Fotograf Ed Mash

—Først og fremmest - hvem kan du navngive som den bedste fotograf i Exeter, Storbritannien? :)

—That's such a personal choice for clients. Here in Exeter there are different styles to choose, and different personalities. Clients should pick someone they're comfortable with on the BIG day

—Er du fotogen?

—Photographers don't appear in many pictures do they....i find it hard to judge an image of myself! I keep getting invited back to parties so I cant be that bad :)

—Hvordan blev du en del af fotografiindustrien?

—Initially I only photographed weddings of close friends, and people I knew, but by personal recommendation the demand has grown....so I made the leap!

—Hvad er de vigtigste komponenter i et godt billede efter din mening?

—I think a great photograph has resonance, and shares something with the viewer. Personally if it makes me say 'WOW' or smile, or conveys an idea then it's attractive.

—Elsker du at rejse?

—YES. I've travelled a great deal.....every continent except Antarctica....and I still have a thirst for those unusual out of the way places.

—Hvad kan du bedst lide ved dit fag?

—I love seeing the world through a lens, it brings me close to people, and the important events in their lives. It's a real privilege

—Hvad synes du mindre godt om ved dit fag?

—Missing a special moment.....you can see the image in your mind, and you know you haven't got it...its very disappointing.

—Hvordan ser fremtiden ud for fotografering?

—Technology is changing cameras, in the future the processing power of the computer will be more integrated into the camera body, with better colour processing, and skin tone rendition.

—Hvad er der specielt ved den fotografigenre, du specialiserer dig i?

—I love wedding photography, everyone is dressed up, smiling, and determined to have a great time. The atmosphere is exciting and clients are always happy to engage with the camera.

—Hvordan håndterer du kritik?

—....I haven't received any so far from clients, but I did have a co worker who was brutally critical of everything I did. Its important to listen, be objective, and use it as a learning process.

—Er der nogen tendenser inden for fotografering?

—I think there is a tendency to use deep apertures, and sharpness as its an inherent part of the digital world. However I always appreciate a photographer who can skilfully handle a shallow aperture to tell the viewer exactly where to look (Sorry that was a technical answer!)

—Hvad bør kriterierne være for en kunde, der skal vælge en fotograf?

—Choose a style of photography that speaks to you personally and best encapsulates your values. Also go for the best budget you can afford...a good photographer will make memories you'll look back on for the rest of your life.

—Hvilke ting er slet ikke tilladt under fotograferingen?

—Never force a situation...never make people feel uncomfortable, dress for the wedding and blend into the guests to capture those discreet moments.

—Hvilke detaljer, der som regel går ubemærket hen, vil en fotograf bemærke?

—I think unnoticed details is a fault in a wedding photographer, great photographers are masters of seeing, rather than just looking.

—Hvad påvirker værdien af et foto? Hvilke elementer indeholder det?

—A valuable photo is very much of its time. It's not a wedding photo but Frank Cappas photo "falling Soldier" taken during the Spanish civil war stopped me in my tracks. It's a painful subject but it has always fascinated and haunted me at the same time, you think of the victim, the photographer standing in a war with a camera, and the soldier who fired the bullet.

—Hvilken person kan være symbolet på det 21. århundrede efter din mening?

—There are so many.....Ghandi probably made the most significant difference to the largest amount of people, so numerically he's top of the list.

—Hvem vil du gerne fotografere?

—No one springs to mind, but I'm confident I could draw out the best in anyone......so long as they wanted to work with me!

—Har du nogen professionelle tabuemner?

—I don't believe you should step to far from reality in post production. IMHO over processed photo's don't stand the test of time.

—Hvem ville du gerne fotografere sammen med?

—Working in a team, or with a partner can be immensely rewarding, I'm always happy working with talented people with ideas and enthusiasm.

—Hvad bekymrer du dig om, og hvorfor?

—Its a worry trying to cover the increasing cost of, cameras, lenses, hard disk storage, and computers. Most clients are unaware of this. For instance at the last wedding I photographed my equipment totalled 25K (that said Ive got the best kit in the world, and that's to be expected on the big day)

—Hvad har været det mest imponerende øjeblik i dit liv?

—The birth of my first son.

—Hvis du var en animeret figur, en fiktiv person eller en person i en film, hvem ville du så være, og hvorfor?

—Great question! Put me down as Harry Potter, I like the glasses, and the wand would be very useful on shoots.

—Hvem inspirerer dig i dit liv, og hvorfor?

—I don't think there's one person, but I'm also a painter, and so art, paintings, and ideas, have always been a constant source of inspiration.

—Hvordan definerer du succes? Hvordan måler du det?

—It's hard to quantify success but I have all the important things I need in my life already.

—Foretrækker du, at folk kan lide dig, eller at de respekterer dig?

