Фотограф Adam Johnson

—Вы фотогеничны?

—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.

—Как вы попали в индустрию фотографии?

—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.

—Как вы считаете, какие самые важные составляющие хорошей фотографии?

—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.

—Любите путешествовать?

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

—Что в вашей профессии вам нравится больше всего?

—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!

—Что в вашей профессии вам нравится меньше всего?

—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.

—Каким вы видите будущее фотографии?

—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.

—Что делает жанр фотографии, в котором вы снимаете, особенным?

—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.

—Как вы относитесь к критике?

—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!

—Есть ли в фотографии своя мода?

—Of course! I just prefer to ignore them.

—По каким критериям клиенты должны выбирать своего фотографа?

—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.

—Чего нельзя допускать при съемке?

—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.

—Кого бы вы назвали символом XXI века?

—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.

—Кого бы вы хотели поснимать?

—Ben Folds, Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United.

—Есть ли у вас какие-то табу в работе?

—Not that I know of!

—С кем вы хотели бы поснимать?

—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.

—О чем вы беспокоитесь и почему?

—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!

—Расскажите о самом сильном впечатлении в своей жизни.

—The births of my two children.

—Каким персонажем из мультфильма, книги или кино вы были бы и почему?

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

—Кто вдохновляет вас и почему?

—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.

—Как вы определяете успех? Можно ли его измерить?

—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.

—Что для вас важнее: любовь окружающих или уважение?

—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.

—Расскажите о своей самой большой ошибке в работе.

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

—Что вы берете с собой в путешествие и почему?

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

—Есть ли среди вашей техники что-то, чего покупать не следовало бы? Почему вы так считаете?

—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!

—Расскажите о своем самообучении: что вы делаете, чтобы снимать лучше?

—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.

—Чья работа больше всего повлияла на ваше становление как фотографа?

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

—Как вы считаете, что вам следовало бы знать в первую очередь, когда вы начинали фотографировать?

—That there were no rules!

—Что вы хотите донести до людей с помощью фотографии?

—I've no idea. Good stuff I hope.

—Что побуждает вас продолжать заниматься фотографией?

—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.

—Следовало ли вашим родителям быть более (менее) строгими?

—No comment.

—Если бы можно было вернуться в прошлое, что бы вы сделали иначе?

—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.

—Есть ли жизнь на других планетах?

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

—Кто для вас пример для подражания?

—I have no heroes.

—Кого вы считаете недостойным уважения?

—An awful question.

—Чем вы занимаетесь в свободное время?

—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.

—Какая часть вашей личности скрыта от окружающих?

—The public? As opposed to who?

—В каких случаях вы бываете полностью довольны своей работой?

—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?

—Придаете ли вы значение традиционным ролям мужчин и женщин?

—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.

—Легко ли вы заводите друзей?

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

—Где вы хотели бы жить?

—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.

—Расскажите о самой большой глупости, которую вы согласились сделать.

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

—Есть ли жизнь после свадьбы?

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

—У вас есть любимая шутка? Поделитесь с нами!

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

—Вы любите собак? А кошек?

—Neither.

—Что или кого вы очень не любите?

—I hate wasps. Passionately.

—Самое лучшее в жизни — это:

—Family time.

—Самое неприятное в жизни — это:

—Traffic jams.

—Есть ли что-то вокруг вас, что вы хотели бы изменить?

—I want to make my house bigger!

—Что вы хотели бы изменить в себе?

—I would like to break my iphone addiction!

—Что вы хотели бы изменить в мире?

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

—Что бы вы посоветовали начинающим фотографам?

—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.

—Если бы на Землю прилетели инопланетяне и вы оказались первым человеком, которого они встретили, что бы вы сказали им?

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

—Если бы вам пришлось снимать фильм, в каком жанре он был бы?

—Slapstick comedy.

—Завтра я пойду и сделаю…

—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...