Fotograf Mark Wallis

—Ste fotogenický?

—Not really, mainly because I pull stupid faces when I find myself on the wrong side of the camera.

—Ako ste sa dostali do fotografického priemyslu?

—The old story of the couple with no money, an old uni friend with a decent camera and a firm agreement that there’d be no posed photos.

—Aké sú podľa vás najdôležitejšie súčasti dobrej fotografie?

—For me it’s all about the genuine moment, captured without any intervention by the photographer. A moment that would have happened even if the photographer wasn’t there. A moment of action, emotion, great light, etc.

—Máte radi cestovanie?

—I do, but in comfort. I’m more of a city person than a wilderness person.

—Čo máte najradšej na vašej profesii?

—Working for myself and (kinda) gatecrashing parties.

—Čo sa vám páči najmenej na vašej profesii?

—The assumption by some that I’m at the wedding to take control of everything and to take boring, posed photos of the guests.

—Aká bude budúcnosť fotenia?

—Not sure I even know what the ‘present’ of wedding photography is. I just do what I do and hope enough people each year want that.

—Ako zvládate kritiku?

—Depends who it’s coming from and how constructive it is.

—Sú nejaké trendy v oblasti fotografie?

—Always somebody doing something that everybody else copies until something else comes along. Trends get old quickly (see ‘couple in rain with flashgun’, etc.)

—Aké by mal mať zákazník kritérium pri výbere fotografa?

—Approach is key for me. They either want to just get on and enjoy their wedding and have a record of it, or they want to spend the day modelling for pieces of art or fashion photography (or somewhere in between). A connection with the photographer’s portfolio, and a desire to see themselves in those images, is a good guide.

—Aké detaily, ktoré zvyčajne prejdú bez povšimnutia, si môže fotograf všimnúť?

—I don’t think there is anything specific. A good wedding photographer will have an eye for a moment or an interesting composition or great light that most won’t have, but the key thing is that when you’re employed to shoot a wedding you approach it from a different angle to a friend or family member who is there to enjoy the wedding. I am paid to be observant. Plus, I see what the common people are doing. I’m there to photograph everybody, not just the couple.

—Ktorá osoba môže byť podľa vás symbolom 21. storočia?

—For me, whoever does the most to increase education and encourage the use of reason and logic in decision-making from the top to the bottom of social and political hierarchy.

—Koho chcete fotografovať?

—Anybody that trusts me completely and who will ignore me.

—Máte nejaké profesionálne tabu?

—I won’t work for people or companies that I perceive to be helping to make the world a worse place.

—S kým by ste chceli fotografovať?

—Nobody. I like working alone.

—Čoho sa obávate a prečo?

—Time and money and my misguided perception that I have a shortage of both.

—Aký bol váš najpôsobivejší okamih v živote?

—Completing this interview.

—Ak by ste boli animovaná, literárna alebo filmová postava, kto by ste boli a prečo?

—Butthead from Beavis & Butthead, because he.. he… he. You said would. He.. he…

—Kto vás vo vašom živote inšpiruje a prečo?

—I’m not good at absorbing or recognising inspiration.

—Boli by ste radšej obľúbení alebo rešpektovaní?

—Depends who is doing the liking and respecting.

—Aká je najväčšia chyba, ktorú ste kedy v práci urobili?

—Running up the stairs of Marylebone Town Hall with a zoom lens precariously perched in a jacket pocket didn’t end well.

—Keď cestujete, čo si so sebou beriete a prečo?

—Clothes, money, phone, a camera of some sort.

—Existuje niečo, čo by ste si boli radšej nekúpili zo zariadení, ktoré vlastníte? Prečo?

—A Panasonic GF1 that I barely used and that my wife dropped and damaged after I’d had it for a couple of weeks. I don’t get on with cameras without viewfinders.

—Ako sa vzdelávate, aby ste robili lepšie fotografie?

—Take more pictures.

—Koho práca vás ovplyvnila najviac ako fotografa?

—Nobody specific, but seeing in 2004/2005 that a documentary approach was a viable option for wedding photography was the push I needed to start doing it myself.

—Čo by ste chceli povedať cez vaše fotografie?

—The truth.

—Čo vás motivuje v ďalšom fotografovaní?

—People keep paying me to come to their weddings.

—Mali byť vaši rodičia menej alebo viac prísni?

—My mum got it pretty much spot on.

—Ak by ste sa mohli vrátiť v čase, čo by ste urobili inak?

—I would make better use of my enquiring mind and study science or engineering, so that I could be of more use to the world and future generations.

—Čo tak život na druhých planétach?

—Presumably, but we’ll wipe out life on our own planet before we make contact with life on others.

—Kto sú vaši hrdinovia?

—I don’t really have any. They’d only ruin it at some point.

—Kto nemá u vás žiadny rešpekt?

—Those who promote fear, intolerance and lies to feed their own greed.

—Čo robíte vo svojom voľnom čase?

—I do DIY, or I play my ukulele, or I go to (mostly metal) gigs or I do a crossword.

—Akú vašu tvár nikdy neukazujte na verejnosti?

—Most of my sides. I’m a fairly private person.

—Kedy ste úplne spokojní s vašou prácou?

—Dunno, it hasn’t happened yet.

—Veríte v tradičné role mužov a žien?

—Like most traditions, best left in the past. Live and let live.

—Získavate ľahko nových priateľov?

—I really don’t. I’m friendly and approachable and I get on with most people, but I’ve been burnt too many times so I keep most people at a few arms’ length.

—Kde by ste radi žili?

—In a huge warehouse apartment in NYC, or in a cosy old manor house surrounded by a few acres, or on top of a hill in Scotland.

—Existuje život po svadbe?

—It’s just a certificate and a great party. As you were.

—Máte obľúbený vtip? Povedzte nám ho.

—“Some people like cats and some people don't. Apparently the Pope's a cataholic.” Milton Jones

—Máte radi psy alebo mačky?

—I prefer cats to dogs, but I don’t like the damage they do to your house, so am currently resisting my family’s desire to own one.

—Koho alebo čo nenávidíte?

—Overuse of hate.

—Najlepšia vec v živote je:

—Freedom. And Five Guy’s Bacon Cheeseburger, All The Way.

—Najviac znepokojujúca vec v živote je:

—Procrastination. And people constantly changing speed on the motorway when I’m using cruise control.

—Čo by ste chceli zmeniť na sebe?

—I’d like to have more self-belief.

—Čo by ste chceli zmeniť vo svete?

—I’d like to ensure everyone gets a quality education and eradicate dependence on myth, legend and violence.

—Môžete dať niekoľko tipov pre fotografov, ktorí práve začínajú?

—Take your own (decent) food, and wear comfortable shoes.

—Keby prišli na našu planétu mimozemšťania a vy by ste boli prvou osobou, s ktorou sa stretnú, čo by ste im povedali?

—That I want a ride in their spaceship.

—Ak by ste mali natočiť film, aký žáner by to bol?

—A very dark and gory horror film.

—Zajtra pôjdem a urobím...

—…something less boring instead.