Stephen Gerard Kelly is a professional photographer, videographer and documentarian pioneering the shared space between Anthropology, Conflict and Humanitarianism. Known for gaining unique access to the world's most marginalized communities, Stephen's ethos is rooted in respect, empathy and human rights. Using powerful photography and videography to deepen our understanding of social justice issues facing the most vulnerable individuals and communities on the fringes of an increasingly globalized world, Stephen compassionately observes, meticulously researches and thoroughly understands people, context and motivations.
Coupled with an MSc in Development Studies, and having worked for years in the world's most difficult conflict zones in the humanitarian sector, he is naturally drawn towards fully understanding the real narrative at a deeper level. His years-long research with RUSI, the preeminent global security think tank, into Sudan's protracted Civil War has positively influenced government foreign policy and humanitarian aid delivery at the highest levels internationally, including the UK and US governments. Stephen's personal photography projects range from working with minority groups including Irish Travelling People (or Travellers/Travelers) to photographing human migration and its related challenges, to urban child labor in the Middle East, to documenting the effects of conflict both locally and internationally.
In addition to being a UNICEF photographer and working with the world's largest international NGOs, Stephen also works independently with the Guardian, the Times, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, the New York Daily News, the Daily Telegraph, the Australian, the Daily Mail and the Weekly Standard. His work has also appeared in MSN, Dagbladet (Norway), TVC (Russia), the Courier Mail, the Advertiser, the Irish Evening Herald, the Irish Independent, L'Orient du Jour and Lebanon's Daily Star, among others. Stephen works with photo agencies Redux, Polaris Images and ZUMA Press, now the world's largest independent press agency and wire service. When not spending time on long term documentary projects or photojournalism, Stephen works on magazine, event and corporate photography. Regularly doing commercial photography including annual reports for major global companies, as well as videography and multimedia, he has also contributed to photography workshops, lectured students and been on jury panels of various photography competitions.
Stephen was nominated for the 2016 Coup de Coeur Prize at Visa Pour l'Image, Perpignan and has had work screened at Les Rencontres d'Arles 2017 and Visa Pour l'Image, Perpignan 2017 in front of thousands of people. The content of his website showcases personal projects he cares about and changes regularly depending on where he is and what he is working on. In addition to developing numerous local, national and international projects he is personally interested in, Stephen is available for assignments worldwide.