“THE weather in Ireland is terrible. I love it”, declares photographer Stephen S. T. Bradley.
While most people complain about Ireland’s grey skies and constant downpours, the Belfast-based photographer has taken advantage of Ireland's inclement weather, developing a “Turneresque style” of landscape photography he calls ‘Skyscapes’.
"The grey wet Northern Ireland weather annoyed the bejaysus out of me for as long as I can remember. It is only in this, my 58th year on this planet, that it has deeply touched my soul . . ."
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Having emigrated with his wife and two sons to sunny Atlanta, USA, and enjoyed its warm climate for over six years, Bradley admits he had difficult time acclimatising to Ireland's inclement weather when he returned home to Northern Ireland.
However his outlook changed, when he “ventured forth” in the Northern Irish countryside to try his hand at landscape photography (originally with just iPhone3GS, before upgrading to his Nikon SLR).
He was struck by the “multitude of weather and light variables, and how the smallest change in light can have a dramatic affect on the Irish landscape.”
"I have gone to the same location on multiple occasions when, on each visit, the light and weather were different, making the scene before me seem new and exciting each time I did so." said Stephen.
So far his career has seen him work at Belfast photo agency Pacemaker, with his work appearing in the pages of every national newspaper in Ireland, the UK and USA.
He has won NI News Photographer of the Year, had his work was accepted in the prestigious World Press Photo Annual and counts Vogue Italia's photo editor Alessia Glaviano as a fan.
However getting shouted at by the ex-British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher when he stood on a socks display in Marks and Spencer's, Belfast to get a good shot of The Iron Lady during a walkabout is still the most memorable moment of his career.
