Fotograf Adam Johnson

—Ste fotogenický?

—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.

—Ako ste sa dostali do fotografického priemyslu?

—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.

—Aké sú podľa vás najdôležitejšie súčasti dobrej fotografie?

—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.

—Máte radi cestovanie?

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

—Čo máte najradšej na vašej profesii?

—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!

—Čo sa vám páči najmenej na vašej profesii?

—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.

—Aká bude budúcnosť fotenia?

—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.

—Čo je výnimočné na žánri fotografií, na ktorý sa špecializujete?

—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.

—Ako zvládate kritiku?

—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!

—Sú nejaké trendy v oblasti fotografie?

—Of course! I just prefer to ignore them.

—Aké by mal mať zákazník kritérium pri výbere 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.

—Čomu sa určite vyhnúť pri práci?

—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.

—Ktorá osoba môže byť podľa vás symbolom 21. storočia?

—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.

—Koho chcete fotografovať?

—Ben Folds, Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United.

—Máte nejaké profesionálne tabu?

—Not that I know of!

—S kým by ste chceli fotografovať?

—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.

—Čoho sa obávate a prečo?

—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!

—Aký bol váš najpôsobivejší okamih v živote?

—The births of my two children.

—Ak by ste boli animovaná, literárna alebo filmová postava, kto by ste boli a prečo?

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

—Kto vás vo vašom živote inšpiruje a prečo?

—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.

—Ako definujete úspech? Ako ho meriate?

—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.

—Boli by ste radšej obľúbení alebo rešpektovaní?

—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.

—Aká je najväčšia chyba, ktorú ste kedy v práci urobili?

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

—Keď cestujete, čo si so sebou beriete a prečo?

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

—Existuje niečo, čo by ste si boli radšej nekúpili zo zariadení, ktoré vlastníte? Prečo?

—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!

—Ako sa vzdelávate, aby ste robili lepšie fotografie?

—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.

—Koho práca vás ovplyvnila najviac ako fotografa?

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

—Jedna vec, ktorú by ste chceli vedieť, keď ste začínali s fotením?

—That there were no rules!

—Čo by ste chceli povedať cez vaše fotografie?

—I've no idea. Good stuff I hope.

—Čo vás motivuje v ďalšom fotografovaní?

—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.

—Mali byť vaši rodičia menej alebo viac prísni?

—No comment.

—Ak by ste sa mohli vrátiť v čase, čo by ste urobili inak?

—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.

—Čo tak život na druhých planétach?

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

—Kto sú vaši hrdinovia?

—I have no heroes.

—Kto nemá u vás žiadny rešpekt?

—An awful question.

—Čo robíte vo svojom voľnom čase?

—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.

—Akú vašu tvár nikdy neukazujte na verejnosti?

—The public? As opposed to who?

—Kedy ste úplne spokojní s vašou prácou?

—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?

—Veríte v tradičné role mužov a žien?

—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.

—Získavate ľahko nových priateľov?

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

—Kde by ste radi žili?

—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.

—Čo je tá najhlúpejšia vec, na ktorú ste kedy pristúpili?

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

—Existuje život po svadbe?

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

—Máte obľúbený vtip? Povedzte nám ho.

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

—Máte radi psy alebo mačky?

—Neither.

—Koho alebo čo nenávidíte?

—I hate wasps. Passionately.

—Najlepšia vec v živote je:

—Family time.

—Najviac znepokojujúca vec v živote je:

—Traffic jams.

—Existuje niečo okolo vás, čo by ste chceli zmeniť?

—I want to make my house bigger!

—Čo by ste chceli zmeniť na sebe?

—I would like to break my iphone addiction!

—Čo by ste chceli zmeniť vo svete?

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

—Môžete dať niekoľko tipov pre fotografov, ktorí práve začínajú?

—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.

—Keby prišli na našu planétu mimozemšťania a vy by ste boli prvou osobou, s ktorou sa stretnú, čo by ste im povedali?

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

—Ak by ste mali natočiť film, aký žáner by to bol?

—Slapstick comedy.

—Zajtra pôjdem a urobím...

—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...