Fotograf Ed Mash

—Zuallererst - wen können Sie als besten Fotografen in Exeter, Vereinigtes Königreich nennen? :)

—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

—Sind Sie 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 :)

—Wie sind sind zur Fotografiebranche gekommen?

—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!

—Was macht Ihrer Meinung nach ein gutes Foto aus?

—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.

—Reisen Sie gern?

—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.

—Was gefällt Ihnen an Ihrem Beruf am meisten?

—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

—Was gefällt Ihnen an Ihrem Beruf am wenigsten?

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

—Was ist die Zukunft der Fotografie?

—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.

—Was das Besondere an dem Fotografiegenre, auf das Sie sich spezialisiert haben?

—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.

—Wie gehen Sie mit Kritik um?

—....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.

—Gibt es irgendwelche Trends in der Fotografie?

—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!)

—Was sollten die Kriterien für Kunden bei der Wahl eines Fotografen sein?

—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.

—Was ist bei Fotoaufnahmen strikt verboten?

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

—Welche Details werden häufig übersehen, die ein Fotograf aber erkennt?

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

—Was beeinflusst den Wert eines Fotos? Welche Elemente sind wichtig?

—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.

—Welche Person verkörpert für Sie das 21. Jahrhundert am besten?

—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.

—Was würden Sie gern fotografieren?

—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!

—Gibt es für Sie in Ihrem Beruf Tabus?

—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.

—Mit welcher Ausrüstung würden Sie gern fotografieren?

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

—Worüber machen Sie sich Sorgen und warum?

—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)

—Was war der eindrucksvollste Moment in Ihrem Leben?

—The birth of my first son.

—Welche literarische Figur oder Filmfigur wären Sie gern und warum?

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

—Wer inspiriert Sie in Ihrem Leben und warum?

—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.

—Wie definieren Sie Erfolg? Wie messen Sie ihn?

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

—Gefällt es Ihnen mehr, wenn man Sie mag oder wenn Sie respektiert werden?

—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.

—Was war der größte Fehler bei Ihrer Arbeit?

—Missing THE shot!

—Was nehmen Sie mit, wenn Sie auf Reisen gehen und warum?

—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.

—Haben Sie Apparate oder Ausrüstung, die Sie lieber nicht hätten kaufen sollen? Warum?

—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!

—Wie bilden Sie sich weiter, damit Ihre Bilder noch besser werden?

—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.

—Welche Arbeiten haben Sie als Fotografen am meisten beeindruckt?

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

—Was hätten Sie auf jeden Fall wissen müssen, als Sie mit der Fotografie begannen?

—More computer skills:)

—Was möchten Sie mit Ihren Fotos zum Ausdruck bringen?

—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.

—Was motiviert Sie weiterzumachen?

—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.

—Hätten Ihre Eltern strenger sein müssen?

—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?

—Wenn Sie zurückschauen, was hätten Sie besser machen können?

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

—Was halten Sie vom Leben auf anderen Planeten?

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

—Wer sind Ihre Helden?

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

—Wovor haben Sie keinerlei Respekt?

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

—Was tun Sie in Ihrer Freizeit?

—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.

—Welche Seite Ihrer Persönlichkeit bleibt dem Publikum verborgen?

—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.

—Wann sind Sie mit Ihrer Arbeit in jeder Hinsicht zufrieden?

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

—Glauben Sie an die traditionellen Rollen von Mann und Frau?

—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.

—Schließen Sie schnell Freundschaft?

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

—Wo würden Sie gern leben?

—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.

—Was war das Dümmste, auf das Sie sich je eingelassen haben?

—So many things.

—Gibt es ein Leben nach der Heirat?

—Personally speaking I'm divorced so YES :)

—Haben Sie einen Lieblingswitz? Erzählen Sie ihn.

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

—Lieben Sie Hunde oder Katzen?

—Dogs

—Wen oder was hassen Sie?

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

—Das Beste im Leben ist:

—Sharing

—Das Ärgerlichste im Leben ist:

—Climate change.

—Gibt es etwas in Ihrem Umfeld, das Sie ändern möchten?

—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.

—Was würden Sie an sich selbst gern ändern?

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

—Was würden Sie in der Welt ändern?

—A greater sense of balance with the environment.

—Haben Sie ein paar Tipps für angehende Fotografen?

—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.

—Wenn Außerirdische auf der Erde ankommen und Sie sind die erste Person, die sie treffen, was sagen Sie zu ihnen?

—Watch out for the others!

—Angenommen Sie erhalten den Auftrag, einen Film aufzunehmen. Welches Genre würden Sie für den Film wählen?

—Science Fiction

—Morgen werde ich...

—Put the house in order and get organised.