Stephen Ferry was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. His father, David Ferry, is a respected poet and translator, and his mother, Anne Ferry, now deceased, was a distinguished scholar of English literature. By the age of 12, Stephen was passionate about photography, and attached himself to a nearby photo store and lab where he learned to develop and print.

After graduating from Brown University with a BA in history,  Stephen joined the GAMMA photo agency first in NYC and then in Paris. Since the late 1980’s, he has traveled to dozens of countries, covering social and political change, human rights, and the environment. He has worked extensively in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Northern Africa, covering such issues as the fall of Communism, the rise of radical Islam, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

A fluent Spanish speaker, Stephen has developed a deep understanding of Latin American culture, society and politics over 20 years of covering the region.  He currently is based in Bogotá and dedicated to long-term coverage of Colombia’s civil war.

Stephen’s work has received numerous prizes and honors, including two World Press photo awards, and many prizes in the Photo of the Year and Best of Photojournalism contests. He has received grants and fellowships from the National Geographic Expeditions Council, the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation, the Fund for Investigative Journalism, the Alicia Patterson Foundation, the Howard Chapnick Fund, and the Knight International Press Fellowship.

Stephen is an active teacher of documentary practice as a member of the faculty of the Fundacion para un Nuevo Periodismo Iberoamericano (FNPI), in Colombia, and the International Center of Photography in NYC.  He also regularly works as a photographic consultant to Latin American newspapers.