Radie Steiner

Photographer Radie Steiner grew up in the Columbus area, where she lived in the country and participated in Bartholomew County 4-H. At age 10, she took her first 4-H photo of a beautiful black woman sitting on a porch swing, capturing the serenity of the moment in a simple black-and-white shot.

From that moment on, she was hooked.

“I just knew from an early age that I had this connection to photography,” says Radie, who now lives in Indianapolis and specializes in rural and urban landscapes, as well as candid, active lifestyle images on metal, canvas, or framed print.

Radie, a former nurse, now spends most of her time on photography and running Steiner Studios Art with her abstract painter husband, Evan. The two share a studio at the Circle City Industrial Complex on the east side, where they show their work year-round.

Radie, a self-taught photographer, decided early on she would never take a photography class.

“I could learn a lot more when it comes to the digital world, and I get help when it comes to the technology side of it, but I refuse to take a photography class,” she says. “Because that, for me, would take the fun out of it. It really is just something that’s a passion.”

Known for her vivid color-splashing techniques on stark black-and-white images, Radie says the method is one of her favorites.

“It makes the one aspect that kind of drew me to it stand out,” she explains. For instance, a gold leaf against a cobblestone street or a vibrant tablecloth hanging on a bleak fall day.

“It has to hit me as interesting. Sometimes I take a picture, and think that really doesn’t wow me,” Radie says.

That’s when the wheels start turning, and the Radie-wow factor kicks in.