Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Well, I'm in good morning, Fort McMurry, wood, Buffalo, and the rest of the world. You've tuned into the Mac CD morning show. I'm your host, Elliot Pierre. And we're going to start the show off the same way we start every episode off with a moment of gratitude. I know you could be doing a million other things with your time. And the fact that you spend with us truly does mean the world to me. So thank you on that note, Tanner hit him with the intro.
Speaker 1 00:00:22 Oh, she caught me, loves near listened to the next any morning show.
Speaker 0 00:00:30 All right. And we are back. I'm excited about today's guest. Uh, we've been chatting a little bit, but for the most part, complete stranger and you know, I love to meet new people. So on that note, uh, you also know I don't introduce my guests because they can do a better job of that than myself. So can you please tell everybody at home who you are and what your,
Speaker 3 00:00:46 Um, my name is Vanessa bell Tran and I am a photographer and embroider. And, uh, I've been in Fort McMurray since 2006.
Speaker 0 00:00:55 Okay. So we were chatting, but I was like, don't tell me anything. So I've got lots of questions, cause I didn't want to know about what you do or how you do it or how you got into it. So now I can actually ask, let's talk about the embroidery first. Like what do you embroider? How does that work? Do you use a machine? Are you using your hands? Everything in border, you please.
Speaker 3 00:01:14 So everything I make is handmade. So I stitch, um, I like more of what's called, um, embroidery painting, which basically I use one thread and I stitch along the picture and make it as a whole, but you're going one thread at a time. Whereas like, uh, embroidery machines, we'll just do it like very, very quickly. Um, a small piece for me would probably take me a week and uh, currently I'm doing a portrait and that one been taking me a few months. Um, cause I can only spend so much time with it, with like my kids. Right. Um, but it's probably been probably over like 50 hours already on it. Wow. So yeah, it takes, it takes
Speaker 0 00:02:00 It's a lot of time, like a portrait, like somebody supplied you with a picture and then you're like, okay. Yeah. And so like, are you putting it on like a canvas like that? Or is it on a t-shirt like where, where where's this taking place?
Speaker 3 00:02:12 Um, so right now it's in like cotton. So like a regular t-shirt fabric, not too stretchy, but picture like your button up shirts, that type of material. Um, and then the piece that I'm making right now is for my mom. Um, and it's like the first portrait that I am making to like introduce it to my, um, my art, I guess, uh, for people to ask if they want them. Um, but that one, um, I try to use recyclable materials. So I'm all about upcycling and recycling. Um, so that one will be made out of a shirt, um, that I cut up into the piece and basically stitched it. So I'll grab a picture, I'll trace it out the shadows and highlights and then transfer it to the medium, which could be canvas or cotton. Okay. And then started tracing it out. Cool.
Speaker 0 00:03:01 How'd you get into that?
Speaker 3 00:03:03 Um, I started wanting to do it when I was pregnant with my first, um, I was on mat leave. Um, it was towards the end of, um, uh, towards the end of my pregnancy, I guess. Um, I really wanted to do something once I had her. Like, I didn't want to just be sitting, not doing anything at home kind of thing. Um, and I love the bonnets cause I started buying them for her, the little coupon it's um, and I was like, oh, I want to embroider on them. So I started practicing and stuff like that. Um, and that was my first goal. I was like, I want to do bonnets and Boyd or bonnets. Right. Sowings not, for me, it's just, I've tried. And my mother's a sort of stress, but it's just not the thing for me. And um, eventually I transitioned to just going on the hoop and doing that, but that's where I started and the name of, um, my page is actually my daughter's name. Okay. So her name is Ellen rose and the page Ellen Rosen design.
Speaker 0 00:04:03 Very cool.
Speaker 4 00:04:04 Very hard to explain how you don't have favorites though.
Speaker 3 00:04:09 Ma well, they're both my favorite. I love them both. Um, but uh,
Speaker 0 00:04:14 The second page, we'll get a second kid in
Speaker 3 00:04:16 There. I, I, I love them both very differently. Um, my first week we had her, uh, through IVF, so she was a long time coming and like her name, everything like it's, it was very, very special and are stuck in, is very special and very saucy in her own little ways. Nice.
Speaker 0 00:04:37 So, so now in regards to that's one component of what, like you're doing, the other component is photography. So what do you shoot with, what do you, I knew that was coming.
Speaker 3 00:04:49 I have to, so I started with a rebel, um, and then I, um, went to a 60 is 60 is what I have cannon. And then I got a mark five D mark three. I'm always bad with them, like with the names, but it's Kevin. Yeah,
Speaker 4 00:05:09 I know. Yeah. I know everything if she shoots full frame, so it still can. And so we all make mistakes, but she's getting good. Take pictures out of them, for sure.
