Writing and photography appealed to Steve Gibbons during college, but the salary a journalist receives did not. So after majoring in English and journalism at the University of Northern Iowa, Gibbons decided instead on a career in business. It wasn’t until about 12 years ago, while taking pictures of his children competing in sports, that he decided to share his photography with others. His work now appears in newspapers and catalogs, and is currently on display at the Des Moines Playhouse, where he works as a production photographer. Now self-employed, Gibbons divides his time between business consulting work and photography.

When did your interest in photography begin?

I was the editor of the school paper when I was at the University of Northern Iowa, and that gave me a chance to do a lot of photography. The photographers would be busy and tell me, “Here, go take a camera with you while you do the story.” I realized that it was kind of fun, and I got the desire to take photos.

What caused you to change your mind about becoming a journalist?

When I got out of college, I found out it’s really tough to make a living as a journalist, and a photographer is no better. So I actually ended up not going into either. I went to work for Firestone (Agriculture Tire division) in their quality control area and worked for them for seven years. Then I went to Principal (Financial Group Inc.) and spent 20 years there. I started out as a management trainee and ended up working with quality control and quality improvement, human resources and strategic planning. Then I was at RSM McGladrey (Inc.) for three years as a business consultant before starting my own consulting company.

How did your career prepare you to be a business consultant?

The things that I was doing at Principal transferred so nicely to other businesses, and I was actually working as an internal business consultant for one of the business units at the time. So it was really natural when I left Principal to look in the world of consulting.

When did photography begin to play a larger role in your life?

I always took photos of my family, and about 12 years ago, when I was taking pictures of my kids at their swim meet, I met the sports editor of the Ankeny Press Citizen. We got to talking and he asked me if I would consider selling some (photographs) to the paper. It took off from there. Next thing I knew, I was shooting track and softball and baseball. I usually have a couple of assignments per week.

What is your favorite subject to photograph?

Nature would probably be what I like to shoot the most. I like the diversity and the variety that you get in nature. I’ve always been amazed that people will say that they can’t find anything good to photograph, but when I go out, I see so many things. Nature just gives you this wealth of opportunities to take photos. Almost all my photos that are at the Playhouse were shot in Iowa. So many people, I think, get in this notion that you really have to go somewhere to take photos, but I kind of want to show people that you can take some really neat photos in your own back yard.

How did you become a photographer for the Playhouse?

I was doing work for McGladrey at the time with business consulting at the Playhouse, and I got to talking with (Playhouse Executive Director) John Viars about photography. He called me up after that and asked if I would like to come see “Buddy” and shoot it. I went down and shot it, gave him the photos, he liked them and asked if I would like to be the production photographer.

What other photography jobs do you do?

I also take product shots for a company called RushGideon. It’s an Internet catalog company that sells a lot of unique items for the home – barware, tea sets, things for the outdoors. One of the guys I worked with at McGladrey started the company, and that’s how I started doing that photography work. And one night a week, I teach a digital photography class at Des Moines Area Community College for adults.

Why do you like teaching?

I love photography, and I hope that maybe somebody can learn something so they feel a little more comfortable with their skills and get the photos they want. Nothing feels better than the first time you hang one of your own photos on the wall.

Are there any parallels between photography and business?

One of the things successful nature photographers do is they go out and see things other people don’t see. Successful business people, especially entrepreneurs, are able to see opportunities – to see niches – things that other people don’t see.

What similarities do you see between a successful photographer and a successful business person?

A photographer has to have the equipment, know how to use it and be out there where the action is, same as how a business person has to put themselves in a position to take advantage of the market by being prepared and having the vision to know where they’re going so they can see an opportunity when it presents itself. Another similarity is understanding that sometimes you need to look at things through a different lens – either with a wide-angle lens to see the big picture, or a macro lens to zoom in on something.