This week’s chapter and the final instalment for this year’s 20 year CCP birthday celebrations is certainly “old school”. Not totally old school in the CCP at Stepney sense, because Lucy Spartalis started here with the new award at the CCP in Marleston not long after we’d moved here in 2004 with Lucy commencing her studies two years later in 2006 with a single Introduction to Photography and going pretty much full time after that.

“Old school” however because Lucy I know still shoots film for her preferred personal projects and Lucy also has a strong aeons-old friendship with two Stepney and therefore “old award” former students Mark Zed (who now lectures here), and Bianka Feo (CCP class of 2004) who actively encouraged Lucy to enrol for study at the CCP. Funnily enough, I believe that while here, Lucy also befriended another CCP (*citation needed) legendary former student and now lecturer, Jessica Eckermann with Lucy photographing Jess’ wedding in 2010 – such is the family-like atmosphere that rolls here at the CCP.

I first encountered Lucy as a student in Term 3 2006 as an Introduction to the Darkroom student where she excelled with the chemistry and output. I reconnected with Lucy’s work in her Camera 1 class the following Term where again I was impressed with the breadth of her image making, and already then Lucy was showing a very strong interest in photographing people. By then I was intrigued with the Spartalis persona because clearly this was a person who in my opinion had the potential for greater things as indicated by her work, personality and drive and I was again graced by her presence as a student of mine when we were together for some of her Diploma subjects after qualifying for the Certificate IV in 2006.

Lucy graduated from the CCP in 2008 with her Diploma in Photoimaging and since then, her career has gone great guns and it’s one of life’s professional pleasures to be following past students’ careers vicariously and also when they keep in touch with their current exploits. I barely see Lucy these days since moving to Melbourne in 2009, however it’s always a pleasure to catch up whenever Lucy is back in town and I can be fitted into her hectic schedule.

With my association with the CCP, I feel incredibly privileged to share peoples’ lives, their trials and tribulations, their successes and frustrations and my relationship with Lucy is no different – Lucy is certainly living her dream and although former students often thank me  “for making it all happen for me”, I always have to remind them that they actually do it for themselves and we at the CCP are merely along for the ride. Yes we make doors to open available for everyone, however it takes fortitude to open it…and Lucy Spartalis has opened her door very wide.

Award winning photographer, destination weddings, someone to keep on your radar and now well a travelled wonderful friend, Lucy Spartalis has the floor with her pearls of insight to take us into the new year with (more than) 10 questions.

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