Steve loved life with a belief that it was “better to burn out, then to fade away.” And he did just that. He unexpectedly died with over 40,000 amazing “unseen” photographs hidden in his closet. In the last few years of Steve’s life, he decided to create a TV Show named “Photo Planet” that followed him around the world shooting photos. He didn’t have a cameraman to travel with him, so he would recruit a “local friend” wherever he was, to hold his small $200 video camera and shoot this show “Photo Planet” with him. The “Photo Planet” show pitch is a clear example of his manic, crazy and charming side of his dynamic personality.
Steve’s personality included a unique blend of insecurity with a huge ego. I called him an “insecure egotist”. With the camera in his hand, his personality was strong, bold, frantic and chaotic, often sneaking up on his subject, and dazzling them with a few kind words as he snapped the photo he desired, and then while he kissed his camera on it’s side, he would leave them just as quickly. Once Steve was alone obsessively viewing his creations, his insecurities came out and he sadly was never able to fully share his own genius with the world. Steve Gladstone never owned a digital camera … for Steve, it marked the “End of Pictures” as we know it!
Steve wrote… “Steve Gladstone is a fearless Gonzo photographer who travels into the interior of exotic countries in search of the perfect photograph.”
“Ride with Steve to Thailand into jungles, deserts, beaches, and the unknown. Sit with him on top of elephants, and dive with him down under the Andaman sea.”
“Now Gladstone is facing his biggest challenge yet… TV.”