Born in London, England, 1943, during the Blitz and a victim of repeated air bombing raids, Shaun’s eardrums suffered extreme damage and he was effectively deaf until a new procedure was invented after the war. Challenged by this impaired hearing in his early years, his heightened visual awareness commanded an extra sense of perception.
Shaun had the luxury of experiencing life under extraordinary circumstances, growing up with such fascinating parents–his mother, Doorn van Steÿn, an accomplished actress and international ice skating star, and his stepfather, the well known actor Roger Moore. Beyond the celebrity and glamour, his parents provided him the great opportunity of adventure and travel, introducing distant cultures and languages, and indoctrinated him as a citizen of the world.
In 1955, Shaun moved to the young state of Israel, where he furthered his study of the visual arts. It was at this time he got his first camera, a Brownie, which used 120 film. Thus he embarked at an early age on a journey to capture unique imagery. His first photos in Israel included Roman archaeological sites such as, Ceasaria, to the deserted Arab dwellings of Jaffa and various Kibbutzim. Eventually, this mission spanned the globe, taking him to iconic lands where he captured innovative compositions of light and subject.