攝影師 Jo-Ann Stokes

—您上相嗎？

—Unfortunately not ....but probably best that I am not because it makes me try extra hard to make my couples feel comfortable in front of the lens and capture beautiful photographs that they will love of themselves.

—您如何開始從事攝影行業？

—Purely by accident to be honest! My trip into photography started by documenting my life, my kids and then into landscape photography. A friend saw my photos, told her friend who was getting married and they contacted me and asked me to do their wedding. I explained that I had never done a wedding but they were fine with that. I loved it ....and the rest ...is history! And my first clients are still one of my biggest fans!

—您認為一張好照片裡最重要的元素有哪些？

—A photograph that touches your soul ...no matter the composition, the editing etc ...that makes for a good photo ...no actually, that makes for a "great" photo ....but if all you want is good ..then good composition, good lighting and good posing would make a good photo .....I continuously strive to take a "great" photo.

—您熱愛旅行嗎？

—Do you seriously have to ask? I "love" to travel ...it feeds my soul, opens my eyes, enriches my life and makes me appreciate everything that God created for us.

—您最喜歡這個職業的哪個部分？

—The creativity ...if you can visualise it ....you can photograph it! The continious learning curve....there are new things to learn all the time! I am continiously challenged and excited by my profession.

—您最不喜歡這個職業的哪個部分？

—The admin!! Wish we were taking photographs 100% of the time ...unfortunately its only a small portion of our workload. And selling myself ...I find it so hard to do!

—攝影的前景如何？

—There will alwasy be a future for wedding photography ...people will continously fall in love and want to get married and start families of that I have no doubt ....I think how we photograph weddings will stay fundamentally the same ..but the way we grab our image might change. I see change coming in the fact that we will film the wedding and grab our photographs from the video ...and I am excited about that because a hair breadth of a second can make all the difference to an image.

—您擅長的攝影類型有什麼特別之處？

—Wedding photography is special because it makes you forget all the bad things in the world for a few brief moments. It makes you believe that the world is all rosy, full of love and that there is bright future ahead and there is truth in fairytales and the "happy ever after"

—您如何應對批評？

—Well I am a creative ...so lets just say ...it can hurt! But I am also open-minded so I can take a step back and look at it through that persons eyes and see if their criticism is valuable. Good criticism is worth its weight in gold!

—攝影有什麼潮流？

—There are always trends in photography! The question needs to be asked ..how will your images look in 30 years ...will the trend stand the test of time. Quality, timeless photography will never date.

—客戶選擇攝影師的標準有哪些？

—Initially the couple should love the photography ...it should speak to them. But the most important criteria is that you like your photographer and feel comfortable with them....you will spend a large part of your day with this person in your space ..its best that you like them.

—拍攝時應該避免哪些事項？

—Cheesy!

—通常不會被注意，但攝影師卻能留意的細節有哪些呢？

—We can see moments that develop and are waiting for them to happen.

—什麼事物會影響照片的價值？它包含了哪些因素？

—The emotion, the impact of the image!

—您認為哪個人可以被視為21世紀的代表人物？

—The co-founders of google, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. And our very own, Nelson Mandela!

—您想拍誰？

—My next bride!

—您有任何職業禁忌嗎？

—One or two ...nudity is not my thing!

—您想和誰一起拍攝？

—Thats a tough one ...Jose Villa, ..I love his pastel, airy, film look but I also love the dark, moody look from Susan Stripling.

—您會擔心什麼？為什麼？

—I worry about my children ...I am first and foremost a Mom! From a wedding photographers perspective ..that I lose a wedding due to faulty cards, crashing computers & harddrives. I have made every provision to safeguard my clients weddings but it is natural to worry about their images.

—您人生中印象最深刻的一刻是什麼？

—The birth of my sons. Everything else pales into insignificance in comparison to those moments.

—如果您是個卡通、小說或電影角色，您想成為誰？為什麼？

—I am enjoying the character, Elizabeth McCord from Madam Secretary at the moment. She handles problems with intelligence, respect and sensitivity in very fragile situations.

—誰能在生命中激發您的靈感？為什麼？

—My family inspire me ...they inspire me to be better...they inspire me to prove to them that life is for living and that you make your own destiny with the choices and decisions that you make. Every action has a reaction. Mistakes are not always bad as the experience it teaches you is sometimes more valuable that getting something 100% correct.

—您如何定義成功？您會怎麼衡量它？

—A successful person is a person who has balance in their life! A happy marriage, family life & career ..is my definition of success! Only having a successful career with money in the bank ...can make for a very lonely/empty life.

—您是希望被喜愛或是被景仰呢？

—Neither ....I would prefer to be loved!

—您在工作上犯過最大的錯誤是什麼？

—When I worked in banking ....I paid a rather large sum of money into the wrong persons account!

—當您要去旅行時，您會帶什麼？為什麼？

—My camera and a lens ...do I need anything more?

