Valokuvaaja Adam Johnson

—Oletko valokuvauksellinen?

—I think everyone is photogenic. Just not everyone appreciates it the first time they see a photo of themselves. I'm the kind of person who grows to like photos of myself over time, rather than instantly loving them.

—Miten päädyit valokuvausalalle?

—It just happened. I got married, bought a DSLR for my honeymoon, and became obsessed with it. I thought I was getting quite good, shot a friend's wedding (as a guest) and did a terrible job. So I went away, practised and studied super hard, bought better equipment then tried again. It went much better the second time and I was able to build a portfolio and website. 18 months later I quit my day job.

—Mikä on sinusta tärkeintä hyvässä kuvassa?

—If we are talking about a wedding photo then it's all about emotion. Light is my obsession, but a beautifully lit emotionless or 'mute' wedding photo is pointless. A photo has to speak for itself, it shouldn't need a caption or an explanation.

—Tykkäätkö matkustamisesta?

—Of course. And I love that wedding photography is showing me more of the world than I would ever have seen without it.

—Mistä pidät eniten ammatissasi?

—Freedom of expression. The more you shoot, the better you get, the more people hear about you and know about your work, the more freedom you are given to express yourself artistically. That and what I said about traveling in the last question!

—Mistä pidät vähiten ammatissasi?

—I am honestly grateful for this being my profession but of course, when you have young children at school, it can take its toll when you're out most weekends throughout the summer and not able to spend as much time with them as I would like.

—Mikä on valokuvauksen tulevaisuus?

—Who knows?! I just hope I'm able to change and adapt to however it changes. I truly believe there will always be a market for beautiful, well crafted photos – the technology and expectations may change but the product will not.

—Mikä on sille valokuvauslajille erityistä, johon olet erikoistunut?

—People. That's what it's all about. People and relationships. Being invited into a private world and asked to document it for a day.

—Kuinka suhtaudut kritiikkiin?

—Badly. I do not like to be criticised. Often once it has sunk in I'm able to either reject or accept it and use it to improve, but I don't like it!

—Onko valokuvauksessa trendejä?

—Of course! I just prefer to ignore them.

—Minkä kriteerien perusteella asiakkaan pitäisi valita valokuvaaja?

—If the photographer's photos of a total stranger's wedding can make you feel something in your heart and soul, you've found your wedding photographer.

—Mikä on ehdottomasti kiellettyä kuvauksessa?

—There are no rules but I think each photographer will have their own principles or boundaries. If someone is crying because they are truly sad then I will not photograph them just to get that 'tear shot' that is so popular with wedding photographers these days. If I do not feel it is appropriate to shoot something, then I won't shoot it.

—Kuka on sinun mielestäsi 2000-vuosisadan symboli?

—Can we answer this with 85 years of the century remaining?! I think there are so many medical and technological advances we will see in this century and I expect icons to be created in these areas.

—Ketä haluaisit kuvata?

—Ben Folds, Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United.

—Onko sinulla ammatillisia tabuja?

—Not that I know of!

—Kenen kanssa haluaisit kuvata?

—Annie Leibowitz, Joey L, James Nachtwey, Don McCullin, Richard Avedon... I love to shoot with other photographers, I think it's a good thing to do regularly.

—Mistä huolehdit ja miksi?

—I am a worrier. I worry about a lot of things! Professionally speaking I worry about becoming irrelevant, about getting stuck in a rut and left behind and nobody wanting me to take their wedding pictures!

—Mikä on ollut elämäsi vaikuttavin hetki?

—The births of my two children.

—Jos olisit animoitu, kirjallisuus- tai elokuvahahmo, kuka olisit ja miksi?

—Peter Pan. I want to stay young and always fight pirates.

—Kuka sinua on inspiroinut elämässäsi ja miksi?

—I don't know if they inspire me as such but my children are the reason that I do what I do and why I want to continually get better at it. I am inspired by anyone successful – in business, in photography, in sport, in life... Not in an arrogant way but I find my own successes an inspiration to keep trying harder and to achieve more.

—Miten ja millä perusteella määrittelisit menestyksen?

—For me, people booking me to shoot photos of them, plus the recognition of my work by my peers is probably my yardstick of success professionally. Happiness and contentment are signs of success in wider life.

—Haluaisitko olla mieluummin tykätty vai kunnioitettu?

—I don't think it's possible for me personally to respect somebody I don't like, so I don't think you can be one or the other. I can quickly lose respect for someone who turns out to be a huge douchebag.

—Mikä on suurin virheesi, jonka olet tehnyt työssäsi?

—I don't remember. I know I've made mistakes but I'm pretty good about moving on from stuff.

—Kun lähdet matkalle, mitä otat mukaasi ja miksi?

