Fotograaf Elena Mantovan

—Ten eerste - wie beschouwt u als de beste fotograaf in Brussel, België? :)

—I really love Ivo Popov's style, he's an inspiration for me.

—Bent u fotogeniek?

—Absolutely not, never.
There's only one person who can make me look beautiful in photos, a colleague and friend of mine, Alice Falco.

—Hoe bent u beland in de fotografie-industrie?

—I started as a photojournalist, but I realized soon that I couldn't do it for ethical reasons. So I gave a try to weddings, and I found out that I that world fitted perfectly with what I am in the deep: a lover, of beauty, of details, of happiness, of Love.

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

—Ah, this is hard :) I don't think in terms of components when I see a good photo. If it's good, I can see the whole and I can feel emotions in my chest.
So, yes, emotions at first, and composition.

—Houdt u van reizen?

—I adore travelling, I've been chasing a life of travel for all my life, and that's another reason for which I love being a wedding photographer: you get access to magical, wonderful places, you see new countries, and you meet beautiful people, just like during a travel. And the more I get in touch with souls, the more authentic is the wedding, and the travel ;)

—Wat vindt u het leukst aan uw beroep?

—The emotions. I've been doing this for a while, but I still cry sometimes.
The contact, the faith that a couple give you, which is a huge responsibility, but at the same time an immense privilege.
The fact that you know a wedding schedule, but you can never predict how it will be, and you have to surf the wave and get the best you can.
And the happiness you can feel everywhere, in everyone.

—Wat vindt u het minst leuk aan uw beroep?

—The fear of not being good enough. We photographers are human too :)

—Wat ziet u de toekomst van fotografie?

—I really can't tell. But it can only improve. In beauty, in depth, in emotive message.

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

—The link that you get to have with the bride and the groom. It's unique and deep.

—Hoe gaat u om met kritiek?

—I take care of critics only when they have something to teach, and with in mind that it's only an opinion.
With all the rest, I just ignore it.

—Zijn er bepaalde trends in fotografie?

—Of course there are trends, there have always been trends.
Trends change, always. The trick is to be just an inch over trends. To know them, recognize them, and forget them.

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

—They should smile while looking at his/her pictures. They should see themselves in them. They should feel a connection between them and the photographer's inner nature. And they should always keep in mind that those pictures are what will keep the emotions of that very special day.

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

—Fear. Self doubt. And most of all, intruding when the moment is crucial. The bride and the groom have to forget about the photographer, most of the time.

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

—1. Moments of real, deep intimacy between the bride and the groom, when everyone else is focused on something else.2. The amount of photos that guests take with the phone, often of questionable quality, when they might enjoy the moment, without making the photographer's work difficult and trusting in the result he/she will get.

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

—The emotions that it captured.
The light and the composition.

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

—I don't know how to answer this. Quoting Warhol, "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes".

—Wie wil u graag fotograferen?

—Of common people, of people who love, who suffer but are strong; of people who are kind and help other human beings; of people who have hope; of happy, generous, warm, people; of dreamers.

—Heeft u bepaalde taboes op professioneel vlak?

—Not that I am aware of.

—Met wie zou u graag fotograferen?

—Aaaaah, this is a great question.
First, Beatrice Moricci.
Ant then, the list is quite infinite...

—Waar maakt u zich zorgen over en waarom?

—I sometime worry not to be good enough. And I want to keep this feeling because it's the only one that makes me wanting to improve.

—Wat is het meest indrukwekkende moment van uw leven?

—When, lying on my bed, my partner said that he loves me for the first time.

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

—Definitely, the warrior of the light

—Wie inspireert u in uw leven en waarom?

—Einstein.
The Beatles.
Silvester Stallone.
Charles Bukowski.
J. K. Rowling.
And all the people in the world who were said they couldn't make it. But they made it.

—Hoe definieert u succes? Hoe meet u het?

—I don't care about success. I care about living a serene life, with love. And to make a living out of what I love to do. this is a success.

