May 14, 2021
Q&A With Canadian Photographer Sage Szkabarnicki-Stuart
As this year our photography exhibition is virtual, Arta Gallery director/curator Fay Athari and the Arta Team has curated a series of artist Q&A to introduce all amazing photographers that are part of our Time Lost exhibition.
Today we are having a Q&A with Canadian-based Fine Art photographer Sage Szkabarnicki-Stuart. Her work of primarily self-portraits take a whimsical look at what it's like to be a young adult today.
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Why did you choose to pursue a career as a photographer?
I sort of fell into it after winning a free booth at an art fair. I was taking pictures purely as a way to express myself before and didn’t realize I could actually sell prints of my work. Regardless of whether people buy them or not, photography will always be a medium that I will use to explore different topics.
What is your favorite subject to photograph?
I love photographing urban animals that are accustomed to humans. I never train wild animals. In the city, there are areas where animals have basically trained themselves to use humans to their benefit. my photos are almost always self portraits, but that’s not because I love taking pictures of myself! I’m including myself in pictures with urban animals as a visual story telling tool.
What makes the good picture stand out from the average?
Pictures that stick around in your mind are in my opinion effective images. Generally speaking, it’s photos that tell an incomplete story- you as the viewer have to answer some questions posed by the photograph yourself. A good photo tells you enough about what’s going on without over-explaining. The technical side of photography is almost completely irrelevant outside of whether or not it directly contributes to the story told in the photo.
Whose work has influenced you most?
Benoit Paille inspired me a lot when I started out. He is a photographer who transforms spaces using light and colour.
What type of cameras do you shoot with?
Sony a7riii
What kind of tools do you use for post-processing?
I use capture one and photoshop.
What is the most rewarding part of being a photographer for you?
Being able to say something through a photo and have the message be understood and appreciated by the people looking at it!
