Fotografo Adam Johnson

—Sei fotogenico?

—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.

—Come sei entrato nell'industria della fotografia?

—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.

—Secondo te, quali sono le componenti più importanti di una bella foto?

—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.

—Ti piace viaggiare?

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

—Che cosa ti piace di più nella tua professione?

—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!

—Che cosa ti piace di meno nella tua professione?

—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.

—Quale sarà il futuro della fotografia?

—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.

—Cosa c'è di speciale nel genere di fotografia in cui sei specializzato?

—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.

—Come gestisci la critica?

—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!

—Ci sono determinate tendenze nella fotografia?

—Of course! I just prefer to ignore them.

—Quali criteri dovrebbe utilizzare un cliente per scegliere un fotografo?

—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.

—Che cosa non è ammesso durante la ripresa fotografica?

—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.

—Secondo te, chi può essere considerato simbolo del XXI secolo?

—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.

—Chi vorresti fotografare?

—Ben Folds, Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United.

—Hai qualche tabù professionale?

—Not that I know of!

—Con chi vorresti fare una sessione di ripresa fotografica?

—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.

—Che cosa ti fa preoccupare e perché?

—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!

—Qual è stato il momento più impressionante della tua vita?

—The births of my two children.

—Se tu fossi un personaggio di cartone animato, libro o film, chi saresti e perché?

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

—Chi ti ispira nella vita e perché?

—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.

—Come puoi definire il successo? Come si misura?

—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.

—Preferiresti essere amato o rispettato?

—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.

—Qual è stato il più grande errore che hai commesso nel lavoro?

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

—Preparandoti per partire, che cosa metteresti in valigia e perché?

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

—Tra i gadget che possiedi, c'è qualcosa che vorresti non aver comprato? Perché?

—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!

—Che formazione professionale segui per fare fotografie migliori?

—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.

—Il lavoro di chi ha avuto la maggiore influenza su di te come fotografo?

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

—Qual è l'unica cosa che vorresti aver saputo iniziando a scattare foto?

—That there were no rules!

—Che cosa vuoi dire con le tue fotografie?

—I've no idea. Good stuff I hope.

—Qual è la tua motivazione per continuare a scattare fotografie?

—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.

—Pensi che i tuoi genitori avrebbero dovuto essere più o meno severi?

—No comment.

—Se potessi tornare nel passato, che cosa faresti in modo diverso?

—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.

—Che cosa pensi della vita su altri pianeti?

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

—Chi sono i tuoi eroi?

—I have no heroes.

—Per chi non hai rispetto?

—An awful question.

—Che cosa fai nel tuo tempo libero?

—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.

—Quale lato di te non è mai visibile al pubblico?

—The public? As opposed to who?

—Quando ti senti completamente soddisfatto dal tuo lavoro?

—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?

—Credi nei ruoli tradizionali di donne e uomini?

—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.

—Fai facilmente amicizia?

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

—Dove ti piacerebbe vivere?

—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.

—Qual è stata la cosa più stupida che hai accettato di fare?

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

—Esiste la vita dopo il matrimonio?

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

—Hai uno scherzo preferito? Raccontacelo.

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

—Ti piacciono i cani o i gatti?

—Neither.

—Chi o che cosa odi?

—I hate wasps. Passionately.

—La cosa migliore nella vita è:

—Family time.

—La cosa più fastidiosa nella vita è:

—Traffic jams.

—C'è qualcosa intorno a te che vorresti cambiare?

—I want to make my house bigger!

—Che cosa vorresti cambiare in te stesso?

—I would like to break my iphone addiction!

—Che cosa vorresti cambiare nel mondo?

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

—Puoi dare alcuni consigli ai fotografi alle prime armi?

—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.

—Se gli alieni dovessero arrivare sulla Terra e tu fossi la prima persona ad incontrarli, che cosa diresti?

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

—Se dovessi essere invitato a girare un film, di che genere sarebbe?

—Slapstick comedy.

—Domani vado a fare...

—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...