CAMBRIDGE - Sophie Ellen Lachowycz is a fashion and commercial photographer, whose work is imbued with subtle femininity and graciously captured movement. Having recently graduated from Cambridge School Of Art, she has already published photographs in various publications and exhibited a show titled “Sur Les Pointes” (on the tips of the toes), inspired by the beauty of ballet and its expression in fashion. Exploring different aspects of dance, her work carries something of Degas’ sensuous expressiveness projected through a modern lens in a way that makes us all the more excited about her future projects.
Varsity Fashion’s Maria Dimitrova talks to the up and coming photographer about her aspirations and inspirations.
Maria Dimitrova: When did you first get into photography and what was the first picture you ever took (if you remember)?
Sophie Ellen: I can’t pinpoint the first photograph I ever took; photography came into my life without me really noticing it. I started taking photographs of everyday things and it soon became more than a hobby. While I was studying art and textiles for my GCSEs, I decided to pursue photography further and selected it as my chosen course of study at college. It was then that I started to take it more seriously and developed a love for portraiture.
MD: Why photography? What is it about the medium that makes it the best form of expression for you?
SE: I have always been creative and explored many different mediums. I tried to find the one that best suited to me but until I started taking photographs for my projects, nothing seemed to fit. I find that with photography I can express what I want to in a more honest way. When you take a photograph you are capturing a moment of someone’s life and it offers a sense of truth that is hard to find anywhere else. Also, there are no boundaries in photography, you can be extremely creative or quite simple; anything goes! It is also a medium that crosses over very easily with other forms of art. I find it particularly inspiring to working closely with other artists practicing different genres.
MD: What about fashion attracts you as a photographer?
SE: Fashion has always been an underlying interest throughout my work. Personally, I can’t say why exactly, I’m not one to follow fashion really closely, but I feel I can see such beauty in fashion and it is this beauty that I want to express through my photography. With fashion photography, you are bringing together a team of people to create a piece of art, and it’s amazing to work alongside many people that are as enthusiastic as you to get that perfect shot. I think with my fashion photography it is all about capturing the beauty of the model wearing the piece of clothing, and creating an image that may inspire someone else.
MD: There seems to be a recurrent theme of dance in your photography, how do you go about capturing movement in still images?
SE: I was inspired greatly by ballet for my recent body of work ‘Sur Les Pointes’, which was for my final major project at university. I started the project with an aim to create beautiful photographs inspired by both fashion and ballet, bringing them both together and showing the influence they have over each other. I hadn’t ever worked with dancers or movement beforehand but didn’t think anything of it and proved myself wrong! Photographing movement was definitely a challenge for me but I used different techniques to capture it; I also enjoyed working with the talented dancers themselves as they were willing to go the extra mile for the perfect photograph.
Sur Les Pointes
MD: What is more important to you (if you had to pick one), technique or vision?
SE: I think I’d have to pick vision. With me, I find that the idea for the photograph starts to develop in my mind long before I actually take it. I am inspired by so many different things and these all combine to provide a vision in my mind of what I want to create.
MD: How would you describe your shooting style?
SE: Although I try to be very laid back about my work, I am a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to capturing exactly what I want! I think I work well in a team and we all give input into what we do during the shoot; it generally just flows through each look we are photographing. I take a lot of photographs on the day and then process these afterwards, narrowing them down until I get the final story.
MD: Nowadays it’s so easy to show your work on-line. Do you think it’s worth showing your work in-person as well?
SE: No matter how much work I get through my websites, I will always have a print portfolio that I can show people too. I think it’s important to offer to meet someone face to face when they are interested in booking you for a job. It gives you a chance to talk more about your work and explain more than you can online.
MD: Is there any particular model, celebrity, or just anyone you admire, who you’d dream to photograph?
SE: If I could choose to photograph anyone, I would love to raise more awareness about people who have been through tragedies in their lives and have come out fighting. I know this isn’t a typical fashion photographer’s answer but I feel I would like to bring something more honest to the industry.
MD: And any particular fashion photographer you would love to meet/shadow?
SE: I have always been a huge fan of Tim Walker’s work and I think being on set at one of his photo shoots would be an incredible experience as he’s so creative.
MD: What’s next for Sophie Ellen?
SE: After 3 years of studying photography at university, I have been taking a break over the summer, but I’m now ready to pick up my camera again. Currently, I’m going back to basics and exploring with bringing other mediums into my photography, as well as working more on the retouching side of things. I want to create something different and keep on trying new things.
Fashion Icon: Anyone that is happy to wear what they want and not worry about what other people think.
Favourite fashion item: Oversize knitted cardigans & jumpers.
Inspiration: Everything!
Can’t live without: My camera, my family, coffee & my hamster.
If I were a trend, I’d be: Any!
Childhood dream: To be a storm chaser!
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