Fotograf Adam Johnson

—Czy jesteś fotogeniczny/fotogeniczna?

—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.

—Co sprawiło, że zajmujesz się fotografią?

—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.

—Jakie twoim zdaniem są najważniejsze czynniki decydujące o dobrym zdjęciu?

—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.

—Kochasz podróże?

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

—Co najbardziej lubisz w swoim zawodzie?

—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!

—Co najmniej lubisz w swoim zawodzie?

—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.

—Jaka będzie przyszłość fotografii?

—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.

—Co wyróżnia rodzaj fotografii, którym się zajmujesz?

—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.

—Jak radzisz sobie z krytyk?

—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!

—Czy w fotografii panują jakieś trendy?

—Of course! I just prefer to ignore them.

—Jakie kryteria powinien przyjąć klient przy wyborze fotografa?

—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.

—Co jest absolutnie niedozwolone podczas sesji?

—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.

—Jaka osoba może być twoim zdaniem uznana za symbol XXI wieku?

—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.

—Kogo chcesz fotografować?

—Ben Folds, Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United.

—Czy masz zawodowe tabu?

—Not that I know of!

—Z kim marzy ci się fotografować?

—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.

—Co cię martwi i dlaczego?

—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!

—Jaka była najwspanialsza chwila w twoim życiu?

—The births of my two children.

—Gdybyś był/była postaci z kreskówki, książki lub filmu, kto by to był?

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

—Kto inspiruje cię w życiu i dlaczego?

—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.

—Jaka jest twoja definicja sukcesu? Co jest jego miarą?

—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.

—Wolisz, aby cię lubiano czy szanowano?

—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.

—Jaki był twój największy bąłd zawodowy?

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

—Co zabierasz ze sob w podróż i dlaczego?

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

—Czy masz jakiś gadżet, zakupu którego żałujesz? Dlaczego?

—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!

—Jak uczysz się robić lepsze zdjęcia?

—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.

—Czyje prace miały na ciebie największy wpływ jako na fotografa?

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

—Czy jest coś, o czym warto byłoby wiedzieć, zaczynając karierę w fotografii?

—That there were no rules!

—Co chcesz przekazać poprzez swoje fotografie?

—I've no idea. Good stuff I hope.

—Co motywuje cię do dalszej pracy w fotografii?

—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.

—Uważasz, że twoi rodzice powinni byli być bardziej czy mniej surowi?

—No comment.

—Mając możliwość cofnąć się w czasie, co być zrobił/zrobiła inaczej?

—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.

—Co myślisz o życiu na innych planetach?

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

—Kto jest twoim bohaterem/bohaterką?

—I have no heroes.

—Do kogo nie żywisz szacunku?

—An awful question.

—Co robisz w czasie wolnym?

—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.

—Jakiego aspektu twojej osobowości nie ujawniasz publicznie?

—The public? As opposed to who?

—Kiedy twoja praca w pełni cię zadowala?

—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?

—Czy wierzysz w tradycyjne role mężczyzny i kobiety?

—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.

—Czy łatwo się zaprzyjaźniasz?

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

—W jakim miejscu dobrze by ci się mieszkało?

—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.

—Jaki była najgłupsza rzecz, którą zgodziłeś/zgodziłaś się zrobić?

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

—Czy istnieje życie po małżeństwie?

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

—Masz ulubiony żart? Opowiedz go.

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

—Wolisz psy czy koty?

—Neither.

—Kogo lub co nienawidzisz?

—I hate wasps. Passionately.

—W życiu najlepsze jest:

—Family time.

—W życiu najbardziej irytuje mnie:

—Traffic jams.

—Czy jest wokół ciebie coś, co chcesz zmienić?

—I want to make my house bigger!

—Co chcesz zmienić w sobie?

—I would like to break my iphone addiction!

—Co chcesz zmienić w świecie?

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

—Czy możesz udzielić kilka wskazówek początkującym fotografom?

—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.

—Jeżeli na Ziemię przybędą kosmici, a ty będziesz pierwszą osobą, która ich spotka, co im powiesz?

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

—Jeśli poproszono by cię o nakręcenie filmu, jaki byłby to gatunek?

—Slapstick comedy.

—Jutro pójdę i...

—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...