Steen Doessing

Born and raised in Denmark, Steen Doessing grew up surrounded by water. The ocean, lakes and rivers were everywhere he looked. His senses were filled with the smell, sound and the visual impression of water. Water to him represents life and the equanimity and power of nature. Water is where he came from. His fascination with water is never ending. He can sit on the shoreline for hours without taking a single photograph and just take in the sea. His work almost exclusively includes elements of water.

To many his work represents a state of tranquillity, of Zen, of serenity but also of drama. He is often asked if this is who he is, or if his work is a way of escaping from something else. His answer is that this state is something he is celebrating! A state of harmony and balance – a state of equilibrium!

Using long exposures, sometimes hours, he is capturing a slow-motion sequence of seemingly infinite movements and changes surrounding static objects and letting these elements blend into a single visual plane. It is this graphic representation of the determination and resilience of these static objects against the seemingly gentle yet forceful insistence of their surroundings that to him signifies the equilibrium.

For him, photography is a visual medium that offers him the opportunity to express the way he sees and feels things around him.

His work is hugely influenced by his environment which throughout his life has been encompassed by water. It is his hope that his love for the intimacy and beauty inherent in the intrinsic landscape that immediately surrounds us is evident in his work.

Steen Doessing's work is widely recognised and has featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions in UK, US and Europe. It has been published in many national and international publications as well as being awarded several international photography awards. In 2011 he was awarded "European photographer of the year" for his picture "Calm before the Storm".