Fotograf Wendell Fernandes

—Er du fotogen?

—I'm not sure – my wife says so :)

—Hvordan ble du en del av fotografbransjen?

—Long ago, a close friend of mine was getting married and had no one to capture their day. I had a simple Rebel Canon XTi and I volunteered, I look back and from that point forward I fell in love with the stories of people and their lives more than the actual photographic work – It fascinates me how people meet and how they connect and grow into a lifetime together.

—Hva er de viktigste komponentene i et bra bilde etter din mening?

—This is a tough question. There are so many things that can add up to a great photograph but I believe it all begins with a spectacular experience and interaction between the person registering those moments and the subject. Personally, I think this is the doorway to success and once this happens everything else will follow. People open up to you, they trust you, they trust your vision and creativity. A good photograph evokes reality, however blunt, drastic, romantic, rough it may be. Lighting, camera settings, location, ethnicity, culture, none of these things are as important as the actual naked reality unfolding before you.

—Er du glad i å reise?

—Yes I do. Originally from Brasil and now living in USA for 15 years, every chance I get, I do travel to know whats out there. I have been to various countries because of these stories and I believe being open to it, changes our mindset.

—Hva liker du best med yrket ditt?

—The fact that I can register moments that will live with them for the rest of their lives, this is impacting.

—Hva liker du minst med yrket ditt?

—Every profession has its stressful moments, but it comes with the territory, so I don't believe there is anything I can point out that is relevant.

—Hvordan ser fremtiden ut for fotografering?

—There is already a demand for true storytellers, and I believe this will continue to grow.

—Hva er det spesielle med den fotografisjanger du har spesialisert deg i?

—Generations joining together in one loving event.

—Hvordan takler du kritikk?

—Just like anything else, we can never grow if we don't listen and learn. From the "top" photographer to anyone beginning this journey now, we all began looking, learning from others. The secret is to be open, the next chapter will always teach us something else we need.

—Finnes det noen trender innen fotografering?

—Nowadays everything seems to be done from a recipe book which takes away from the stories that need to be told coherently. Pinterest and many other sites cooperate to this trend, but I believe it is in our hands to change this. The other trend is that every photographer is now a "Photojournalism" style photographer but their work shows no sign of it.

—Hva bør kriteriene være for en kunde som skal velge en fotograf?

—They should look for "Storytellers" – Not because they mention this "photojournalism style" in their website, but because they are more humans than professionals. They care more about the couple's stories than their own photo artwork. Couples should "meet" face to face and look for signs that will give them the comfort they are talking to a person and not a business.

—Hvilke ting er absolutt ikke tillatt under fotograferingen?

—Pre-conceived notions and shots. I believe every location has a great amount of potential to look different even though you've been there many times before. "What fits the story of this couple, even though I've been here before?". This type of thinking will transform the way we shoot.

—Hvilke detaljer, som vanligvis ingen ville lagt merke til, kan en fotograf fange opp?

—How light affects moments.

—Hva påvirker bildets verdi? Hvilke elementer inneholder det?

—Use of light, quantity of light is better than the quality of light. Also, lighting is probably a key element for moments to take place.

—Hvilken person kan være symbolet på det 21. århundre etter din mening?

—The one who is unseen, the one who is invisible, the one not seeking fame. Since we learn from each other, the stories should be what drives us all.

—Hvem kunne du tenkt deg å fotografere?

—An African couple that has absolutely no glamour, but an amazing story.

—Har du noen yrkesmessige tabuer?

—Not really.

—Hvem kunne du tenkt deg å fotografere sammen med?

—Anyone with a greater experience. Perhaps Cliff Mautner or Joe Buissink, would be a great learning experience.

—Hva bekymrer deg, og hvorfor?

—Missing a moment. Inside an environment that you could never go back in time, my fear is to miss a moment that is important to the couple.

—Hva er det mest imponerende øyeblikket i livet ditt?

—Believe it or not, I think it was a day, when I was being taught to love my neighbor as myself, as it's mentioned in the Bible. I spent sometime with a very close friend, a second father to be, and I could not believe how much I needed to learn this and how this has shaped my life.

—Hvilken animert figur, literær person eller filmkarakter ville du vært, og hvorfor?

