"Everything shifts as you move, and different things come into focus at different points of your life, and you try to articulate that"

- Chris Steele-Perkins

b. 1947

British

Based in London, England

Member

Available for commissions
& assignments

Chris Steele-Perkins has produced some of the most iconic images of British society in the last half-century, exploring youth subcultures, poverty and community with artful sensitivity. His more than 45-year career has seen him travel widely, making significant bodies of work in his home country of Myanmar, as well as Japan, Africa and Afghanistan, all of which have received critical acclaim.

After marrying his second wife, Miyako Yamada, he embarked on a long-term photographic exploration of Japan, publishing Fuji in 2000. A highly personal diary of 2001, Echoes, was published in 2003, and the second of his Japanese books, Tokyo Love Hello, in March 2007. His documentation of rural life in County Durham, which was published as Northern Exposures in 2007. In 2009, he published a collection of work from 40 years of photographing England – England, My England. His book on British centenarians, Fading Light, was published in 2012 and his latest book A Place in the Country, a year in the life of a great English Country Estate was published by Dewi Lewis in 2014.

Steele-Perkins has worked on commission for many high-profile publications including The Sunday Times magazine and The Guardian and selected commercial clients include Nissan, Purina and Spencer Hart.

He continues to work in Britain and abroad. His recent project, documenting diversity and migration in London, was published as a book The New Londoners, in summer 2019, while a book on his work in Japan will be published at the end of 2019.

Steele Perkins became a member of Magnum Photos in 1979.

Read More

Selected works

Arts & Culture

Tokyo Love Hello

Chris Steele-Perkins

Chris Steele-Perkins' book offers a complex and layered vision: an ambiguous love song to an extraordinary city

Open story
Stay in touch
Monthly updates on the latest assignments, photographer projects and collaborations with brands.
Know when our quarterly 7-day square print sale is coming.
Learn about online and offline exhibitions, photography fairs, gallery events, plus fine print news and activities, on a monthly basis.
Get fortnightly tips and advice articles, find out about the latest workshops, free online events and on-demand courses.
Be the first to know about recent Magnum Shop drops. From new books and limited editions, to special offers, you can find it all on the weekly Magnum Shop newsletter.
Stay up to date every Thursday with Magnum photographers’ activities, new work, stories published on the Magnum website, and the latest offerings from our shop.