Speaker 0 00:05:17 What's your own mind? You
Speaker 4 00:05:20 Know, I own a Nikon D 50,
Speaker 0 00:05:22 Right? C Tanner's a big Nikon guy.
Speaker 4 00:05:25 Yeah. Including the three Nikons we filmed this show with. Right.
Speaker 0 00:05:28 So I use Canon when I go out and do my work as well. And then we tried using Sony didn't work so well for us not say Sony is a bad brand. I love, I like Sony and I liked the products and I want to throw shade, but it just didn't work out for us too bad. Nobody told
Speaker 4 00:05:44 You that. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:05:46 But everyone's so different though. Cause like, um, my dad, my dad had a cannon and he, yeah, it was like the old school ones and he loved it and that's, that's how he took pictures of us growing up kind of thing. And um, he had like the slides. Okay. So like, I, I don't know how many times I've seen his book and stuff like that, but he started with Canon. So I went to cannon probably if I would have started with an icon, I might've thought I used a cannon AF uh, a Nikon after using a Canon. And they're horrible
Speaker 4 00:06:21 On the other side of
Speaker 3 00:06:21 The road, it's so different. It's like
Speaker 4 00:06:23 Backwards. Everything is literally backwards. I've
Speaker 3 00:06:26 Heard people, it's like, oh, what do you recommend? And it's like, look, read about both of them, read about what's out there. And then pick one because if you pick one and then switch, it's a pain
Speaker 4 00:06:36 And it's a big pain on your wallet too. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:06:40 Changing. And like, I know there's been photographers in town that have switched and it's like, and they love what they own now. But that's a big change.
Speaker 4 00:06:48 When I worked at photo source, I used to deal with those photographers coming in and changing all of their gear. And when they would want to go from like an icon to a Sony and they were like a legit professional photographer, you were looking at like 15 to $20,000 just to get like bodies, lenses, SD cards, all that switched over to the proper gear.
Speaker 3 00:07:07 Nice. And for like new photographers, like it's not saying that you can't, but it's that like, I would recommend look into it, pick one. And then eventually you can do the transition because starting out if like you pick Canon, it's like, oh, I don't really like it. I want to switch out. It's like, you gotta switch out all your lenses. Even just getting a different Mount. It's impossible within brands. Right.
Speaker 4 00:07:28 That's right. You can get Mount adapters, but that just hurts the quality of what you're doing. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:07:34 So we've had a few photographers on now, what is your, uh, object or a subject that you like to shoot?
Speaker 3 00:07:42 So, um, when I started, I liked the still life was just like taking pictures of products and stuff like that. Um, and then I started getting into people and whatnot. Um, but I've always liked fine art. That's my thing. Art is my, I like my love, I guess. And, um, that's where I'm going back to now. So I'm doing a lot of soul portraits, um, but adding an artistic element to it. And this year I've decided to incorporate the photography and the embroidery together. Okay. That's my ultimate goal for this year is to do a mix, um, visual arts crashed. Okay. So it'll, they'll just weird poses and like, you know,
Speaker 0 00:08:26 You, the major subject, or do you have friends or family members that you are able to get in the picture or like, are you, are you the main subject?
Speaker 3 00:08:35 So, um, currently just because of everything going on, I've taken more self-portraits obviously. Um, but before, which are a lot of the images that I'm printing now for freight the embroidery on, um, it was models or girls that I knew that were into the modeling in town and friends. Okay. That's like, Hey, usually it's funny because I've had that where it's like, I'll see someone and it's just like, I know this is weird, but can I take pictures of you? I'm very awkward at approaching people to just like, I remember even just like going at Earl, so I never heard back, but it was just like, here's my card. It's like, I really want to take pictures of you. Do you mind? Like, would you ever like, uh, yeah, sure. And
Speaker 0 00:09:17 You know, the success rate on that?
Speaker 3 00:09:20 Not just because of me, but if I can it's I, I usually get stuck with an idea and it's like, if I see someone right, I have a friend right now, it's just going to laugh, but it's like, I can see you in this dress with this hairstyle and this prop. And can we please go out and do it? And you know, I still have to do that one, but I have another friend it's like, I really want it in the snow and this red. And we pick, I pick the day and it was like minus 30 something. And she's just like, you know, I love you, but like, you're like killing. Well, it's like, Hey, let's go warm up and whatever. But she was like, shriveling is one of my favorite pictures I've done so far.
Speaker 0 00:10:02 But I was just going to ask like, yeah, she, she, she,
Speaker 3 00:10:06 She loved it, but she's just like, it's always, you just grabbing me to like, get into the water and cold water or just standing in the rain or yeah. Minus weather. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:10:19 You get into photography. Is this something that you've been doing? Like you had a passion since you were younger or like you said, you saw your dad doing it. Is that how it started and how did it progress into you actually doing it to make income?