—在您擁有的物品中，有任何您希望沒買過的嗎？為什麼？

—a few items ...too numerous to mention

—您如何學習拍出更好的照片呢？

—I attend workshops, watch videos, practice, practice, practice!

—身為攝影師，誰的作品對您影響最大？

—Many of my photographer friends have in their own small way influenced me. Each one has at some stage dropped a pearl of wisdom on my eager ears.

—哪件事是您希望從開始拍照時就知道的？

—I initially started to play around with a camera when i was a teenager ...I wish I had figured out then, that this was the career that I loved.

—您想用自己的照片說些什麼？

—I am not big into props ....I prefer the people in my photographs to be the focal point. It is their essence, emotions that tell the story.

—讓您持續拍照的動力是什麼？

—I dont think there is anything that motivates me to continue to take photos ....I think it is an extension of who I am ...even when I dont have my camera with me ...I am still framing photos in my eye and taking a mental photo of a scene.

—您的雙親應該更加或是更不嚴厲呢？

—They were perfect. I like the way I turned out ...lol!

—如果能回到過去，您會有什麼不同舉動呢？

—Nothing ...if i went back in time to change anything ...then my outcome might be very different to where I am now ....and I kind of like where I am now. And if I had actually done photography from a teenager then my people skills would not have been developed. I believe there was a reason for only discovering my love for photography later on.

—您對在其他星球上的生命有什麼看法呢？

—Possible ...but have no interest in finding out ...its bad enough controlling the human race that we have here ...we sure as heck dont need the headache of another race somewhere else.

—誰是您的英雄？

—There are no heroes ....everyone is only human ...we all err on this road we call life. There are people who I respect i.e Nelson Mandela, FW De Klerk, Mother Theresa, Pope Francis, Thuli Madonsela

—您不重視誰？

—Dictators, bad politicians, criminals, children and animal abusers! Our president, Jacob Zuma, Stupidity, Robert Mugabe.

—您空閒時會做些什麼？

—My hubby has a Harley Davidson motorbike and we often will go on road trips around the Cape and needless to say ...I take photos. I enjoy socialising with fellow photographers. I walk in a farm close to my house with my dogs.

—您的哪一面是公眾不曾看到過的？

—They dont see me stressed or worried. I show a calm face to the outside world and behind the scenes I make a plan. I also have a wicked sense of humour that I try to keep in check.

—您什麼時候會對自己的作品完全滿意？

—I wish I knew the answer ...then i would create a formula and stick to it ..but there again then I might end up being bored!

—您認可男女性的傳統角色嗎？

—Yes and no ....I believe women can do anything they put their minds too ...but I also believe that men are traditionally the hunters and do not enjoy being the hunted. Let them enjoy the chase.

—您容易交到朋友嗎？

—Very easily. I can chat to complete strangers wherever I am.

—您希望在哪裡生活？

—If I couldnt live in Cape Town for whatever reason ...then I would go to the next extreme and live in London ...but only if I had a lot of money ;)

—您曾同意嘗試過最愚蠢的事是什麼？

—A nude shoot

—結婚後還有人生嗎？

—lol ...yes, definitely! I have done more and had more fun with my husband than with any other human being. He is the one who has my back, who I rely on, who I can be real with, who accepts me for who I am ...who will look after me when I am sick or sad ....to lend a Greys Anatomy line ..."he is my person" ...but yes there were times when I could have lovingly strangled his neck..he definitely still knows how to push my buttons!

—您有最愛的笑話嗎？請告訴我們。

—Yes ..I do ...but I think it might be a bit too dirty for a wedding blog ...especially for people considering getting married ...lol! Only old married couples would find it amusing!

—您喜歡狗還是貓？

—Dogs ...grew up with them all my life! My dad was allergic to cats ..so was never allowed to have one ....so not too sure if I would have loved cats more!

—您討厭誰或什麼？

—People who are rigid and the world is black and white and do not see outside the box.

—人生中最棒的事是：

—free!

—人生中最煩人的事是：

—People who do not listen

—您的周圍有任何您想改變的事情嗎？

—Yes, our incompetent government!

—您希望改變自己的哪一點？

—I wish I had more time!

—您希望改變世界的哪些方面？

—Evil

—您能為新進攝影師提供一些建議嗎？

—Be unique ...find your own style ....do not be like sheep and copy everyone else! Trust in the way you see the world ..you will develop!

—如果外星人來到地球，而您是他們第一個遇見的人，您會跟他們說什麼？

—If you know whats good for you ...turn around and run in the opposite direction

—如果您被邀請去拍攝電影，那會是什麼類型的電影呢？

—A romance or a drama

—明天我會去做...

—some food shopping, a maternity shoot, some editing ...watch our national rugby team , the Springboks play their first game at the Rugby World Cup 15 in England against Japan!