Stephen Van Tuyl Photography Official Home Page

Photographer Bio

I am a freelance Fine Art Photographer
based in Cave Junction, Oregon.
My photography has appeared in the Bend
Bulletin, the New York Times and National
Geographic.
I first got interested in photography back
in the sixties. My brother, my cousin and I
would travel around to various locations
with our trusty Poloroid and attempt to
set up shots in the style of popular album
covers. Some of them were actually pretty
cool! After High School, life happened and
I drifted away from photography in the
day to day struggle to survive. Several
years passed. The computer age was now in
full swing. I discovered digital art which
I persued with moderate success for several
years. One day I decided to buy a digital
camera, thinking it would help me with my
artwork. Around that same time, I met a
Fine Art photographer named
Harry Snowden Who resparked my
interest in his craft and the rest is history.
Harry has continued to be my long time
friend and mentor.

Equipment

My current camera of choice is a Canon
EOS Rebel series XS. Now, I'm sure the
purests and "gear snobs" out there are
wondering why I choose to shoot with an
"entry level" DSLR. Quite simply, it frees
me up to concentrate on the shot without
the distraction of wondering if the
conditions are too harsh for an ultra
expensive rig. Besides, the quality of your
photography actually has very little to do
with how much you spend on equipment.
My lenses are the 18-55mm kit lens that
came with my camera. A Tamron AF75-
300mm and a Tamron AF90mm Macro.
I use three filters. A standard UV. A
Polorizer and a 4 stop Neutral Density
filter. I carry a light weight PhotoLogic
tripod and in my bag I have cleaning
supplies, pen and pad and an Audubon
Society Field Guide.

Influences

One of my earliest influences was Iain Macmillan.
Most famous for his cover shot on the Beatles
Abbey Road album. Other early influences include
Gene Anthony and Robert Altman whoes work
with Rolling Stone magazine left an indelible
impression on me and is largely responsible for
my fascination with "People Shots."
Ansel Adams' mastery of black and white imagery
"Colors" much of my work and most recently
would be Fine Art Photographer and long time
personal friend and mentor Harry Snowden.

You can purchase prints of my photos as well
as those from other excellent artists at