Sara Stathas: Focus Photography Lecture

by Steffen Francisco

Sara Stathas was a guest of the Focus Photography Club here at UW-Milwaukee.  One of the biggest takeaways that I got from her talk was how she saw something she was interested in and pursued it herself rather than requiring formal training.  Though she does have formal education in painting, her work in photography is what has made her well known as well as being largely self-taught. 

Her editorial style is key to her appeal.  While her topics range widely across many different subjects and genres, it is her unique eye to composition and the use of light that makes her images compelling.  In many ways the background in painting can be seen in the use of color and light throughout her images.

Additionally, hearing about the path of editorial photography was an interesting counter-note to the heavily art based curriculum we are generally exposed to in the bachelor of fine arts programs for photography.  Having multiple paths to take towards a stable career in the arts can certainly be useful for different artists.  Sara’s emphasis on making connections, networking and always taking the opportunity to promote and work was also a key takeaway from the talk.