About Me

Steve Jessmore is a Michigan-based bird photographer and conservation-minded visual storyteller whose work focuses on freshwater ecosystems, watersheds, and disappearing habitat across the Great Lakes region. A lifelong photojournalist, he spent more than three decades working at daily newspapers before transitioning to freelance photography in 2018.

During the disruption of the COVID era, Jessmore turned his lens toward birds, rediscovering both purpose and patience through repeated, close observation. His photography now centers on the quiet, daily lives of birds and the fragile environments they depend on, emphasizing the importance of access, stewardship, and community-protected natural spaces.

Jessmore’s work has been published by National Audubon, including an assigned story on endangered Great Lakes Piping Plovers and a self-generated project documenting birdlife along a public boardwalk in East Grand Rapids, Michigan. His long-term projects explore how conservation decisions — or the lack of them — shape the future of local habitats.

Working under his trademarked project Birds Doing Stuff, Jessmore uses humor, curiosity, and visual storytelling to invite broader audiences into conservation conversations. He continues to photograph throughout Michigan in all seasons, often returning to the same locations hundreds of times, building narratives rooted in time, place, and persistence.

Some of my recent clients include: National Audubon Society, Michigan Audubon, Ducks Unlimited, The Detroit Institute of Arts, Flint Cultural Center, General Motors, MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, EGR Friends of the Library, Alma College, Central Michigan University, Michigan State University,  Gift of Life Michigan, Courtyard Marriott- Mt. Pleasant, Michigan Department of Military & Veterans Affairs, Ferris St. University, Western Michigan University, Northwood Institute, Centralight Magazine, Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth and the Michigan United Way.