Fotógrafo Adam Johnson

—¿Es usted fotogénico(a)?

—I think everyone is photogenic. Just not everyone appreciates it the first time they see a photo of themselves. I'm the kind of person who grows to like photos of myself over time, rather than instantly loving them.

—¿Cómo empezó a trabajar en la industria de fotografía?

—It just happened. I got married, bought a DSLR for my honeymoon, and became obsessed with it. I thought I was getting quite good, shot a friend's wedding (as a guest) and did a terrible job. So I went away, practised and studied super hard, bought better equipment then tried again. It went much better the second time and I was able to build a portfolio and website. 18 months later I quit my day job.

—¿En su opinión, cuáles son los elementos más importantes de una buena fotografía?

—If we are talking about a wedding photo then it's all about emotion. Light is my obsession, but a beautifully lit emotionless or 'mute' wedding photo is pointless. A photo has to speak for itself, it shouldn't need a caption or an explanation.

—¿Le gusta viajar?

—Of course. And I love that wedding photography is showing me more of the world than I would ever have seen without it.

—¿Qué le gusta más de su profesión?

—Freedom of expression. The more you shoot, the better you get, the more people hear about you and know about your work, the more freedom you are given to express yourself artistically. That and what I said about traveling in the last question!

—¿Qué le gusta menos de su profesión?

—I am honestly grateful for this being my profession but of course, when you have young children at school, it can take its toll when you're out most weekends throughout the summer and not able to spend as much time with them as I would like.

—¿Cuál será el futuro de la fotografía?

—Who knows?! I just hope I'm able to change and adapt to however it changes. I truly believe there will always be a market for beautiful, well crafted photos – the technology and expectations may change but the product will not.

—¿Qué tiene de especial el género fotográfico en que trabaja?

—People. That's what it's all about. People and relationships. Being invited into a private world and asked to document it for a day.

—¿Cómo gestiona las críticas?

—Badly. I do not like to be criticised. Often once it has sunk in I'm able to either reject or accept it and use it to improve, but I don't like it!

—¿Existe alguna tendencia en la fotografía?

—Of course! I just prefer to ignore them.

—¿Qué criterios debería tener en cuenta una persona a la hora de elegir a un fotógrafo?

—If the photographer's photos of a total stranger's wedding can make you feel something in your heart and soul, you've found your wedding photographer.

—¿Qué no está permitido de ningún modo cuando realiza una fotografía?

—There are no rules but I think each photographer will have their own principles or boundaries. If someone is crying because they are truly sad then I will not photograph them just to get that 'tear shot' that is so popular with wedding photographers these days. If I do not feel it is appropriate to shoot something, then I won't shoot it.

—En su opinión, ¿qué persona podría ser un símbolo del siglo XXI?

—Can we answer this with 85 years of the century remaining?! I think there are so many medical and technological advances we will see in this century and I expect icons to be created in these areas.

—¿A quién le gustaría fotografiar?

—Ben Folds, Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United.

—¿Tiene tabúes profesionales?

—Not that I know of!

—¿Con quién le gustaría fotografiar?

—Annie Leibowitz, Joey L, James Nachtwey, Don McCullin, Richard Avedon... I love to shoot with other photographers, I think it's a good thing to do regularly.

—¿Qué le preocupa y por qué?

—I am a worrier. I worry about a lot of things! Professionally speaking I worry about becoming irrelevant, about getting stuck in a rut and left behind and nobody wanting me to take their wedding pictures!

—¿Cuál ha sido el momento más impactante de su vida?

—The births of my two children.

—Si fuera un personaje de animación, literario o cinematográfico, ¿quién le gustaría ser y por qué?

—Peter Pan. I want to stay young and always fight pirates.

—¿Quién le inspira en su vida y por qué?

—I don't know if they inspire me as such but my children are the reason that I do what I do and why I want to continually get better at it. I am inspired by anyone successful – in business, in photography, in sport, in life... Not in an arrogant way but I find my own successes an inspiration to keep trying harder and to achieve more.

—¿Cómo definiría el éxito? ¿Cómo lo mide?

—For me, people booking me to shoot photos of them, plus the recognition of my work by my peers is probably my yardstick of success professionally. Happiness and contentment are signs of success in wider life.

—¿Qué prefiere, gustar o sentirse respetado?

—I don't think it's possible for me personally to respect somebody I don't like, so I don't think you can be one or the other. I can quickly lose respect for someone who turns out to be a huge douchebag.

—¿Cuál es el mayor error que ha cometido en su trabajo?

—I don't remember. I know I've made mistakes but I'm pretty good about moving on from stuff.

—Cuando va de viaje, ¿qué lleva consigo y por qué?

