Once again we have some amazing photographers involved. This year we are proud to have a very special contribution from The David Steen archives. David, who sadly passed away last year, had helped SMILER many times over the years. But unfortunately for one reason or another, we never managed to use one of his stunning photographs in our calendar…
…until now! Many fans of Rod regard David as THE Rod Stewart photographer, who captured Rod’s mid 70’s to his early 80’s period when Rod was fitting of the time and was at his most visual. In his book, ‘Heroes and Villains’ (published in 2005), David wrote: When Britt Ekland (whom I had known and photographed over the years) moved in with Rod Stewart, they invited me to stay with them at their house in Beverly Hills to do do some shots of Rod, who had several major recordings due out at that time. The house was a treasure trove of clothes and the sort of beautiful objects that made perfect props. Britt had always been an avid collector of stylish decorative bits and pieces; Rod had money to spend and took to this new lifestyle with enthusiasm. Suddenly, he was becoming glamorised by Britt and they became a couple to watch. From a photographer’s point of view, it worked well; masses of clothes (white suits, silk pyjamas, feathers, furs and laces), countless pieces of Art Deco and Tiffany lamps, plus his collection of cars – and all against a Hollywood background.
David was born in London in 1936 and grew up not far from Smithfield, where his father was a meat porter. By the age of 15, David was working as a photographic assistant at Picture Post, and from there launched a career that would last a lifetime and take him around the world photographing Hollywood stars, pop legends, great sportsmen and politicians.
With his trusty, ever-ready Nikon, he captured on celluloid the icons of an era. He had a strong work ethic and his self-set mantra was: ‘The early bird catches the worm.’ He never forgot his humble background and was forever grateful for the privileges that his career had brought him. Over the decades, his many subjects included The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Lee Marvin, Sean Connery, Ian Fleming, David Niven, Sophia Loren, and Elizabeth Taylor.
Often during the 70s and 80s, he photographed Rod Stewart. They had a fantastic working relationship, got on well, and shared a mischievous sense of humour. Sometimes David’s wife, the writer Shirley Flack, was there to do the interview that would accompany the pictures.
David died in Surrey on 16th November, 2015, following a short illness. He is survived by his four children.
Joining us for the first time is Colin Hockley with over 25 years experience. His pictures range from celebrity at home assignments for glossy magazines such as ‘Hello!’ and ‘OK’, to traditional weddings, portraiture and corporate PR.
Once again joining us, the amazing Shannon Holliday; a freelance photographer, who graduated from New York institute of Photography in 2009. She is a member of the International Freelance Photographers, and also a member of The New Orleans Photo Alliance. She says: I take pictures of the things and people I love, to create memories on paper for me and to share with others to create a smile. Shannon also says: This is not a job, it is my life. To see and meet wonderful people, to find beauty in everything and every place I go, far and near.
Also joining us for the third time is Penny Lancaster, who is helping us celebrate Rod’s Knighthood with a very very special September. We are sure this will be one of our most popular months yet!
Printed on 200gsm silk board with a laminated 400gsm cover, it will again be the best quality available. It will be a strictly limited run, and like last year, we expect it to sell out. So don’t miss out – click HERE to order.