—I never thought of that :)

—Hvem inspirerer deg i ditt liv, og hvorfor?

—Jesus the man, my father and all my mentors in life.

—Hvordan definerer du suksess? Hvordan måler du graden av suksess?

—Complete peace and satisfaction even though I'm in the midst of a crises.

—Foretrekker du å bli likt eller respektert?

—Liked. I believe respect comes after. We need to approach and be approachable first.

—Hva er den største tabben du noensinne har gjort på jobben?

—I can't recall one now, but I hope I don't have anything later either :P

—Når du skal ut å reise; hva tar du med deg, og hvorfor?

—My Canon 5D III and a Sigma 35mm and 85mm. These are my go to lenses for getting a great shot.

—Er de noe blant dine gadgets du angrer på å ha kjøpt? Hvorfor?

—Not yet.

—Hvordan utdanner du deg for stadig å ta bedre bilder?

—Magazines, mostly fashion and arts, and always looking to see greater experience photographers and what they are doing and why they are doing it.

—Hvem sitt arbeid har inspirert deg mest som fotograf?

—Joe Buissink's work probably.

—Hva spesifikt skulle du ønske at du visste da du begynte å fotografere?

—"What do I do if I turn this dial to M" :P

—Hva ønsker du å formidle gjennom dine bilder?

—Register the reality of people and their personalities.

—Hva motiverer deg til å fortsette med fotografering?

—The stories of people I meet.

—Skulle foreldrene dine ha vært mer eller mindre strenge?

—I think I received the best parenthood one could ever desire.

—Hva ville du ha gjort annerledes hvis du kunne reise tilbake i tid?

—Nothing. Where I am today is a result of the choices I made, I can only change the outcome by the decisions I make moving forward.

—Hva tenker du angående liv på andre planeter?

—Only God knows!

—Hvem er dine helter?

—Jesus for giving me life and enabling me to be a father and a husband and a better man than I would ever be without His love and mercy.

—Hvem har du absolutt ingen respekt for?

—The corrupt system of this world.

—Hva gjør du i fritiden din?

—Family time. I love spending time with my children and my wife.

—Hvilken side av deg viser du aldri offentlig?

—Hmmm. I don't think I have anything that I don't mention. I'm a pretty open person.

—Når er du helt fornøyd med arbeidet ditt?

—When I can see a moment, register it in a great light.

—Tror du på tradisjonelle manne- og kvinneroller?

—Yes.

—Har du lett for å få nye venner?

—I do.

—Hvor kunne du tenke deg å bo?

—Anywhere I can help and be more active socially.

—Hva er de teiteste du noensinne har gått med på å gjøre?

—Open businesses with others without contracts.

—Finnes det et liv etter bryllupet?

—Yes and an abundant one.

—Har du en favorittspøk? Fortell.

—- Knock, Knock!
- Who's there?
- Nobody!
- Nobody who?
- ...

—Liker du hunder eller katter?

—Dogs.

—Hvem eller hva hater du?

—Nothing really.

—Det beste i livet er:

—Spend time with the ones you love and care most.

—Det mest irriterende i livet er:

—A long mass in a wedding day.

—Er det noe omkring du kunne tenkt deg å forandre på?

—Not really.

—Hva hos deg selv kunne du tenkt deg å endre på?

—I would love to be more handy when it comes to fixing up things at home :P

—Hva i verden kunne du tenkt deg å endre på?

—Gather all the rich and wealthy, and make an unbiased decision to change a country or a nation for the better. Implement better government and end poverty, one location at a time.

—Kan du komme med noen gode råd til fotografer i startfasen?

—1) Focus on giving people a better experience than knowing "how to take photos". Being human is more important than being a "business person". Invest in yourself first, your personality and your character, then you can prepare for the business part.2) Study a lot, read, and be inspired by whats "not" photography related.

—Forestill deg at romvesener ankommer jorda, og at du er den første de treffer. Hva ville du sagt til dem?

—Before you take off – let's take a selfy...?

—Hvis du ble spurt om å spille inn en film, hvilken sjanger ville den være?

—Drama.

—I morgen skal jeg...

—Probably answer emails, prepare for a 2016 Wedding Convention presentation in Brasil and perhaps meet some event planners from recent weddings I've shot!