Fotograaf Maria Simon

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

—I think the best photographer is the one who you feel a connection and comfortable with. Each wedding is unique as is your vision of photography.
There is no " best". Its more about the most suitable for you.

—Bent u fotogeniek?

—If a friend catches me in a candid happy moment, yes!

—Hoe bent u beland in de fotografie-industrie?

—I always loved to paint and craft and my plan was to study arts. But then a camera got into my hands and I felt so enthusiastic and passionate about taking pictures that I decided overnight to become a photographer. The rest is history :-)

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

—If I remember it :-) We have so much visual input every day. If a photo creates a feeling, a mood and tells a story, its a big winner. Of course the tones, setting and composition are important too. Most of all they have to fit the story.

—Houdt u van reizen?

—Yes I absolutely LOVE traveling and capturing weddings across Europe.

—Wat vindt u het leukst aan uw beroep?

—Connecting with people and finding beauty in everything. The freelance aspect. Creating constantly. The process of editing and putting the story together. I absolutely LOVE to meet so many inspiring souls along the way.

—Wat ziet u de toekomst van fotografie?

—Hopefully a return to simplicity, rawness, authenticity. Photography appreciated and valued as art, not as "content creating".

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

—I work across various genres and they all have their magic.

—Hoe gaat u om met kritiek?

—Criticism lets me grow constantly and pushes me out of my comfort zone.

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

—It depends on your priorities. I would say the connection and the style you are looking for, are very important. You should feel comfortable and relaxed with your photographer of choice.

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

—A timeless photo is always the winner

—Wie wil u graag fotograferen?

—I always love to explore new faces. And I love freckles.

—Heeft u bepaalde taboes op professioneel vlak?

—Yes. Elegance is key. When it gets tacky or pornographic, I am out.

—Met wie zou u graag fotograferen?

—Romy Schneider, Alain Delon, Paul Newman, Sofia Loren, Monica Belucci....
I love all the actors from the earlier days...its an endless list :-)

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

—Amelie.

—Wie inspireert u in uw leven en waarom?

—people in general inspire me, sometimes a short conversation with a stranger brings a new aspect to my life

—Hoe definieert u succes? Hoe meet u het?

—Its already a big success when you love what you do and make a living from it.
When you reach your very personal goals in all areas of your life. Abundance, inner peace, love, health and of course a stable and established business. When work and life are in balance then I think you did it right :-)

—Bent u liever graag gezien of gerespecteerd?

—Respected

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

—Thankfully in more than two decades working as a photographer I never had any big errors at work.

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

—I watch movies, look through photography books. I love improving through practice.

—Wiens werk heeft u het meest beïnvloed als fotograaf?

—Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin among so many others.

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

—I was never a provocateur. I just want to create magical moments, capture beauty in all ways and create timeless memories. The world is a tough place and somehow I just want to take you with me to a happy place.

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

—First of all my happy and grateful clients. They keep me going and motivated! And probably my creative mind when I have a new story in my head.

—Wat denkt u over leven op andere planeten?

—I would say get this planet sorted out first, but I am sure we are not alone.

—Wie zijn uw helden?

—My friends and my family who are doing so much to make this world a better place. And all those great minds and spiritual teachers.

—Wat doet u in uw vrije tijd?

—Reading, watching movies, traveling and spending time at the sea for sunsets.I love cooking for my friends, especially freestyle curries

—Wanneer bent u helemaal tevreden over uw werk?

—I am a perfectionist with my work so I am always evolving ;-)

—Maakt u gemakkelijk vrienden?

—Yes, I am very curious to meet new people and very easy going

—Waar zou u graag wonen?

—I absolutely love Ibiza where I am based for a long time but Italy is my second home ;-)

—Houdt u van honden of van katten?

—I love cats but I shot an advertising campaign for a dog product where I met so many dogs that I fell in love with almost all of them :-)

—Het beste in het leven is:

—the simple things

—Wat zou u graag veranderen aan de wereld?

—The way we treat nature to start with... its an endless story

—Kan u tips geven voor beginnende fotografen?

—Keep your vision and your uniqueness, it will pay off one day.

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

—a Lovestory, always

—Morgen zal ik ... doen

—Enjoy my morning coffee in the sunshine.