Fotograaf Mark Wallis

—Kas sa oled fotogeenne?

—Not really, mainly because I pull stupid faces when I find myself on the wrong side of the camera.

—Kuidas sa sattusid fotograafiamaailma?

—The old story of the couple with no money, an old uni friend with a decent camera and a firm agreement that there’d be no posed photos.

—Mis on sinu arvates hea foto kõige olulisead komponendid?

—For me it’s all about the genuine moment, captured without any intervention by the photographer. A moment that would have happened even if the photographer wasn’t there. A moment of action, emotion, great light, etc.

—Kas sulle meeldib reisida?

—I do, but in comfort. I’m more of a city person than a wilderness person.

—Mis sulle sinu töö juures kõige rohkem meeldib?

—Working for myself and (kinda) gatecrashing parties.

—Mis sulle sinu töö juures kõige vähem meeldib?

—The assumption by some that I’m at the wedding to take control of everything and to take boring, posed photos of the guests.

—Millisena näed sa fotograafia tulevikku?

—Not sure I even know what the ‘present’ of wedding photography is. I just do what I do and hope enough people each year want that.

—Kuidas sa suhtud kriitikasse?

—Depends who it’s coming from and how constructive it is.

—Kas fotograafias on teatud trende?

—Always somebody doing something that everybody else copies until something else comes along. Trends get old quickly (see ‘couple in rain with flashgun’, etc.)

—Millised peaksid fotograafi valides olema kliendi kriteeriumid?

—Approach is key for me. They either want to just get on and enjoy their wedding and have a record of it, or they want to spend the day modelling for pieces of art or fashion photography (or somewhere in between). A connection with the photographer’s portfolio, and a desire to see themselves in those images, is a good guide.

—Mis võiksid olla need detailid, millele tavaliselt tähelepanu ei pöörata, kuid mida fotograaf võib märgata?

—I don’t think there is anything specific. A good wedding photographer will have an eye for a moment or an interesting composition or great light that most won’t have, but the key thing is that when you’re employed to shoot a wedding you approach it from a different angle to a friend or family member who is there to enjoy the wedding. I am paid to be observant. Plus, I see what the common people are doing. I’m there to photograph everybody, not just the couple.

—Milline inimene on sinu arvates 21. sajandi sümbol?

—For me, whoever does the most to increase education and encourage the use of reason and logic in decision-making from the top to the bottom of social and political hierarchy.

—Keda sa sooviksid pildistada?

—Anybody that trusts me completely and who will ignore me.

—Kas sul on teatud ametialaseid tabusid?

—I won’t work for people or companies that I perceive to be helping to make the world a worse place.

—Kellega koos sa tahaksid pildistada?

—Nobody. I like working alone.

—Mille pärast sa muretsed ja miks?

—Time and money and my misguided perception that I have a shortage of both.

—Mis on olnud su elu kõige kõige muljetavaldavam hetk?

—Completing this interview.

—Kui sa oleksid tegelane multikast, raamatust või filmist, siis kes sa oleksid ja miks?

—Butthead from Beavis & Butthead, because he.. he… he. You said would. He.. he…

—Kes sind su elus inspireerib ja miks?

—I’m not good at absorbing or recognising inspiration.

—Kas sa tahaksid, et sa pigem meeldiksid inimestele või et nad austaksid sind?

—Depends who is doing the liking and respecting.

—Mis on suurim viga, mida sa töötades oled teinud?

—Running up the stairs of Marylebone Town Hall with a zoom lens precariously perched in a jacket pocket didn’t end well.

—Mida sa endaga reisides kaasa võtad ja miks?

—Clothes, money, phone, a camera of some sort.

—Kas sul on mõni vidin, mida sa omad, aga sooviksid, et poleks ostnud? Miks?

—A Panasonic GF1 that I barely used and that my wife dropped and damaged after I’d had it for a couple of weeks. I don’t get on with cameras without viewfinders.

—Kuidas sa ennast koolitad, et paremaks fotograafiks saada?

—Take more pictures.

—Kelle töö on sind kui fotograafi kõige rohkem mõjutanud?

—Nobody specific, but seeing in 2004/2005 that a documentary approach was a viable option for wedding photography was the push I needed to start doing it myself.

—Mida sa oma fotodega öelda soovid?

—The truth.

—Mis motiveerib sind fotograafina jätkama?

—People keep paying me to come to their weddings.

—Kas sa arvad, et sinu vanemad oleksid pidanud sinuga olema rangemad või leebemad?

—My mum got it pretty much spot on.

—Kui sa saaksid ajas tagasi minna, mida sa teeksid erinevalt?

—I would make better use of my enquiring mind and study science or engineering, so that I could be of more use to the world and future generations.

—Kas sa arvad, et teistel planeetidel on elu?

—Presumably, but we’ll wipe out life on our own planet before we make contact with life on others.

—Kes on su kangelased?

—I don’t really have any. They’d only ruin it at some point.

—Keda sa ei austa?

—Those who promote fear, intolerance and lies to feed their own greed.

—Mida sa vabal ajal teed?

—I do DIY, or I play my ukulele, or I go to (mostly metal) gigs or I do a crossword.

—Millist poolt sinust avalikkus kunagi ei näe?

—Most of my sides. I’m a fairly private person.

—Millal sa oled oma tööga täiesti rahul?

—Dunno, it hasn’t happened yet.

—Kas sa usud meeste ja naiste traditsioonilistesse rollidesse?

—Like most traditions, best left in the past. Live and let live.

—Kas sa leiad kergesti sõpru?

—I really don’t. I’m friendly and approachable and I get on with most people, but I’ve been burnt too many times so I keep most people at a few arms’ length.

—Kus sa tahaksid elada?

—In a huge warehouse apartment in NYC, or in a cosy old manor house surrounded by a few acres, or on top of a hill in Scotland.

—Kas pärast abielu on elu?

—It’s just a certificate and a great party. As you were.

—Kas sul on lemmiknali? Räägi see meile.

—“Some people like cats and some people don't. Apparently the Pope's a cataholic.” Milton Jones

—Kas sulle meeldivad koerad või kassid?

—I prefer cats to dogs, but I don’t like the damage they do to your house, so am currently resisting my family’s desire to own one.

—Keda või mida sa vihkad?

—Overuse of hate.

—Parim asi elus on:

—Freedom. And Five Guy’s Bacon Cheeseburger, All The Way.

—Kõige ärritavam asi elus on:

—Procrastination. And people constantly changing speed on the motorway when I’m using cruise control.

—Mida sa iseenda juures tahaksid muuta?

—I’d like to have more self-belief.

—Mida sa maailmas tahaksid muuta?

—I’d like to ensure everyone gets a quality education and eradicate dependence on myth, legend and violence.

—Kas sa võiksid anda mõned näpunäited alustavatele fotograafidele?

—Take your own (decent) food, and wear comfortable shoes.

—Kui Maale saabuksid tulnukad ja sina oleksid esimene inimene, keda nad kohtaksid, mida sa neile ütleksid?

—That I want a ride in their spaceship.

—Kui sul oleks võimalik vändata film, siis mis žanrist see oleks?

—A very dark and gory horror film.

—Homme hakkan ma...

—…something less boring instead.