Stephanie Schoyer Inspiring the Eye

Click, click. Now pause. A little to the left. Click, click. There! One picture that captures a moment becomes the cornerstone of inspiration for ib designs. In this moment, with the zoom of her lens and clicking shutter of her camera, Stephanie Schoyer captured a protective father holding his vivacious island boy. This image depicts a family full of love, life, joy and happiness. These are feelings infused into ib’s designs and Schoyer’s life work. Emotion is a part of human nature and connects us to each other. Through her lens in a moment of time, Stephanie Schoyer encapsulates a human emotion so pure it translates across cultures.

Stephanie Schoyer is a Bohemian by nature, self-taught photographer and artist by choice. She was raised in a wonderfully artistic household on St. Croix, where she lived, laughed and created art for 52 years. She is a proud mother of two sons and grandmother to, as she describes, “one of the coolest babies ever”. Her love for photography started as a school child. She was pulled out of class and asked to model at The Buccaneer Hotel for Children’s Vogue. She describes the day as one filled with laughter, playing dress up and frolicking on the beach with other children. Her beloved father, Toby, was also an accomplished artist. He would often encourage her to dress in costumes and pose as his subject in photographs and paintings. When she received her first camera in 1989, she was moved. At this time, Schoyer transformed from the subject to artistic creator. Her world inspired her to perfect her craft, which is reflected in her photographs.

The clicking shutter and knowledge she has captured that one special frame, exhilarates Schoyer. She gathers her inspiration from life and the world around her. Schoyer captures a sort of mysticism in her photographs. In the image to the right, one can imagine the life this house once had and the mystery as to why is was lost.  The beauty is in the details, the rust, decay and the chipping of the once vibrant Caribbean paint. In contrast, the house is surrounded by vine and flowers; by life. It has a magic, which creates palpable character from something nonliving. The third image uses the elegant curvature of the female’s back and neck to highlight the intricate necklace design. Whether she is capturing the style and grace of jewelry, the charm of an old house or emotions of people, Schoyer urges her audience to feel.

Schoyer has recently relocated to the mainland US, however; her inspiration continues to blossom. She is looking forward to connecting with galleries and featuring her new creations. Some of her inspired ideas range from an Alice in Wonderland tea party, to models in ball gowns with teddy bear heads. She also has her sights set on recapturing the Jazz Festival in New Orleans. One can imagine the excitement, the rush of the crowd and exuberant patrons celebrating art.  The creativity is endless. Schoyer describes herself as being the happiest when she’s behind the camera or covered in paint, glue and glitter.

One picture taken many years ago intertwines two artistic stories. Stephanie Schoyer and ib designs’ both use life, emotions and feeling as their mediums. ib evokes a tangible feeling through jewelry pieces. Schoyer evokes emotion through a photograph. The stage and characters are constantly evolving, however; the celebration of life remains constant. They take their inspiration, convert it to art and leave behind their legacy for future generations. Schoyer explains it perfectly, “Do what makes you happy. Period.”

ib inspired;

Kimberly Hummers

Find Stephanie Schoyer at www.schoyer.com and instagram @schoyerphotography