Fotograaf Ed Mash

—Ten eerste - wie beschouwt u als de beste fotograaf in Exeter, Verenigd Koninkrijk? :)

—That's such a personal choice for clients. Here in Exeter there are different styles to choose, and different personalities. Clients should pick someone they're comfortable with on the BIG day

—Bent u fotogeniek?

—Photographers don't appear in many pictures do they....i find it hard to judge an image of myself! I keep getting invited back to parties so I cant be that bad :)

—Hoe bent u beland in de fotografie-industrie?

—Initially I only photographed weddings of close friends, and people I knew, but by personal recommendation the demand has grown....so I made the leap!

—Wat zijn volgens u de belangrijkste elementen van een goede foto?

—I think a great photograph has resonance, and shares something with the viewer. Personally if it makes me say 'WOW' or smile, or conveys an idea then it's attractive.

—Houdt u van reizen?

—YES. I've travelled a great deal.....every continent except Antarctica....and I still have a thirst for those unusual out of the way places.

—Wat vindt u het leukst aan uw beroep?

—I love seeing the world through a lens, it brings me close to people, and the important events in their lives. It's a real privilege

—Wat vindt u het minst leuk aan uw beroep?

—Missing a special moment.....you can see the image in your mind, and you know you haven't got it...its very disappointing.

—Wat ziet u de toekomst van fotografie?

—Technology is changing cameras, in the future the processing power of the computer will be more integrated into the camera body, with better colour processing, and skin tone rendition.

—Wat is er bijzonder aan het fotografiegenre waarin u zich specialiseert?

—I love wedding photography, everyone is dressed up, smiling, and determined to have a great time. The atmosphere is exciting and clients are always happy to engage with the camera.

—Hoe gaat u om met kritiek?

—....I haven't received any so far from clients, but I did have a co worker who was brutally critical of everything I did. Its important to listen, be objective, and use it as a learning process.

—Zijn er bepaalde trends in fotografie?

—I think there is a tendency to use deep apertures, and sharpness as its an inherent part of the digital world. However I always appreciate a photographer who can skilfully handle a shallow aperture to tell the viewer exactly where to look (Sorry that was a technical answer!)

—Welke criteria moet de klant hanteren bij het kiezen van een fotograaf?

—Choose a style of photography that speaks to you personally and best encapsulates your values. Also go for the best budget you can afford...a good photographer will make memories you'll look back on for the rest of your life.

—Wat is er totaal uit den boze bij het fotograferen?

—Never force a situation...never make people feel uncomfortable, dress for the wedding and blend into the guests to capture those discreet moments.

—Welke details die vaak onopgemerkt gaan, kan een fotograaf vastleggen?

—I think unnoticed details is a fault in a wedding photographer, great photographers are masters of seeing, rather than just looking.

—Wat beïnvloedt de waarde van een foto? Wat zijn de elementen ervan?

—A valuable photo is very much of its time. It's not a wedding photo but Frank Cappas photo "falling Soldier" taken during the Spanish civil war stopped me in my tracks. It's a painful subject but it has always fascinated and haunted me at the same time, you think of the victim, the photographer standing in a war with a camera, and the soldier who fired the bullet.

—Welke persoon kan volgens u symbool staan voor de 21e eeuw?

—There are so many.....Ghandi probably made the most significant difference to the largest amount of people, so numerically he's top of the list.

—Wie wil u graag fotograferen?

—No one springs to mind, but I'm confident I could draw out the best in anyone......so long as they wanted to work with me!

—Heeft u bepaalde taboes op professioneel vlak?

—I don't believe you should step to far from reality in post production. IMHO over processed photo's don't stand the test of time.

—Met wie zou u graag fotograferen?

—Working in a team, or with a partner can be immensely rewarding, I'm always happy working with talented people with ideas and enthusiasm.

—Waar maakt u zich zorgen over en waarom?

—Its a worry trying to cover the increasing cost of, cameras, lenses, hard disk storage, and computers. Most clients are unaware of this. For instance at the last wedding I photographed my equipment totalled 25K (that said Ive got the best kit in the world, and that's to be expected on the big day)

—Wat is het meest indrukwekkende moment van uw leven?

—The birth of my first son.

—Als u een personage van een cartoon, boek of film was, wie zou u dan zijn?

—Great question! Put me down as Harry Potter, I like the glasses, and the wand would be very useful on shoots.

—Wie inspireert u in uw leven en waarom?

—I don't think there's one person, but I'm also a painter, and so art, paintings, and ideas, have always been a constant source of inspiration.

—Hoe definieert u succes? Hoe meet u het?

—It's hard to quantify success but I have all the important things I need in my life already.

—Bent u liever graag gezien of gerespecteerd?