—I always strive for high end results so for me its more important to be liked for the person I am, and the body of my work. If people don't respect me there's not much I can do about it.

—Hvad er den største fejl, du nogensinde har begået i dit arbejde?

—Missing THE shot!

—Når du skal rejse, hvad tager du så med dig, og hvorfor?

—When I was 23 a good friend gave me a copy of "Four Quartets" by T.S Eliot. Its slim and fits in every rucsac or camera bag. I only carry it when I'm travelling but its quixotic view of infinity constantly surprises me with its relevance in new locations.

—Er der noget, du ville ønske, du ikke havde købt blandt de tingester, som du ejer? Hvorfor?

—I don't like phone calls when I'm working so I have to say the mobile phone....I know that's heretical these days!

—Hvordan uddanner du dig selv til at tage bedre billeder?

—Research is a big part of expanding your skill set. I'm constantly looking to develop and expand through experimentation with the camera or computer, or both.

—Hvis arbejde har haft størst indflydelse på dig som fotograf?

—I think I'm influenced by many images rather than one photographer in person.

—Hvad er det eneste, du ville ønske, du vidste, da du begyndte at tage billeder?

—More computer skills:)

—Hvad vil du gerne fortælle med dine fotografier?

—Intimacy and resonance are very important, but also a sense of place....images are like time capsules I want people to look back and feel connected with the images, again and again.

—Hvad motiverer dig til at fortsætte med at tage billeder?

—There's always a sense of the perfect shot being around the next corner, something more special, more romantic, more FUN.....so I keep searching.

—Burde dine forældre have været mere eller mindre strikse?

—My parents were very relaxed and open minded in their guidance....so I guess a tiny bit more strictness might have been a good thing?

—Hvis du kunne gå tilbage i tiden, hvad ville du så gøre anderledes?

—I'm a very positive person and I think reflection on the past can be self absorbing so I prefer to embrace the future.

—Hvad med liv på andre planeter?

—Definitely...sadly due to deep time its going to be very hard to find.

—Hvem er dine helte?

—I've mentioned Ghandi but I'd happily add Leonardo Da Vinci, Einstein, Marie Curie, Dickens, Tesla, Jane Austen.

—Hvem har du ingen respekt for?

—The tiny minded despots who've sacrificed millions of lives in vain.

—Hvad laver du i din fritid?

—Well the camera's always with me out walking, or at art galleries, meeting up with friends, and of course with my family. At home I love to cook, and my garden is a small oasis.

—Hvilken side af dig viser du aldrig offentligt?

—Its always good to keep your professional side towards the public, but if I'm honest I'm a bit shy so I keep that well hidden.

—Hvornår er du helt tilfreds med dit arbejde?

—Tough question......i need to learn to stop tweaking.

—Tror du på de traditionelle mande- og kvinderoller?

—I'm not really a traditional person, and having had a very liberal background I trust other people to make the choices that are best suited to them and their perception of gender.

—Har du let ved at få nye venner?

—Yes I make friends easily and I'm very lucky in the friends I have, I still have all my school friends:)

—Hvor vil du gerne bo?

—I live in Devon so I'm spoilt by beautiful coastline in every direction, and two very different national parks. This is a great base for getting the work life balance just right. I'm happy right here.

—Hvad er det dummeste, du nogensinde har indvilget i at gøre?

—So many things.

—Er der liv efter ægteskabet?

—Personally speaking I'm divorced so YES :)

—Har du en yndlingsvittighed? Fortæl den til os.

—" I've gone on the Whisky Diet-I've lost four days already" Tommy Cooper

—Kan du lide hunde eller katte?

—Dogs

—Hvem eller hvad hader du?

—The art of forgiveness means you don't have to hate anyone, it so unhealthy to carry that emotion around inside you.

—Det bedste ved livet er:

—Sharing

—Det mest irriterende ved livet er:

—Climate change.

—Er der nogen ting rundt omkring, som du gerne vil ændre?

—Personally not much, but politics, world affairs, and the environment are concerns for me.... greater awareness and action by the majority would be a step in the right direction.

—Hvad vil du gerne ændre ved dig selv?

—I feel its better to work with what you've got.

—Hvad vil du gerne ændre i verden?

—A greater sense of balance with the environment.

—Kan du give et par råd til de fotografer, som lige er startet?

—If you know where to point a camera, then its easy to learn the technical aspects as you progress. Until then trust your instincts, appreciate your own talent, and go and grab as much experience as you possibly can.

—Hvis nogle rumvæsner kom til jorden, og du var den første person, de mødte, hvad ville du så sige til dem?

—Watch out for the others!

—Hvis du bliver spurgt, om du vil indspille en film, hvilken genre vil det så være?

—Science Fiction

—I morgen tager jeg ud og...

—Put the house in order and get organised.