen. You appearance was one of these occasions. All the guests present loved your work and the stories that accompanied them. 
- Pim Voogt (WWF The Netherlands)

Thanks for a great evening. I was so impressed with the quality of your pictures, that I felt compelled to buy the heaviest book in the world! It's just page after page of award winning studies any of which I would be delighted to have taken. You are the first person to demonstrate the really true feeling and atmosphere of the animals and their surroundings combined with stunning detail to composition. A big thanks for the work you are doing.  
- Martin Knibbs

Yesterday evening was a wonderful success, and your presentation was amazing. The audience was so complimentary, and the queue for the books spoke for itself! It was an absolute pleasure to host you here, and to meet both you and Kathy last night. Thank you very much for being such a lovely guest at the Blue Fin.
- Estelle Hicks-Bennett