Fotograf Maria Simon

—Først og fremst, hvem vil du si er den beste fotografen i Ibiza, Spania? :)

—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.

—Er du fotogen?

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

—Hvordan ble du en del av fotografbransjen?

—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 :-)

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

—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.

—Er du glad i å reise?

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

—Hva liker du best med yrket ditt?

—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.

—Hvordan ser fremtiden ut for fotografering?

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

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

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

—Hvordan takler du kritikk?

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

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

—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.

—Hva påvirker bildets verdi? Hvilke elementer inneholder det?

—A timeless photo is always the winner

—Hvem kunne du tenkt deg å fotografere?

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

—Har du noen yrkesmessige tabuer?

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

—Hvem kunne du tenkt deg å fotografere sammen med?

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

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

—Amelie.

—Hvem inspirerer deg i ditt liv, og hvorfor?

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

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

—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 :-)

—Foretrekker du å bli likt eller respektert?

—Respected

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

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

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

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

—Hvem sitt arbeid har inspirert deg mest som fotograf?

—Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin among so many others.

—Hva ønsker du å formidle gjennom dine bilder?

—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.

—Hva motiverer deg til å fortsette med fotografering?

—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.

—Hva tenker du angående liv på andre planeter?

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

—Hvem er dine helter?

—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.

—Hva gjør du i fritiden din?

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

—Når er du helt fornøyd med arbeidet ditt?

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

—Har du lett for å få nye venner?

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

—Hvor kunne du tenke deg å bo?

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

—Liker du hunder eller katter?

—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 :-)

—Det beste i livet er:

—the simple things

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

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

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

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

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

—a Lovestory, always

—I morgen skal jeg...

—Enjoy my morning coffee in the sunshine.