For this month’s News Sport and Entertainment Spotlight, we had the opportunity to interview photographer Stephen Chung. Stephen is a freelance photographer based in London who covers a wide range of subjects including news, art, entertainment and sport. Published images include UK broadsheets The Times, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and Financial Times, as well as internationally such as the Wall Street Journal. Additional images have been used in UK photography magazines and in the Landscape Photographer of the Year awards 2011 and 2012.
LP: Please tell us a bit about yourself and what made you want to get into photography?
SC: Like many photographers, taking pictures started during my childhood, through family holidays using my father’s Kodak Instamatic then graduating to my own pocket-money purchased film manual Nikon SLR. I was lucky enough to be a member of the A-level art class who were the first to christen the new photography darkroom. Thanks to my encouraging art teacher, many hours were spent there discovering the principles of developing and printing, and when not in the darkroom, the studying of art history would come of use in later years.
After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, I had a busy career in finance working in media companies in the UK and overseas and later the nascent dotcom industry. Throughout that time, I continued to take photographs across many genres and eventually decided to branch out on my own as a freelance photographer.
London, UK. 23 September 2024. A staff member with new paintings at a preview of 'Every Day I Pray for Love', Yayoi Kusama's fourteenth solo exhibition with Victoria Miro gallery featuring the artist's latest series of paintings and sculptures and a new Infinity Mirrored Room called 'Beauty Described by a Spherical Heart'. The exhibition runs at Victoria Miro's Wharf Road gallery 25 September to 2 November 2024.
LP: What inspired you to become a news photographer over other photography genres?
SC: My previous career had required being continually up to date with current affairs across a wide spectrum and so news photography was the logical step once I had made the decision to leave the confines of the 9 to 5. The ongoing appeal of being a news photographer is the opportunity to tell visual stories across a variety of subjects and events.
LP: What’s your go-to photography equipment?
SC: I continue to shoot with Nikon cameras. I recently migrated to fully mirrorless bodies and lenses. I am able to cover focal lengths from 14mm to 500mm which allows for wide-angle images in tight spaces in art galleries or crowded protests through to occasional sport, royals and more on the longer end.
Depending on what I plan to cover, this kit is carried daily in a heavy backpack alongside a laptop from which to edit and file images out in the field.
LP: What has been the most challenging news event you have covered so far?
SC: A couple of examples come to mind. The first is from 2019, when I was asked by the late Jessica Mann, Alamy’s News Picture Desk Manager, if I was interested in covering a Lucha Libre (Mexican wrestling) event in London. “Why not? Sounds fun!”, was my immediate reply, as I like to challenge myself and photograph things that I have not seen nor experienced before.
What started as a visually interesting story with powerful masked athletes in full costume theatrically throwing each other around the ring, later turned into a most harrowing and tragic event when the star of the show suddenly passed away on the canvas mid-bout, feet away from me. Seeing the faces of his opponent, the referee and, very soon, medical staff in the ring realising that he had died was shocking. As the only external photographer there, it was a case of being respectful but also realising that a soft news story had suddenly become a breaking news story. An immediate call to Jessica, who was the voice of calm whilst hysteria was happening in front of me helped guide me to file my images swiftly, many of which were published widely nationally and internationally in the next few days as a tribute to one of the sport’s greatest.
London, UK. 11th May 2019. Cesar Gonzalez, better known as Silver King, arrives for his bout against Eduardo Hernandez, better known as Juventud "Juvi" Guerrera (not pictured) during the evening slot of The Greatest Show of Lucha Libre" at the Roundhouse in Camden. Silver King, aged 51, would go on to suffer a serious injury in the fight requiring CPR and an ambulance being called. The venue cleared immediately. It is reported that Silver King did not recover and died but the exact cause is as yet unknown.
The second example is the final of Euro 2020 between Italy and England took place at Wembley. Tens of thousands of England fans descended on the area hours before kick-off, many without tickets. I had noticed the hundreds of spent beer cans on the road and the signage encouraging people to have their second Covid-19 vaccine dose. As I was photographing, I was struck on the back of the head by a full beer can, thrown by a drunk fan and was in A&E the next day with a mild concussion and soft tissue injury.
Nowadays, I ensure that I try to minimise being around such ‘fans’. After the final, a review took place by authorities banning the consumption of alcohol in the area ahead of major sporting events. I wish that it had been implemented beforehand!
London, UK. 11 July 2021. A sign urging people to get a second coronavirus vaccine behind England fans outside Wembley Stadium ahead of the final of Euro 2020 between Italy and England. It is the first major final that England will have played in since winning the World Cup in 1966 and Italy remain unbeaten in their last 33 matches.
