Steve Kean

Toronto, Canada

About the Artist:
Steve Kean lives, works, and enjoys creative photography from his wheelchair. His subjects are diverse, as he is intensely interested in the world around him. As Steve says, "The camera is a tool that lets me show the world as I see it!".

I first met Steve at Variety Village, an athletic center sponsored by The Variety Club in Toronto that caters to people with mental and/or physical disabilities. I'd been photographing a displayed dinghy that a totally disabled person was capable of sailing safely. Steve came over to chat. Steve suffers from a condition known as Spina bifida, a relatively common birth defect that affects the proper development of the spinal cord. Besides keeping many of its patients in a wheelchair, it can affect visual motor abilities – which include hand/eye coordination. As I came to know him better, I was amazed not so much by what Steve couldn’t do, but by how much he could do, and by how determined he was to lead a normal life as a photographer.

Steve uses a tripod for a lot of his photography (which I would have imagined would be very difficult for him), as we all do. So, what does he find is the most frustrating aspect of working on photography from a wheelchair?

"My biggest problem, as you can see in my earlier work, lies in changing my perspective. My images were all made from the same angle. Now, I try to raise or lower the camera as much as I can. Sometimes it takes a little bit of work for me to figure out how I can do it. Not being able to look though the viewfinder always makes it a crapshoot."

"I enjoy working with people. Portraits require some investment in time to get to know the person you're photographing, and to show in the photograph what I’ve learned about that person.

Steve runs his own photographic business, called Kean Eye Photography, as time allows. What kinds of commercial clients does he have?

"I do a lot of work for charities. My employer (Steve is the Adult Services Co-ordinator for the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association of Ontario) gives me time to do photography during the day, and in return I give them free photography. I've done some fashion work, on the production of a catalogue of clothing that people with disabilities can wear and look good.

"I've done some fine art work. I had an exhibition last year at the Now Lounge in Toronto. The curator there liked my stuff and I had a show. The charity where I work used all my photography for the calendar they produced this year, and that was a lot of fun. I'll be on the team that produces next year’s calendar as well, and although my work won't be featured, I'll be a part of it.

"I've sold some of my photographs as fine art prints, and it's really cool to see your work on somebody's wall! That really keeps me inspired.'.

"I do photography because I enjoy it. First and foremost, it's for me. When I'm feeling tense or stressed, I grab the camera, and go for a walk. I shoot for me, and that's why I've been able to stick with it, care about it so much, and why I care about improving myself both as a photographer, and as a person.'

Extracted from the article, "Photographer on Wheels", by Michael Goldstein in Apogee Photo Magazine.