Fotograf Adam Johnson

—Är du fotogenisk?

—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.

—Hur började du inom fotografi?

—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.

—Vilka är enligt dig de viktigaste komponenterna för ett bra fotografi?

—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.

—Älskar du att resa?

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

—Vad gillar du mest med ditt yrke?

—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!

—Vad gillar du minst med ditt yrke?

—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.

—Hur kommer framtiden för fotografering att se ut?

—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.

—Vad är det speciella med den fotografigenre du specialiserar i?

—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.

—Hur hanterar du kritik?

—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!

—Finns det några trender inom fotografering?

—Of course! I just prefer to ignore them.

—Vad bör kriterierna vara för en kund som ska välja en fotograf?

—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.

—Vad är absolut inte tillåtet under fotograferingen?

—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.

—Vilken person tycker du symboliserar 2000-talet?

—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.

—Vem vill du fotografera?

—Ben Folds, Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United.

—Har du några professionella tabun?

—Not that I know of!

—Vem skulle du vilja fotografera med?

—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.

—Vad oroar du dig över och varför?

—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!

—Vilket är det mest imponerande ögonblicket i ditt liv?

—The births of my two children.

—Om du vore en animerad, litterär eller filmkaraktär, vem skulle du vara och varför?

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

—Vem är din inspirationskälla i livet och varför?

—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.

—Hur definierar du framgång? Hur mäter du framgång?

—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.

—Föredrar du att vara omtyckt eller respekterad?

—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.

—Vilket är det största misstaget som du har gjort på jobbet?

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

—Vad tar du med dig och varför när du är ute och reser?

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

—Äger du en gadget som du önskar att du inte hade köpt? Varför?

—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!

—Hur utbildar du dig själv för att bli en bättre fotograf?

—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.

—Vems arbete har haft störst inflytande över dig som fotograf?

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

—Finns det någonting specifikt som du önskar att du visste när du började fotografera?

—That there were no rules!

—Vad försöker du säga med dina fotografier?

—I've no idea. Good stuff I hope.

—Vad motiverar dig att fortsätta att ta bilder?

—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.

—Borde dina föräldrar ha varit mer eller mindre strikta?

—No comment.

—Om du kunde resa tillbaka i tiden, vad skulle du göra annorlunda?

—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.

—Tror du att det finns liv på andra planeter?

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

—Vilka är dina hjältar?

—I have no heroes.

—Finns det någon person som du inte har någon respekt för?

—An awful question.

—Vad gör du på fritiden?

—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.

—Har du någon sida som du aldrig visar upp offentligt?

—The public? As opposed to who?

—När är du fullständigt tillfredsställd med ditt arbete?

—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?

—Tror du på de traditionella mans- och kvinnorollerna?

—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.

—Är det enkelt för dig att skaffa vänner?

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

—Var skulle du vilja bo?

—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.

—Vad är det dummaste som du någonsin har tackat ja till?

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

—Finns det ett liv efter äktenskapet?

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

—Har du ett favoritskämt? Berätta det för oss.

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

—Gillar du hundar eller katter?

—Neither.

—Vem eller vad hatar du?

—I hate wasps. Passionately.

—Det bästa med livet är:

—Family time.

—Det mest irriterande med livet är:

—Traffic jams.

—Finns det någonting runt omkring dig som du skulle vilja ändra på?

—I want to make my house bigger!

—Finns det någonting om dig själv som du skulle vilja ändra?

—I would like to break my iphone addiction!

—Vad vill du ändra på i världen?

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

—Kan du ge några råd till nya fotografer?

—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.

—Om utomjordingar skulle komma till jorden, och du är den första personen som de träffar, vad skulle du säga till dem?

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

—Om du skulle bli tillfrågad att spela in en film, vilken genre skulle det vara?

—Slapstick comedy.

—Imorgon kommer jag att...

—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...