Fotogrāfs Mark Wallis

—Vai Tu esi fotogēnisks?

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

—Kā tu nokļuvi fotogrāfijas jomā?

—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.

—Kuri, Tavuprāt, ir svarīgākie labas fotogrāfijas elementi?

—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.

—Vai Tu mīli ceļošanu?

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

—Kas Tev vislabāk patīk savā profesijā?

—Working for myself and (kinda) gatecrashing parties.

—Kas Tavā profesijā Tev patīk vismazāk?

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

—Kāda būs fotogrāfijas nākotne?

—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.

—Kā Tu uztver kritiku?

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

—Vai fotogrāfijā ir kādas īpašas tendences?

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

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

—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.

—Kādus parasti nepamanītus brīžus var notvert fotogrāfs?

—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.

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

—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.

—Ko Tu vēlētos fotogrāfēt?

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

—Vai Tev ir kādi profesionālie tabu?

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

—Ar ko Tu kopā vēlētos fotogrāfēt?

—Nobody. I like working alone.

—Par ko Tu satraucies un kāpēc?

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

—Kas ir Tavas dzīves iespaidīgakais brīdis?

—Completing this interview.

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

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

—Kas Tevi iedvesmo dzīvē un kāpēc?

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

—Vai Tev labāk patīk tikt mīlētam vai tikt cienītam?

—Depends who is doing the liking and respecting.

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

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

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

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

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

—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.

—Kā Tu mācies, lai uzņemtu arvien labākas fotogrāfijas?

—Take more pictures.

—Kuri darbi Tevi kā fotogrāfu ir visvairāk iedvesmojuši?

—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.

—Ko Tu vēlies pastāstīt ar savām fotogrāfijām?

—The truth.

—Kas Tevi motivē turpināt uzņemt fotogrāfijas?

—People keep paying me to come to their weddings.

—Vai Tavi vecāki bija stringri vai netik stingri?

—My mum got it pretty much spot on.

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

—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.

—Ko Tu domā par dzīvi uz citām planētām?

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

—Kas ir Tavi varoņi?

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

—Ko Tu necieni?

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

—Ko Tu dari brīvajā laikā?

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

—Kuru Tavu pusi citi nekad neredz?

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

—Kad Tu esi pilnībā apmierināts ar savu darbu?

—Dunno, it hasn’t happened yet.

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

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

—Vai Tu vienkārši sadraudzējies?

—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.

—Kur Tu vēlētos dzīvot?

—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.

—Vai pastāv dzīve pēc kāzām?

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

—Vai Tev ir mīļākais joks? Pastāsti to mums.

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

—Kas Tev patīk labāk - kaķi vai suņi?

—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.

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

—Overuse of hate.

—Labākā lieta dzīvē ir:

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

—Kaitinošākā lieta dzīvē ir:

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

—Ko Tu gribētu mainīt sevī?

—I’d like to have more self-belief.

—Ko Tu vēlētos mainīt pasaulē?

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

—Kādi būtu Tavi padomi jaunajiem fotogrāfiem?

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

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

—That I want a ride in their spaceship.

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

—A very dark and gory horror film.

—Rīt es aiziešu un izdarīšu...

—…something less boring instead.