Exposure: Svacher

I've been following Stephanie Vacher's photo stream on Flickr for a long while now, as she is one of my contacts, and it is amazing to see how much her skill grows and develops with every photo. My all time favorite series of hers are the photos she took in her Industrial Design classroom at Emily Carr. The way she captures her classmates through lens is so personal and magical.

She includes many details in her photos such as the class notebooks, supplies, drawings and etc that directly grasp all the factors that entangle her every-day life at Emily Carr. Her continual stream of food photos keep my taste buds seeping with envy but also keep me engaged. Ms.Vacher can always pursue a career as a cuisine photographer if industrial design doesn't fall through.

How come you chose to study industrial design over photography?
I took some time off in between high school and post-secondary, and I think that gave me a lot of breathing room to sit back and consider what I really want to do as a career. I love industrial design because I like to make things; drafting 3d concepts and producing them is stressful but rewarding. Photography is different - it's therapeutic and classically two-dimensional. I hate to sound cheesy, but the thing I love about photography is that I can use my camera to capture an event and make it timeless. That's pretty cool.

What inspired you to take up the art of photo taking in the first place?
I'm not sure. I'd like to use a different word - let's go with motivation, or drive. I feel driven to take photos, or motivated to outperform myself to do it better than the last time. The same goes with drawing, or design, or any of the artistic avenues that I'm keen to explore. As for photography, the process of taking a photograph is pretty easy. It's simple to learn what all of the buttons do, and how to develop and print film. The hard part is pushing oneself, or being persistent enough to find the right shot.

What camera do you use and do you wish to upgrade?
I shoot with a Nikon, I have an old Nikkormat 35mm that my mom used in the 70's, and a (digital) D80. I'm pretty satisfied with the quality of shots I get out of the d80, but it would be silly of me to turn down the thought of upgrading to better equipment. The D3 looks like an extraordinary camera, and I think I would sell my first-born child for a 17-35 f/2.8 - or, I'd save up. The latter looks to be a more practical solution. Also I don't have any kids.

Does your environment affect the product of your photos or your own inner emotions?
That's tricky. I take photos of what I see, the things that I experience, and the people who happen to be there at the right time. That's purely environmental, and can carry emotion - I think the two elements are like two sides of a sheet of paper. One can't have one without the other, but you can't always see the other side.

Is photography part of your every-day life? Do you feel guilty if you miss to take a picture of something fascinating?
My camera comes everywhere with me. I don't feel guilty if I miss something. Another something will happen again, I'm sure.

What do you think it is about a classroom environment that's so amazing to photograph (referring to your Emily Carr photos)?
Tracking progress is really spectacular, and I mean that literally. I'm interested in the concepts of development and progress, and I want to watch these events flourish. The design program at ECI is full of brilliant and visionary people with an amazing amount of potential, and I don't want to see that go without notice. I'd like to think that someone could look at these photos and say "Wow, these people are really accomplishing something."

You photograph food a lot, is it to capture the memory of the taste?
Food makes for a good model, it doesn't put up much of a fuss.