Photographer;
Born: March 24, 1960; Died: February 25, 2011.
The photographer Steve Lindridge, who last month died of a heart attack just a few weeks shy of his 51st birthday, was famed for his cowboy hat, but he was certainly no maverick. Thanks to his acclaimed skills behind the camera, his innate enthusiasm for life, and his ability to put people of all ages and backgrounds at their ease, he had established himself as one of Scotland’s most renowned and loved photographers.
Within the corporate sphere, Mr Lindridge had, in recent years, worked for clients ranging from Scottish Enterprise and Visit Scotland to Dell Computers and the BBC. However, it is as a talented sports and news photographer that he will be best remembered, his work having appeared in most Scottish newspapers, and also the Sunday Times for some 12 years. He enjoyed a particularly fruitful relationship with Commonwealth Games Scotland, uniquely accompanying the Scottish team to Kuala Lumpar (1998), Manchester (2002), Melbourne (2006) and Delhi (2010). His popularity among members of the Scottish team was such that, last year, Sir Chris Hoy chose Mr Lindridge to be his official wedding photographer.
“He could charm the most difficult VIP and coax the shyest athlete, making him so much more than just one of a band of photographers,” according to the head of media for Commonwealth Games Scotland, Katriona Bush. “I know he took as much pride and passion in Team Scotland’s success as any of us and was already looking forward to Glasgow 2014 when the Games would be on his home patch.” Mr Lindridge’s admiration for Scotland’s sporting stars inspired an exhibition of his work which was launched at the Scottish Parliament in March 2007. Sporting Heroes subsequently went on to tour the country, before arriving in Glasgow just as the city was awarded the right to host the 2014 Games.
Although the Salisbury-born Mr Lindridge had seen much of the world during his lifetime — from a childhood in Saudi Arabia to travels in Morocco, Australia, Thailand, Spain and France — he was happy to make Perth, Scotland his home. A lifelong enthusiasm for sailing ensured he became an active and supportive member of the Dalgety Bay Sailing Club where, according to Commodore Donald Adrain, he had successfully “worked his way through dinghies and keelboats, taking the dunkings and relishing the thrills of bright breezy days with equal enthusiasm”. When not giving his time to the club’s youth week or its regular Tuesday night training sessions, he would most likely be found out on the water, quite possibly with a camera in his hand.
Strengthed by his strong Christian faith, he had most recently supported the work of Lemon Aid, a charity — established by the evangelical Vine Church — which is helping the survivors of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Following two earlier trips to the troubled island, he had been due to fly out again later this month, and was already planning to photograph some of the horrific living conditions Haitians (especially women and children) are still having to endure in the island’s tented ‘cities’. It was typical of the man that he wanted to use his talents to help those in need.
He is survived by his wife Lisa, his son Aidan and daughter Rhianna, his mother Rita and brothers Alan and David.