—My iphone, my kindle, my macbook, my camera and some earphones.

—Oletko koskaan toivonut, ettet olisi ostanut jotain omistamistasi vempaimista? Miksi?

—I tend to sell stuff if it doesn't fit into my life or work after I buy it. I remember I once bought a weird step trainer off an infomercial on the TV, it was so rubbish!

—Miten opettelet ottamaan parempia kuvia?

—Taking pictures is the education. I'm quite analytical so if I see a photo I like I work out what I like and why... I do the same with my own photos, working out how I could've done better or what I could've done differently. I look at other photography a lot – in books, online, instagram and I think that seeps into my work.

—Kuka on vaikuttanut eniten ammattiisi valokuvaajana?

—I think a turning point for me was doing a workshop with Daniel Aguilar from Mexico.

—Minkä yhden asian olisit toivonut tietäväsi, kun aloitit kuvaamisen?

—That there were no rules!

—Mitä haluat ilmaista valokuvillasi?

—I've no idea. Good stuff I hope.

—Mikä motivoi sinua jatkamaan kuvausta?

—The thing I love about taking photos, or any creative pursuit I guess is that it's just that – a pursuit – and you can never catch the thing you're chasing, but you're constantly improving, or changing at least. It's not static, or limited, or constrained. I know I've not taken my best photo, and I may never take it, but I will always keep striving for it.

—Olisiko vanhempiesi pitänyt olla tiukempia tai päinvastoin?

—No comment.

—Jos voisit palata ajassa taaksepäin, mitä tekisit eri tavalla?

—Nothing, I don't think of life this way. I got to this point in my life, a point in which I am extremely happy, because of the choices I made. I don't want to change anything.That, or I'd go back and invest in Apple before they invented the iPod.Or I could invent the iPod.

—Uskotko, että muilla planeetoilla on elämää?

—Maybe, maybe not. I'm not concerned with it.

—Ketkä ovat sankareitasi?

—I have no heroes.

—Ketä et kunnioita?

—An awful question.

—Mitä teet vapaa-ajallasi?

—I play piano, play and watch football, watch TV shows and movies, go to the gym, spend time with friends and family, listen to music...I don't see life as spare time and work time. It's just life. I do all this stuff and I work, there's no split time. I work when I have to and I play whenever I can.

—Mitä puolta yleisö ei koskaan näe sinussa?

—The public? As opposed to who?

—Milloin olet täysin tyytyväinen työhösi?

—I love my own work. I love seeing progression in my work. I love it when my clients are in love with the photos I give to them. Completely satisfied? Is this possible?

—Uskotko miesten ja naisten perinteisiin rooleihin?

—My parents got divorced when I was young. This has skewed my view of tradition in the home... I don't really know what traditional roles are – women raise children, cook and clean and men just earn the money? Then no, I don't believe in that. A family is the sum of its parts, not separate and distinct people or roles.

—Saatko helposti ystäviä?

—Yeah I guess. I'm never the instigator, I'm shy so I tend to wait for people to make friends with me!

—Missä haluaisit asua?

—If I could have four homes I would have one in the UK, probably near where I live now, one in New York City, a rural house in Southern France and one somewhere in California! Not that I'm greedy.

—Mikä on typerin asia, johon olet koskaan suostunut?

—I'm not sure I've ever agreed to something stupid.

—Jatkuuko elämä avioliiton jälkeen?

—I've been married 8 years... I'm still alive.

—Onko sinulla suosikkivitsiä? Kerro pois.

—What's invisible and smells like carrots?Rabbit farts.

—Pidätkö koirista vai kissoista?

—Neither.

—Ketä tai mitä vihaat?

—I hate wasps. Passionately.

—Parasta elämässä on:

—Family time.

—Ärsyttävintä elämässä on:

—Traffic jams.

—Haluaisitko muuttaa mitään ympärilläsi?

—I want to make my house bigger!

—Mitä haluaisit muuttaa itsessäsi?

—I would like to break my iphone addiction!

—Mitä haluaisit muuttaa maailmassa?

—Far too much to list. The world is a broken place.

—Haluaisitko antaa vinkkejä aloitteleville valokuvaajille?

—You don't have to shoot every second of the wedding, you're not making a stop motion movie... Slow down, breathe, let your mind take in what is happening then tell the story with your photos. There are no rules.

—Jos Maahan saapuisi avaruusolioita ja he näkisivät sinut ensimmäisenä, mitä sanoisit heille?

—You will never feel satisfied after eating a McDonalds...

—Jos sinut kutsuttaisiin kuvaamaan elokuvaa, mitä tyylilajia se edustaisi?

—Slapstick comedy.

—Huomenna aion...

—I'll go to the gym, do some editing, get ready for Saturday's wedding, kick a football with my children, eat food, drink coffee...