Fotogrāfs Adam Johnson

—Vai Tu esi fotogēnisks?

—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.

—Kā tu nokļuvi fotogrāfijas jomā?

—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.

—Kuri, Tavuprāt, ir svarīgākie labas fotogrāfijas elementi?

—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.

—Vai Tu mīli ceļošanu?

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

—Kas Tev vislabāk patīk savā profesijā?

—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!

—Kas Tavā profesijā Tev patīk vismazāk?

—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.

—Kāda būs fotogrāfijas nākotne?

—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.

—Kas ir īpašs fotogrāfijas žanrā, kurā specializējies?

—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.

—Kā Tu uztver kritiku?

—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!

—Vai fotogrāfijā ir kādas īpašas tendences?

—Of course! I just prefer to ignore them.

—Kādi ir kritēriji, kas klientam jāņem vērā, izvēloties fotogrāfu?

—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.

—No kā fotogrāfējot būtu jāizvairās?

—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.

—Kurš cilvēks, Tavuprāt, varētu būt 21. gadsimta simbols?

—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.

—Ko Tu vēlētos fotogrāfēt?

—Ben Folds, Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United.

—Vai Tev ir kādi profesionālie tabu?

—Not that I know of!

—Ar ko Tu kopā vēlētos fotogrāfēt?

—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.

—Par ko Tu satraucies un kāpēc?

—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!

—Kas ir Tavas dzīves iespaidīgakais brīdis?

—The births of my two children.

—Ja Tu būtu multfilmas, grāmatas vai filmas varonis, kurš tas būtu un kāpēc?

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

—Kas Tevi iedvesmo dzīvē un kāpēc?

—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.

—Kā Tu definētu veiksmi? Vai to var izmērīt?

—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.

—Vai Tev labāk patīk tikt mīlētam vai tikt cienītam?

—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.

—Kas ir lielākā kļūda, ko Tu esi pieļāvis darbā?

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

—Kad Tu plāno ceļot, ko Tu ņem līdzi un kāpēc?

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

—Vai kāda ierīcēm (gadžetiem), kas Tev pieder, ir tāda, kuru Tev nebūtu vajadzējis pirkt? Kāpēc?

—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!

—Kā Tu mācies, lai uzņemtu arvien labākas fotogrāfijas?

—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.

—Kuri darbi Tevi kā fotogrāfu ir visvairāk iedvesmojuši?

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

—Kas ir tā lieta, ko Tu būtu gribējis zināt pirms sāki nodarboties ar fotogrāfēšanu?

—That there were no rules!

—Ko Tu vēlies pastāstīt ar savām fotogrāfijām?

—I've no idea. Good stuff I hope.

—Kas Tevi motivē turpināt uzņemt fotogrāfijas?

—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.

—Vai Tavi vecāki bija stringri vai netik stingri?

—No comment.

—Ja Tu varētu ceļot atpakaļ laikā, ko Tu darītu savādāk?

—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.

—Ko Tu domā par dzīvi uz citām planētām?

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

—Kas ir Tavi varoņi?

—I have no heroes.

—Ko Tu necieni?

—An awful question.

—Ko Tu dari brīvajā laikā?

—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.

—Kuru Tavu pusi citi nekad neredz?

—The public? As opposed to who?

—Kad Tu esi pilnībā apmierināts ar savu darbu?

—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?

—Vai Tu tici tradicionālajam lomu sadalījumam starp vīrieti un sievieti?

—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.

—Vai Tu vienkārši sadraudzējies?

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

—Kur Tu vēlētos dzīvot?

—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.

—Kas ir muļķīgākā lieta, ko Tu jebkad esi piekritis izdarīt?

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

—Vai pastāv dzīve pēc kāzām?

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

—Vai Tev ir mīļākais joks? Pastāsti to mums.

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

—Kas Tev patīk labāk - kaķi vai suņi?

—Neither.

—Vai ir kaut kas vai kāds, ko Tu ienīsti?

—I hate wasps. Passionately.

—Labākā lieta dzīvē ir:

—Family time.

—Kaitinošākā lieta dzīvē ir:

—Traffic jams.

—Vai ir kaut kas tāds, ko Tu vēlētos mainīt?

—I want to make my house bigger!

—Ko Tu gribētu mainīt sevī?

—I would like to break my iphone addiction!

—Ko Tu vēlētos mainīt pasaulē?

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

—Kādi būtu Tavi padomi jaunajiem fotogrāfiem?

—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.

—Ja uz zemes nolaistos citplanētieši un Tu būtu pirmais, ko viņi satiktu, ko Tu viņiem teiktu?

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

—Ja Tev būtu iespēja uzņemt filmu, kāda žanra filma tā būtu?

—Slapstick comedy.

—Rīt es aiziešu un izdarīšu...

—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...