Stephen Blue grew up in Deltaville. He played Little League and with the Deltaville Deltas, got out on the water, and was part of a community he describes as one that makes things happen — not by accident, but because people show up.

He left for college at VCU in Richmond, then took a job in the IT department at Dominion in downtown Richmond. Not long after, an opportunity came to bring those skills back to this area in a local government role. He took it, and spent the next 13 years there.

The whole time, he was also building something else.

FROM HOBBY TO FULL-TIME BUSINESS

Photography started as a passion. Over five to six years, it grew into a series of side jobs — real estate, yachts, action sports — picking up more work each year while he kept his day job. In 2021, Stephen went full-time.

“That is really an example of something that can be done in a lot of different niches in Middlesex County,” he says. “There are so many unfilled talent gaps that could be filled by the right person with the right skill set that is going to be in demand here.”

His business is now rooted in three specialties: real estate photography, yacht photography, and action sports — all of which have a natural market in a county built around water and outdoor recreation.

DELTAVILLE LIGHTS

Most people in Middlesex County know Stephen Blue from something that has nothing to do with his camera.

The Deltaville Lights display started as a hobby at his parents’ house when he was a kid. His senior year of high school, it moved to a vacant piece of land in the middle of town. It has grown ever since and now runs more than 180,000 lights in an interactive display that draws visitors each holiday season.

Stephen doesn’t do it alone. He puts out the call for help in local community groups and gets a dozen volunteers to show up — raising the 20-foot walk-in tree, setting poles, carrying components. When a manufacturer of a key component went out of business, Atlantic Metals, a metal fabrication company in Topping, stepped in. He brought them a sample of what he needed. A few days later, they had it made.

“It’s great just to have the support of people and businesses. That’s really what this community is all about.”

ON BUILDING A BUSINESS HERE

Stephen is also on the board of the Deltaville Community Association, which runs the town park, swimming pool, and community center. He helps with the 5K, the fireworks, the Christmas programs, and other events throughout the year.

He sees the connection between community involvement and business success as direct.

“The businesses and the people here, they’re going to support a good business and a hardworking business that comes in here, fills a needed gap, and really builds the personal relationships with the clients and the residents of the community.”

His take on Middlesex for anyone thinking about making a move:

“There are so many unfilled talent gaps that could be filled by the right person with the right skill set.”

Stephen Blue Photography Deltaville, Virginia

Rising Tide: The Stories That Build Our County is a video series from the Middlesex County EDA featuring the entrepreneurs and business owners shaping Middlesex’s economic future.