—I always strive for high end results so for me its more important to be liked for the person I am, and the body of my work. If people don't respect me there's not much I can do about it.

—Wat is de grootste fout die u ooit begaan heeft op professioneel vlak?

—Missing THE shot!

—Wat neemt u mee op reis en waarom?

—When I was 23 a good friend gave me a copy of "Four Quartets" by T.S Eliot. Its slim and fits in every rucsac or camera bag. I only carry it when I'm travelling but its quixotic view of infinity constantly surprises me with its relevance in new locations.

—Is er iets dat u liever niet gekocht had tussen de gadgets die u bezit? Waarom?

—I don't like phone calls when I'm working so I have to say the mobile phone....I know that's heretical these days!

—Hoe leert u bij om betere foto's te maken?

—Research is a big part of expanding your skill set. I'm constantly looking to develop and expand through experimentation with the camera or computer, or both.

—Wiens werk heeft u het meest beïnvloed als fotograaf?

—I think I'm influenced by many images rather than one photographer in person.

—Wat had u graag geweten toen u begon als fotograaf?

—More computer skills:)

—Wat wil u graag zeggen met uw foto's?

—Intimacy and resonance are very important, but also a sense of place....images are like time capsules I want people to look back and feel connected with the images, again and again.

—Wat motiveert u om foto's te blijven maken?

—There's always a sense of the perfect shot being around the next corner, something more special, more romantic, more FUN.....so I keep searching.

—Hadden uw ouders strenger of minder streng moeten zijn?

—My parents were very relaxed and open minded in their guidance....so I guess a tiny bit more strictness might have been a good thing?

—Wat zou u anders doen als u in de tijd kon terugkeren?

—I'm a very positive person and I think reflection on the past can be self absorbing so I prefer to embrace the future.

—Wat denkt u over leven op andere planeten?

—Definitely...sadly due to deep time its going to be very hard to find.

—Wie zijn uw helden?

—I've mentioned Ghandi but I'd happily add Leonardo Da Vinci, Einstein, Marie Curie, Dickens, Tesla, Jane Austen.

—Voor wie kan u geen respect opbrengen?

—The tiny minded despots who've sacrificed millions of lives in vain.

—Wat doet u in uw vrije tijd?

—Well the camera's always with me out walking, or at art galleries, meeting up with friends, and of course with my family. At home I love to cook, and my garden is a small oasis.

—Welke kant van u krijgt het publiek niet te zien?

—Its always good to keep your professional side towards the public, but if I'm honest I'm a bit shy so I keep that well hidden.

—Wanneer bent u helemaal tevreden over uw werk?

—Tough question......i need to learn to stop tweaking.

—Gelooft u in een traditionele rolverdeling voor man en vrouw?

—I'm not really a traditional person, and having had a very liberal background I trust other people to make the choices that are best suited to them and their perception of gender.

—Maakt u gemakkelijk vrienden?

—Yes I make friends easily and I'm very lucky in the friends I have, I still have all my school friends:)

—Waar zou u graag wonen?

—I live in Devon so I'm spoilt by beautiful coastline in every direction, and two very different national parks. This is a great base for getting the work life balance just right. I'm happy right here.

—Wat is het domste waarmee u ooit akkoord bent gegaan?

—So many things.

—Is er een leven na het huwelijk?

—Personally speaking I'm divorced so YES :)

—Heeft u een favoriete mop? Vertel ...

—" I've gone on the Whisky Diet-I've lost four days already" Tommy Cooper

—Houdt u van honden of van katten?

—Dogs

—Wie of wat haat u?

—The art of forgiveness means you don't have to hate anyone, it so unhealthy to carry that emotion around inside you.

—Het beste in het leven is:

—Sharing

—Het vervelendste in het leven is:

—Climate change.

—Is er iets rondom u dat u graag zou veranderen?

—Personally not much, but politics, world affairs, and the environment are concerns for me.... greater awareness and action by the majority would be a step in the right direction.

—Wat zou u graag veranderen aan uzelf?

—I feel its better to work with what you've got.

—Wat zou u graag veranderen aan de wereld?

—A greater sense of balance with the environment.

—Kan u tips geven voor beginnende fotografen?

—If you know where to point a camera, then its easy to learn the technical aspects as you progress. Until then trust your instincts, appreciate your own talent, and go and grab as much experience as you possibly can.

—Als buitenaardse wezens naar de Aarde komen en u bent de eerste persoon die ze ontmoeten, wat zal u hen dan zeggen?

—Watch out for the others!

—U wordt gevraagd om een film te maken, welk genre wordt het?

—Science Fiction

—Morgen zal ik ... doen

—Put the house in order and get organised.