I have been a freelance photographer, writer, and curator since 2005. Before then I was a television producer and director working on documentaries for several UK channels. I am Scottish but am now living in Mallorca.
I have had work published in several newspapers and magazines including the Guardian, New York Times, San Francisco Magazine, London Evening Standard, New Statesman, New Yorker, Der Spiegel and Internazionale. I have also taught photography for the Guardian newspaper and other photography institutions. I write about photography for several publications including the British Journal of Photography, BBC, and IMA Japan.
I am the editor and writer of the Thames and Hudson title, “Magnum Streetwise”, which features the historical street photography archive of the Magnum Photo Agency. It can be bought here….https://www.amazon.com/Magnum-Streetwise-Photos/dp/0500545073
With Sophie Howarth, I was the co-author of the best-selling photography title: “Street Photography Now”: Thames and Hudson, 2010. I co-wrote “Photographers Sketchbooks”, for Thames and Hudson with, Bryan Formhals, published in September2014. I have a recent book called “Family Photography Now” which was published in Summer 2016.
I worked regularly for private and public sector clients including the London Mayor’s office, Glasgow International Financial Services District, John Lewis, Phillip De Pury, Electronic Arts, Visit London, English Arts Council and many others.
In 2007 I exhibited at the Rich Mix Arts Centre in Bethnal Green, London. The exhibition was called, “East End Street: Then and Now.”
In 2008 I had an exhibition at the South Bank Centre in London of portraits I had taken of London poets.
In 2010 I exhibited at the Format International Photography Festival in Derby. The exhibition was called, “London Games”.
In 2011 I exhibited my project on the City of London’s role in the financial crisis at the Look2011 Photography Festival in Liverpool. The exhibition was called, “Moral Hazard”. This project was also exhibited was also shown at the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art’s exhibition “Show Me The Money”.
In 2014 I exhibited my projects Scotia Nova and American Always, Scottish Forever, in conjunction with Document Scotland at Impressions Gallery, Bradford, and StreetLevel Photoworks, Glasgow.
In September 2015 I exhibited my project Jamaica -A Sweet Forgetting, at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh in conjunction with my colleagues in Document Scotland.
In January 2019 I exhibited my project, “Edinburgh Unchained”, at the Martin Parr Photography Foundation in Bristol, in conjunction with my colleagues in Document Scotland.
I am also a curator of photography exhibitions. In 2006 I co-curated with Sophie Howarth, “On To the Streets” for the British Council, which was an exhibition of leading British street photography. The exhibition toured Greece, Croatia and Georgia. In 2006 I curated,”Making Space”, an exhibition about creating public space, for the Corporation of London. In 2012 I curated, “Common Ground”: New American Street Photography, for the New Orleans Photography Alliance and Drkrm Gallery, Los Angeles. In 2015 I curated “Peripheral Vision” for The Battery in San Francisco.
I was a member of the Scottish photography collective, Document Scotland. www.documentscotland.com from 2012-2019
A book of my photographs of dookits in Glasgow can be bought from Cafe Royal Books. http://www.caferoyalbooks.com
A book of of my photographs from the City of London, “The Crash”, can be bought from Hoxton Mini Press, at https://www.hoxtonminipress.com/products/the-crash
I can be contacted at stephmclaren@btinternet.com.
Stephen McLaren, 2022
Mallorca
I have had work published in several newspapers and magazines including the Guardian, New York Times, San Francisco Magazine, London Evening Standard, New Statesman, New Yorker, Der Spiegel and Internazionale. I have also taught photography for the Guardian newspaper and other photography institutions. I write about photography for several publications including the British Journal of Photography, BBC, and IMA Japan.
I am the editor and writer of the Thames and Hudson title, “Magnum Streetwise”, which features the historical street photography archive of the Magnum Photo Agency. It can be bought here….https://www.amazon.com/Magnum-Streetwise-Photos/dp/0500545073
With Sophie Howarth, I was the co-author of the best-selling photography title: “Street Photography Now”: Thames and Hudson, 2010. I co-wrote “Photographers Sketchbooks”, for Thames and Hudson with, Bryan Formhals, published in September2014. I have a recent book called “Family Photography Now” which was published in Summer 2016.
I worked regularly for private and public sector clients including the London Mayor’s office, Glasgow International Financial Services District, John Lewis, Phillip De Pury, Electronic Arts, Visit London, English Arts Council and many others.
In 2007 I exhibited at the Rich Mix Arts Centre in Bethnal Green, London. The exhibition was called, “East End Street: Then and Now.”
In 2008 I had an exhibition at the South Bank Centre in London of portraits I had taken of London poets.
In 2010 I exhibited at the Format International Photography Festival in Derby. The exhibition was called, “London Games”.
In 2011 I exhibited my project on the City of London’s role in the financial crisis at the Look2011 Photography Festival in Liverpool. The exhibition was called, “Moral Hazard”. This project was also exhibited was also shown at the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art’s exhibition “Show Me The Money”.
In 2014 I exhibited my projects Scotia Nova and American Always, Scottish Forever, in conjunction with Document Scotland at Impressions Gallery, Bradford, and StreetLevel Photoworks, Glasgow.
In September 2015 I exhibited my project Jamaica -A Sweet Forgetting, at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh in conjunction with my colleagues in Document Scotland.
In January 2019 I exhibited my project, “Edinburgh Unchained”, at the Martin Parr Photography Foundation in Bristol, in conjunction with my colleagues in Document Scotland.
I am also a curator of photography exhibitions. In 2006 I co-curated with Sophie Howarth, “On To the Streets” for the British Council, which was an exhibition of leading British street photography. The exhibition toured Greece, Croatia and Georgia. In 2006 I curated,”Making Space”, an exhibition about creating public space, for the Corporation of London. In 2012 I curated, “Common Ground”: New American Street Photography, for the New Orleans Photography Alliance and Drkrm Gallery, Los Angeles. In 2015 I curated “Peripheral Vision” for The Battery in San Francisco.
I was a member of the Scottish photography collective, Document Scotland. www.documentscotland.com from 2012-2019
A book of my photographs of dookits in Glasgow can be bought from Cafe Royal Books. http://www.caferoyalbooks.com
A book of of my photographs from the City of London, “The Crash”, can be bought from Hoxton Mini Press, at https://www.hoxtonminipress.com/products/the-crash
I can be contacted at stephmclaren@btinternet.com.
Stephen McLaren, 2022
Mallorca