When it comes to photography that represents UK street culture, STFN Docs has got to be the one to watch. The eye behind the imagery you see for No Signal and Recess, we were blessed to have STFN Docs as the photographer for our very first collection.
Discover his thoughts on what got him into photography, fashion, and creativity. His views on travel and his experience on our first ever shoot.
Tell us your name
My name is Stefan Alveranga - Foster.
Tell us your age
I’m 28
Where are you from?
Born, raised, and still live in South-East London.
What do you do?
I’m a photographer
When did you get your first start in photography?
I started photography around six years ago now, it’s been a long road, but I’m still only just getting started.
What made you get into photography?
I was looking for a way out of my job, looking for something that I believed I could do for the rest of my days without wanting to call in sick. Photography is just what I happened to fall into.
What type of stories do you like to tell through your work?
I like to tell honest stories.
Who have you collaborated with through your work?
I’ve collaborated and worked with a lot of individuals and a lot of brands over the years. To name a few: My Recess & No Signal family, Places Plus Faces, Adidas, Nike, Google, and many more great people.
What attracted you to the fashion industry?
Fashion photography is what I actually started with when it came to photography. I worked with a lot of fashion bloggers and stylists, but I don’t think there was necessarily an attraction to it; I think it was just what was accessible to me at my starting point. Moving along from the beginning of my journey, I do think what I enjoy the most about fashion photography is collaborating with individuals/teams/brands to bring their ideas and looks to life. Going from mood board to finished product and everyone being happy carries a great feeling with it.
What inspires you?
It sounds generic, but what inspires me the most is the company I keep. I’ve been blessed to come into contact with some real good-hearted, hard-working, honest individuals in my life.
My inspiration comes from a bit of everyone and everything that’s around me, really. I always have someone close to me that I can look to counter negative feelings. Lawrence teaches me that hard work gets you places, Kieron teaches me that consistency is your best friend in business (and life), Brandon teaches me that mastery doesn’t come overnight. I’m grateful to have a lot of people to look to for inspiration; there isn’t one source.
Why do you think travel and journeys are important?
I haven’t been abroad for the last two years (I don’t even know where my passport is), but I can definitely say that travel is so so necessary. It allows you time and space to explore different surroundings, dialects, cultures, and I think it’s a big part of developing yourself as an individual.
Tell us a country you really enjoyed visiting?
I’ve been to Jamaica, Belgium, France, Holland, Italy, Spain, USA but I think the most valuable time I’ve spent abroad probably has to be the two weeks I spent in Japan. I went from Tokyo to Himeji to Nara to Nagoya to Hakone to Hiroshima, literally all over the country. Being that far away from home, taking everything in, and learning everything about the country and the people along the way was literally the best thing.
What’s been your best & worst holiday experience?
My worst trip started off good and well. I was shooting for Rachel Foxx at a REC Fest in Rotterdam, and I got to see her, Danny Brown, and Joey Bada$$ perform. But it ended with me losing a hard drive, missing a flight, and an 18 hour trip back to London by coach and ferry.
What was your favourite thing about the BNVE shoot, and what was it like shooting on the day?
It was great seeing and having a team working hard to bring the brand vision to life. Everything from the mood boards to the phone calls to the actual photoshoot was so professional and well thought through (and that’s always a big help to the photographer).
What’s your favourite collection piece and why?
I’m a graphic tee fiend! So the t-shirts are definitely a bit of me.
Check out more of STFN’s work on his site and his shots for our first collection here.