—Bent u liever graag gezien of gerespecteerd?

—You can never be liked by everybody. If it happens, it means that you are not true to yourself.
I prefer to be the one who likes me, and I hope this to be respected by others.

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

—I relaxed in the wrong moment. It never happened again.

—Wat neemt u mee op reis en waarom?

—when I travel, I love taking my camera with me and I offer a couple session to a couple that I found beautiful, interesting, authentic. That's the way I have to capture the memories of my travels.

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

—I don't think so. I always think carefully when I have to buy something.

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

—I constantly keep an eye to my favorite photographers, I keep looking for other inspirations in art and cinema, and I keep shooting, looking for what I don't like in my pictures so to avoid it or to change it the next time

—Wiens werk heeft u het meest beïnvloed als fotograaf?

—The one by Beatrice Moricci, and the one by Chiara Ridolfi, who was my teacher when I started this job.

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

—That taking photos is maybe less than the 30% of the work. Then you have post processing, which I love. Then you have communicating with clients, which I adore. And then you have self promoting, which I love less.

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

—I want to say that Love is the only thing that really matters.
That when we have one another, we're safe.

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

—I couldn't imagine what to do with my life without it, without the emotions, without the challenge.

—Hadden uw ouders strenger of minder streng moeten zijn?

—My parents have been too strict for something and not enough strict for other things. But I don't think about it, at my age I think I am completely responsible for what I am and what I want to be.

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

—I would start much earlier thinking seriously in being a photographer.

—Wat denkt u over leven op andere planeten?

—We should take more care of this one first. Then, why not?

—Wie zijn uw helden?

—My heroes are the people who continue loving each other despite all the challenges that life presents.

—Voor wie kan u geen respect opbrengen?

—I don't respect people who are violent in actions or words. People who are aggressive, or criticize only to feel better. I don't respect people who deliberately hurt other people.

—Wat doet u in uw vrije tijd?

—If I only had some spare time... hahaha!
I swim, I travel, I watch movies, sometimes I read, I draw or paint, I study how to get better.

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

—The physically weak one. I don't like when people see me tired.

—Wanneer bent u helemaal tevreden over uw werk?

—Never. It's the only way I can improve. Progress, not perfection, is my motto.

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

—Aren't we in 21st century? Which roles?

—Maakt u gemakkelijk vrienden?

—Yes, usually. But I really select attentively who I define my Friend.

—Waar zou u graag wonen?

—I don't care where, the important is that the weather is good enough, I have the see nearby, and me and my partner can have a quiet and safe life.

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

—Probably to study something which wasn't for me, just because someone else told me that it was the only thing I could do.

—Is er een leven na het huwelijk?

—There's always life. It's how we decide to live it that matters. Alone or with someone.

—Heeft u een favoriete mop? Vertel ...

—I am really really terrible with jokes. Please don't do this to me!

—Houdt u van honden of van katten?

—Dogs, first. Big ones :) Bear size.

—Wie of wat haat u?

—I hate waiting at restaurants :)
And I hate people without empathy.

—Het beste in het leven is:

—Love. Beach. Pizza. :) Could I mention three of them?

—Het vervelendste in het leven is:

—Violence.

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

—Of course there are things in my life that I don't like, but I understood, while growing up, that things change alone, and sometimes we just have to live them and wait for them to change.

—Wat zou u graag veranderen aan uzelf?

—I would like to have the physical strength I had when I was 20 and have the wisdom of my future me.

—Wat zou u graag veranderen aan de wereld?

—I'd like to see a more tolerant and helping way of thinking, in general.

—Kan u tips geven voor beginnende fotografen?

—Believe in yourself. Find your own style. Don't listen to people who want you to give up. Always do the work, even when it's hard.

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

—I'd ask what's their way to love each other.

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

—A documentary. Or a science fiction movie.

—Morgen zal ik ... doen

—Tomorrow I will go and do my best to make it my day worthy.