—My iphone, my kindle, my macbook, my camera and some earphones.

—¿Se arrepiente de alguno de los gadgets que ha comprado? ¿Por qué?

—I tend to sell stuff if it doesn't fit into my life or work after I buy it. I remember I once bought a weird step trainer off an infomercial on the TV, it was so rubbish!

—¿Cómo se forma para tomar las mejores imágenes?

—Taking pictures is the education. I'm quite analytical so if I see a photo I like I work out what I like and why... I do the same with my own photos, working out how I could've done better or what I could've done differently. I look at other photography a lot – in books, online, instagram and I think that seeps into my work.

—¿A quién pertenece el trabajo que le ha influenciado más como fotógrafo?

—I think a turning point for me was doing a workshop with Daniel Aguilar from Mexico.

—¿Cuál es la única cosa que desearía haber sabido cuando comenzó a tomar fotografías?

—That there were no rules!

—¿Qué desea decir con sus fotografías?

—I've no idea. Good stuff I hope.

—¿Qué le motiva a continuar tomando imágenes?

—The thing I love about taking photos, or any creative pursuit I guess is that it's just that – a pursuit – and you can never catch the thing you're chasing, but you're constantly improving, or changing at least. It's not static, or limited, or constrained. I know I've not taken my best photo, and I may never take it, but I will always keep striving for it.

—¿Cree que sus padres deberían haber sido más o menos estrictos?

—No comment.

—¿Si pudiera volver atrás en el tiempo, qué haría de forma diferente?

—Nothing, I don't think of life this way. I got to this point in my life, a point in which I am extremely happy, because of the choices I made. I don't want to change anything.That, or I'd go back and invest in Apple before they invented the iPod.Or I could invent the iPod.

—¿Qué piensa de la vida en otros planetas?

—Maybe, maybe not. I'm not concerned with it.

—¿Quiénes son sus héroes?

—I have no heroes.

—¿Por quién no siente respeto?

—An awful question.

—¿Qué hace en su tiempo libre?

—I play piano, play and watch football, watch TV shows and movies, go to the gym, spend time with friends and family, listen to music...I don't see life as spare time and work time. It's just life. I do all this stuff and I work, there's no split time. I work when I have to and I play whenever I can.

—¿Cuál es su lado desconocido que la gente nunca quiere ver?

—The public? As opposed to who?

—¿Cuándo está complemente satisfecho de su trabajo?

—I love my own work. I love seeing progression in my work. I love it when my clients are in love with the photos I give to them. Completely satisfied? Is this possible?

—¿Cree en los roles tradicionales de hombres y mujeres?

—My parents got divorced when I was young. This has skewed my view of tradition in the home... I don't really know what traditional roles are – women raise children, cook and clean and men just earn the money? Then no, I don't believe in that. A family is the sum of its parts, not separate and distinct people or roles.

—¿Hace amigos con facilidad?

—Yeah I guess. I'm never the instigator, I'm shy so I tend to wait for people to make friends with me!

—¿Dónde le gustaría vivir?

—If I could have four homes I would have one in the UK, probably near where I live now, one in New York City, a rural house in Southern France and one somewhere in California! Not that I'm greedy.

—¿Cuál es la cosa más estúpida que ha aceptado hacer?

—I'm not sure I've ever agreed to something stupid.

—¿Hay vida después del matrimonio?

—I've been married 8 years... I'm still alive.

—¿Tiene un chiste favorito? Cuéntenoslo.

—What's invisible and smells like carrots?Rabbit farts.

—¿Le gustan los perros o los gatos?

—Neither.

—¿A quién o qué odia?

—I hate wasps. Passionately.

—Lo mejor de su vida es:

—Family time.

—Lo más molesto de su vida es:

—Traffic jams.

—¿Hay algo a su alrededor que le gustaría cambiar?

—I want to make my house bigger!

—¿Qué le gustaría cambiar de usted mismo?

—I would like to break my iphone addiction!

—¿Qué le gustaría cambiar del mundo?

—Far too much to list. The world is a broken place.

—¿Podría ofrecer algunos consejos a los fotógrafos que empiezan?

—You don't have to shoot every second of the wedding, you're not making a stop motion movie... Slow down, breathe, let your mind take in what is happening then tell the story with your photos. There are no rules.

—Si los extraterrestres llegaran a la Tierra y fuera la primera persona que encontraran, ¿qué les diría?

—You will never feel satisfied after eating a McDonalds...

—Si le llamaran como fotógrafo de una película, ¿a qué género pertenecería?

—Slapstick comedy.

—Mañana voy a hacer...

—I'll go to the gym, do some editing, get ready for Saturday's wedding, kick a football with my children, eat food, drink coffee...