Says Steakley, "Art is so challenging. One has to work their way through all of the many influences and techniques until it becomes a personal statement that also has a broad-based appeal. I love it when other people respond to my work!" He feels like he works all of the time. Even when he’s traveling, he’s always on the lookout for new images. But creating art does not seem like work to him; says the artist, "It’s more of a lifestyle."

Steakley’s work hangs in many private galleries, and has exhibited at the Fireside Gallery at the Highland Inn; the Conference Center in Monterey, CA; Friends of Photography in Carmel; and Pacific Grove Art Center.

His work has won the Ansel Adams Award for Environmental Photography from The Sierra Club, and is collected by numerous corporations. His work also appears at Pebble Beach and in Doris Day’s hotel in Carmel.