Speaker 3 00:10:31 Um, it's yes, it started with my dad. Like I said, he, he liked taking pictures of us in the family when the, you know, the cousins all got together. Um, and then up here, I think it was so I'm from Venezuela originally. Okay. Um, so when we decided to move, when I, the year we left, I was taking a lot of pictures. It was like, you know, capturing the memories. Cause I wasn't going to be, I was going to be moving to a different country. Um, and then when we moved up here and I started having friends, they joked around because it was like Vanessa's documenting everything, taking videos of everything and pictures of everything. Yeah. Um, and then I think it would have been 2009. So I moved up here 2006 and 2009. I was like, I want a camera. I really want a camera. I want a bot. You know? So I got one. And then I started with friends and their kids because kids are easy, right. Parents are always going to love pictures of their kids. And I kind of started that way.
Speaker 4 00:11:32 children are not easy to photograph if you're not good with children, children are not easy to photograph.
Speaker 3 00:11:39 When you look at the baby, like the very post that's very hard. It is very hard. But when you capture like a kid running with the ball and like
Speaker 4 00:11:46 A kid playing is different than trying to pose a kid.
Speaker 3 00:11:50 But like, even now, like I would say like, probably my favorite is photographers in town that do like the lifestyle because you capture the kids in their own. Yeah. It's not forced. It's not, you know? Um, and that's kinda where I started was with friends, kids. And then I did a little bit of newborn in the pose, but it was a lot of stress. So it's not my niche. I, I like the end result, but it was a lot of stress just to get them done.
Speaker 0 00:12:20 Very cool. Well, listen, I got a signal from Tanner. That means the segment is ready. It's called the maxi minute. He's going to ask you some questions. I don't know what he's going to ask you. I wish you nothing, but the best luck Tanner hit it with the Mac city minute. Mm
Speaker 4 00:12:32 Okay. Question number one. What is the weirdest thing? You've embroidered
Speaker 3 00:12:37 Weirdest thing. Nothing yet. Like I've, um, it's not weird, but I'm doing a horror piece right now. Like a horror character theme. It's not weird. It's actually funny. Cute
Speaker 4 00:12:47 Question. Number two. What is your favorite part of raising children in Fort McMurray?
Speaker 3 00:12:53 Oh, um, I don't know. Um, I think having friends, uh, that become your second family to see them interact with, there are my friends. Kids is pretty sweet.
Speaker 4 00:13:07 Okay. Question number three. What is the most interesting thing you've gotten to take a photo of?
Speaker 3 00:13:16 Uh, I don't know. Everything's interesting. I think
Speaker 4 00:13:20 Question number four. What was your first, one of your first thoughts from arriving in Fort McMurray for the first time,
Speaker 3 00:13:27 But it was very cold and it was August 17th and I was wearing two sweaters and yeah, I was wearing two sweaters and it was like 17 degrees and I was like, it was freezing. We got out of the plane and I was like, I do not like this winter was much worse.
Speaker 4 00:13:47 Yeah. No doubt. No doubt. Yeah. And your final question, what was your biggest culture shock of getting to Fort McMurray?
Speaker 3 00:13:56 Um, okay. So when I got to Fort McMurray, I was going to say 19. Um, and I had to go back to high school and I had like kids in high school asking me if I was a teacher because of how I was dressed. So the outfits were, I had, there was kids there wearing PJ's and hoodies and I was in grade 12 wearing dress pants, heels on shirt. Right. So I was like, what is this? Like,
Speaker 4 00:14:26 You know,
Speaker 0 00:14:29 Funny. Okay. So, uh, I thought when you said it was cold, I was like, oh, she came in the winter, you came in the summer and couldn't hack it
Speaker 3 00:14:39 August. It was 17. Not so I think it was 17. It
Speaker 0 00:14:42 Ain't cool yet.
Speaker 3 00:14:44 I think it was windy and it was 20 degrees, I think. Cause I was like, mom, this is freezing. Like, I don't know how we're going to live here. You know, I still can't handle the weather.
Speaker 4 00:14:55 So I was born here. I can't handle it either.
Speaker 0 00:14:59 Uh, my, my father and my parents were both from south America, Diana. And um, he doesn't like to winter at all. He can't, he's been here in Canada since like the mid seventies. And he's just like, yeah, no, we're not, we're not doing this cold weather. Like he, he can deal with it obviously, but he doesn't enjoy it.
Speaker 3 00:15:14 Yeah. No, it's, it is one of those things that it's like, you live with it, but it's just like, do you like it?
Speaker 0 00:15:21 I love it. No you don't. I do. I went snowshoe in a few days ago. And when snowboarding
Speaker 4 00:15:28 Minus 10 weather?
