Valokuvaaja Ed Gobina

—Ennen kaikkea - kenet voit nimetä parhaaksi kuvaajaksi kaupungissasi? :)

—This is a tough question to answer because when I look around I can hardly see any other wedding photographers in Bø i Telemark.

—Oletko valokuvauksellinen?

—I have no idea as I am more often behind the camera rather than in front of it, so I will let you be the judge on this one.

—Miten päädyit valokuvausalalle?

—After shooting portraits for some years I thought it would be a great idea to try another venture and dive into something which I wasn't used to (wedding photography). I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and challenge myself a little more so I decided to start searching for wedding gigs and after a while I finally landed one. It was an incredible feeling to follow the couple around for several hours and document the event. After that, I felt like I wanted to do a little more of this.

—Mikä on sinusta tärkeintä hyvässä kuvassa?

—First and foremost, I would say EMOTION, then the STORY, and last but not least the COMPOSITION. If you have these three elements in your photo then it is hard for people not to fall in love with it.

—Tykkäätkö matkustamisesta?

—I love travelling. I feel like it is just another form of educating yourself and it is way better than sitting in a classroom. Travelling enriches you as a person and it opens your mind as you get to see how different and diverse the world is. It is a truly enriching experience.

—Mistä pidät eniten ammatissasi?

—Every time I work on a project, be it a wedding or any other type of photoshoot; and hand over the final product or photos to the client and see a genuine smile on their faces. This keeps me going knowing that you put a smile on a couple's face.

—Mistä pidät vähiten ammatissasi?

—The business end of things is often a pain and this is the part that I dislike as I am the type who likes to focus more on the creative work.

—Mikä on valokuvauksen tulevaisuus?

—With the ever changing landscape in wedding photography it is hard to tell, but my guess is fewer people will be hiring professionals to do their wedding photography as everyone now has a smart phone that does a decent job and people aren't so willing to spend so much on photos. Just a handfull see the value in getting photos that will stand the test of times.

—Mikä on sille valokuvauslajille erityistä, johon olet erikoistunut?

—The fact that you have everything sorted out in your head but you never know what to expect as it is a live event and things just keep unfolding till the end. There is no room for error and therefore no second takes or do-overs.

—Kuinka suhtaudut kritiikkiin?

—I try to channel that into something positive and try to build off of it and get better. I think the best way to deal with criticism is not to take anything personal.

—Onko valokuvauksessa trendejä?

—I think there is quite a few as in many other photography genres. Most of them are short lived so I like to look at them as trends since they come and go.

—Minkä kriteerien perusteella asiakkaan pitäisi valita valokuvaaja?

—I think it is important for them to find someone with a good balance of experience, knowledge(which can be seen from their previous work) and has the ability to stay incognito while covering the wedding. You want you a photographer to capture the best moments but same time you do not want them to be all over the place and take away the guests' experience.

—Mitkä yksityiskohdat, jotka yleensä jäävät huomaamatta, valokuvaaja voi tallettaa?

—The emotions of the guests. I think most at times we turn to focus too much on capturing the couple and forget about what is happening around the event with the other people.

—Mikä vaikuttaa kuvan arvoon? Mikä kuvissa on tärkeintä?

—In my humble opinion if there is emotion, a story, good composition and a well exposed frame; then that makes the recipe for a great photo.

—Kuka on sinun mielestäsi 2000-vuosisadan symboli?

—Peter Mckinnon! Not a wedding photographer at the time but he is one of those photographers whom if you are talking about photography, his name pops up.

—Ketä haluaisit kuvata?

—I really do not have a personal preference when it comes to shooting someone but more about the story.

—Onko sinulla ammatillisia tabuja?

—For me trying to be trendy is something I try to keep myself from. Just because something is cool and everyone is doing it doesn't mean I have to, so I try my best to stay away from trends.

—Jos olisit animoitu, kirjallisuus- tai elokuvahahmo, kuka olisit ja miksi?

—Hahahah not sure but I am a big fan of THE FLASH so I guest I would to become the flash if I could.

—Kuka sinua on inspiroinut elämässäsi ja miksi?

—My wife. Even though she isn't a photographer, the support I get from her is incredible. Matter of fact she bought me my first camera.

—Miten ja millä perusteella määrittelisit menestyksen?

—This is one thing which in my opinion is hard to quantify. But I think for me one parameter I use to measure success is happiness.

—Haluaisitko olla mieluummin tykätty vai kunnioitettu?

—I would say respected.

—Kun lähdet matkalle, mitä otat mukaasi ja miksi?

—I usually take my camera along. I hardly remember any trip that I haven't taken my camera even though sometimes it ends up staying in my bag the whole time because I just want to live and experience some of the moments myself. I take it because I just want to be prepared if need be.

—Miten opettelet ottamaan parempia kuvia?

—By constant practice, reading and pulling inspiration from others.

—Mitä teet vapaa-ajallasi?

—I try to do something which is totally unrelated to photography. Spending sometime with family and then playing football.

—Jatkuuko elämä avioliiton jälkeen?

—Yes I do, I am a living proof :)

—Pidätkö koirista vai kissoista?

—Dogs.

—Ärsyttävintä elämässä on:

—Ignorance.

—Mitä haluaisit muuttaa maailmassa?

—I would love to change the way people treat each other. There is so much hate in the world right now.

—Haluaisitko antaa vinkkejä aloitteleville valokuvaajille?

—Never stop learning and at the start of your career or your first weddings, try to play it safe and take the necessary shots before trying to go for something extra. One more thing that would save your life is planning. If your need to story board or write down your shots or plan, do so. You might be surprised at how much you forget and how fast time goes by.

—Jos sinut kutsuttaisiin kuvaamaan elokuvaa, mitä tyylilajia se edustaisi?

—Actions.

—Huomenna aion...

—Try and stay alive so I can motivate or inspire someone to so something meaningful.