Stephen Burridge is a London-based photographer. Having completed his degree in photography, Stephen has developed a successful career in the very privileged arena of fashion photography. He combines this with his social documentary work which we are pleased to present here for the first time.
The series featured is entitled ‘Homegrown’ and uses candid observation and wit to convey the urban and suburban culture of London and the surrounding areas. His desire to find an authentic voice in photography has drawn him to the margins of our gleaming capital and his collection of portraits are dedicated to the cultural diversity seen on those streets.
The project focuses on the socio-political – on the edge of capitalism, from the London suburbs to the coastal regions of the South, he uncovers a lost romanticism and pays homage to a dying class, impinged by gentrification.
Burridge’s natural ability to capture and highlight the nuances and character traits of the youth and the elderly in these areas is deep-rooted in his family. His parents, born and raised in working-class communities in London, entrenched a strong proletariat ethos in him. Using his Mamiya 7ii camera, shading his images with natural light and subtle mix of flash, Burridge creates social documentation with a vivid palette of colour and a wry lens. The work is an exercise in exploration, appreciation, inclusion and an intrinsic admiration of people and their communities.
Burridge’s work in the fashion industry and influence from the likes of Tom Wood, William Eggleston and Stephen Shore has given him an unusual approach to both his fashion and documentary work which fuse and overlap both styles. His work has been published in various fashion magazines including ODDA and Unpolished, international photography print titles such as Eyes Open Magazine and Lodown, and been featured in photography competitions including The International Colour Awards, the ND Awards and Belfast Photofestival 2019.