Speaker 0 00:15:30 Well, no, I was like, it was cold twenties. Like what? Once it hits like past 30. I don't think anybody like loves it. I deal with it at that point. But yeah, if it's not 30, I enjoy, I enjoy the wind. The wintertime I'll hold you to that. Yeah, I enjoy it. And like, it used to be a lot different in Fort McMurray. My tolerance for the temperature was a lot better when we had all the trees. I find Fort McMurray. Now since the fire, um, we don't have the same tree coverage, so it's really windy here now. And so like when it's windy in the winter, like that's, that's deadly back in the day. It was, we never got wind like this before. So although it was cold, it was a dry cold and it was still air. So I honestly back in the day, minus 30 ish, I could care less. But now with the wind it's it's deadly. Yeah. But yeah. So Venezuela, so explain more about deer outfits when you're going to school in Venezuela, are kids dressing that appropriately for school or did you just didn't know?
Speaker 3 00:16:29 So I was working, um, I was working already and I was manager at a store. And like, you kind of dress up by the school high school and like, you know, from grade one to six, um, we wore uniforms. Oh, it isn't like that.
Speaker 0 00:16:46 both my parents
Speaker 3 00:16:50 That's right. Yeah. So I was in PR it was, I guess, yeah, I was private school, but it was like uniforms and stuff like that. But even public school has to wear a uniform. It's like coming here, it's like, you got to pick what you're going to wear to school every day. What,
Speaker 0 00:17:03 Yeah. How was it like, did you adjust to that too? Were you able to make it worker
Speaker 3 00:17:08 Point? I remember the first time I walked out and I was wearing PJ's, my mom was like, what are you doing? Yeah. It's just like, I don't know. Everyone else is wearing it. It's more comfortable. Like, like whatever, just like Vanessa, like you need to like put some jeans on and like proper shoes or something. It's like, okay. I got fully like submerged into the integrated.
Speaker 0 00:17:30 Now the question is what's what high school did you go to? I
Speaker 3 00:17:33 Went to father Merck. Ah, there we go.
Speaker 0 00:17:35 Proper school. I would follow the merch to Tanner, went to comp and uh, anyways, we ask everybody one
Speaker 4 00:17:41 I'm saying is these Nikon cameras work real good cop kid made that decision.
Speaker 0 00:17:47 There you go. Enjoy show Elliot. Okay. So you went to mark just for one year then?
Speaker 3 00:17:53 Yes. So I graduated, I had graduated in 2004, uh, in Venezuela. And, but when you come up here, when I moved anyways, I had the option to do, um, I think it was two years of English in order to be able to go to university or college where you had to do the one year of high school just to get proper, um, credits and stuff like that. Um, in order to go into college.
Speaker 0 00:18:20 And how did you find it? Did you enjoy the high school experience here?
Speaker 3 00:18:25 You know, it's funny because I was the oldest one and it's like, everyone was like trying to get me to buy booze. I was like, no, like, no, it's
Speaker 0 00:18:31 Just like, you
Speaker 3 00:18:32 Know, it's like, what can I do? What can I not do? And it's just like, but you're like, you know, you're over 18. You can do this without. And like, I'm not going to do it though. But that was the biggest thing like everyone would ask is like, as soon as they found out my age, it's like,
Speaker 0 00:18:48 Yeah, there's cigarettes. Yeah. You got cigarettes. I turned 18 when I was in grade 12. Like, uh, yeah. So I had February, February was my birthday and yeah, so I had a few months of being 18 in high school and it was awesome for me and my friends. We had a great time.
Speaker 3 00:19:06 So they, you know, it's like, they're like, what are you doing here? Why are you so like old? Cause I wasn't, but it's like, why are you here? And it's explaining every time that it's because you know?
Speaker 0 00:19:17 Yeah. Yeah. Cool. That's awesome. Well, listen, that's it. I know you're a little bit nervous, but I was 20 minutes. It flew by. So before I cut you loose though, everybody gets a shameless shout out at the end of the show. So you got the cameras, lights mikes on you.
Speaker 3 00:19:31 Okay. So yeah. So I'm mostly doing embroidery and you can find me at Ellen rose design on Instagram. And my photography page has vintage blossoms photography. Uh, and I'm excited to show what is coming up this year for both sides of the business.
Speaker 0 00:19:49 Yes. There we go. Well, listen, thank you very much for coming on, please. If you want to promote anything else that you have on the go, come back as many times as you want.
Speaker 3 00:19:58 Okay. Cool. Going to regret that. But
Speaker 0 00:20:00 I hope I do. All right. Portman, Murray, wood, Buffalo, and the rest of the world. That's been another episode of the Mac city morning show. Thank you so much for tuning in. It really does mean the world to me. I hope you're having a great day and we'll see you tomorrow. Peace.
Speaker 1 00:20:13 I just dies that desk. Another Mac city morning show Dawn.
Speaker 2 00:20:22 You
Speaker 0 00:20:31 Talk about quenching your ugly thirst.