LP: How do you know which events to photograph and get accreditation?
SC: It depends. Keeping abreast of the news helps one anticipate what might be happening and what images might be useful to a journalist who needs to illustrate their news article. It can be anything from finance, business, weather, politics or more. However, sometimes it is only possible to take photographs if you are properly accredited. Such accreditation invites can come from PR agencies, organisations within arts and entertainment or one might reach out directly with the organisation. Alamy also helps to put a word in too!
LP: What has been the most memorable photo you have taken?
SC: It’s hard to decide on one image as I cover such a variety of subjects, but I can give you a few examples.
One is when Covid-19 lockdown had just begun in the UK. At that time, there was no chance of heading out to make my usual images out and about. I had noticed in the news that Elon Musk’s Space X was launching Starlink satellites to provide a satellite based broadband internet service. After doing some online research it became apparent that the trail of the recently launched satellites periodically passed straight over my home and were visible in the night sky. I was able to file composite images showing the trail of satellites and the image continues to be used to illustrate everything from Elon Musk related articles and advances in communications to problems astronomers face with a night sky crowded with 12,000 of such satellites.
London, UK. 25 April 2020. A composite of long exposure images showing Starlink - 3 AW, a satellite constellation launched by Elon Musk's company Space X, passing over north west London between 1.57am to 2.56am. As of 22 April 2020, SpaceX has so far launched 417 Starlink satellites, forming part of the 12,000 satellites to be deployed. Starlink will provide low cost, satellite based, broadband internet access but the nightly satellite trails are reported to be unwelcome by astronomers and others observing the night sky.
Another is the painting Salvator Mundi, attributed to Leonardo da Vinci (dated c. 1500), which was presented at a photocall ahead of being auctioned at Christie’s, New York, on 15th November 2017, for $450.3 million, making it the most expensive work of art ever sold. It is rumoured to have been bought by crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman. So this was one of those times where, as a photographer, you realise and appreciate how privileged you are to be in a position to see and witness history, and in this case it was in a humidity and temperature controlled, sealed room.
London, UK. 24th Oct, 2017. FILE PICTURE Staff members view "Salvator Mundi", c1500, by Leonardo da Vinci at a photocall at Christie's in London. The artwork is the last Da Vinci painting in private hands and was offered for sale by Christie's in New York on 15 November 2017 with an estimate in the region of US$100m, but eventually sold for $450m including buyer's premium.
Finally, thanks to the late Jessica Mann, Alamy’s News Picture Desk Manager, I was a member of a small team of Alamy news contributors invited to photograph The IAAF World Championships in London in 2017. Usain Bolt, the 100m and 200m world record holder, came third in the final of the 100m and would retire shortly afterwards. Again, being in a position to witness history was a tremendous privilege.
London, UK. 5 August 2017. Usain Bolt reacts to coming third in the Men's 100m final at the London Stadium, on day two of The IAAF World Championships London 2017, his last 100m race. Result: Gatlin 9.92, Coleman, 9.94, Bolt 9.95.
LP: Do you have a favourite story which you have covered?
SC: I cover a lot of art events and they can be visually compelling so have a good chance in the papers of what is known as a standalone image. In addition to these, I enjoy photographing people, just being people. Taylor Swift played Wembley Stadium in June and returned in August. Making images of the arrival of ‘Swifties’ was a joy. Some might say that the fans are almost cultish in their devotion to the singer, but I would say, that after meeting many of them, it is just that they were having the greatest time.
Taylor Swift fans ('Swifties') outside Wembley Stadium for the second of Taylor Swift?s Eras Tour June concerts. Taylor Swift will perform at Wembley Stadium for three nights, beginning 21 June, and then five nights in August.
LP: Any advice for fellow photographers who would like to work within the news sector?
SC: News is hard, it can be relentless and competitive too. As freelancers we are in (friendly) competition with the photographers from the major news agencies and newspapers many of whom we see on a daily basis. So you need to be humble and recognise that sometimes, simply because of how it is, there is a pecking order. Young people who are just starting out will benefit from studying photojournalism or a similar qualification and that will offer a route into opportunities with the large news organisations. For those who are coming to this from another career, they bring life experience and a certain maturity which can be particularly beneficial, especially when meeting, dealing with and reading people. News is also demanding equipment-wise as it is a challenge in terms of ever-changing technology and the need to have quality images sent out as quickly as possible. Above all, one needs passion to tell compelling visual stories.
We hope you enjoyed this month’s NSE Spotlight. To find out more about Stephen you can find his website here, or follow his Instagram here. Check out Stephen’s full collection on Alamy here