Steffen Stender, german photographer, was born in 1994 and raised in Eutin, a small town in Northern Germany. Steffen often spent his time in the nature and learned to value the peace and freedom of country life when he moved to Berlin to spent half a year there, working and living the city life. His studies for communication design and media at the university in Wismar let him return to the north of Germany. Already during his studies Steffen dares the step into self-employment as a photographer. In addition to smaller local photo assignments, exhibitions all over the world, he gained valuable experience in crisis areas during several stays abroad. Thus in his diploma thesis, while working for an NGO, he dealt with the fate of refugees on Lesvos, Greece, and also visited the refugee camp in Moria. Steffen was not interested in taking the press photo of the year but rather in making the suffering of these people visible to others. The art purchase by the state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern confirmed that he succeeded in this.

Steffen perfected the ability to depict reality in such a way that it hits you right in the heart but doesn't make you look away.

In 2022 he packed his camera again and traveled to the slovakian- and polish-ukrainian border. Also as a helper of an NGO he photographed the fate of those people who were affected by the russian war. Steffen Stender builds in his work a bridge between commissioned works, everyday scenarios and the talent to make the inhuman and worst images (which we humans too often can not look at) bearable, without leaving out the reality.

Analog as well as digital, he is always on the lookout for what moves people. With his imagery, Steffen manages to move and hurt, to shake up and explain.