Photographer Adam Johnson

—Ikaw ba ay photogenic?

—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.

—Paano ka nagsimula sa industriya ng photography?

—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.

—Ano ang mga mahahalagang bahagi ng isang magandang larawan sa iyong opinyon?

—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.

—Mahilig ka ba maglakbay?

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

—Ano ang pinakagusto mo sa iyong propesyon?

—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!

—Ano ang hindi mo gusto sa iyong propesyon?

—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.

—Ano ang magiging kinabukasan ng photography?

—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.

—Ano ang espesyal sa kategorya ng photography kung saan ka dalubhasa?

—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.

—Paano ka tumatanggap ng pagpuna?

—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!

—Mayroon bang mga trend ang photography?

—Of course! I just prefer to ignore them.

—Ano ang dapat na pamantayan ng isang customer sa pagpili ng photographer?

—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.

—Ano ang mga bagay na dapat iwasan kapag kumukuha ng larawan?

—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.

—Sinong tao ang sumisimbolo sa ika-21 siglo sa iyong opinyon?

—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.

—Sino ang gusto mong kuhaan?

—Ben Folds, Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United.

—Mayroon ka bang mga propesyonal na ipinagbabawal?

—Not that I know of!

—Sino ang gusto mong makasama sa pagkuha ng larawan?

—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.

—Ano ang ikinababahala mo, at bakit?

—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!

—Ano ang pinakahanga-hangang pagkakataon sa iyong buhay?

—The births of my two children.

—Kung ikaw ay isang kartun, libro o karakter sa pelikula, sino ang gugustuhin mong maging at bakit?

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

—Sino ang nagbibigay inspirasyon sa iyong buhay at bakit?

—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.

—Paano mo binibigyang kahulugan ang tagumpay? Paano mo tinitimbang ito?

—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.

—Mas pipiliin mo bang magustuhan o nirerespeto?

—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.

—Ano ang pinakamalaking pagkakamali ang nagawa mo sa trabaho?

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

—Kapag ikaw ay naglalakbay, ano ang dinadala mo at bakit?

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

—Mayroon ka bang kahilingan na hindi mo pa nabibili maliban sa mga gadget na mayroon ka? Bakit?

—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!

—Paano mo tinuturuan ang sarili mo na kumuha ng mas magagandang mga larawan?

—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.

—Kaninong mga gawa ang may malaking nagimpluwensiya sa iyo bilang photographer?

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

—Ano ang isang bagay na nais mong malaman noong nagumpisa ka sa pagkuha ng mga larawan?

—That there were no rules!

—Ano ang nais mong sabihin sa iyong mga larawan?

—I've no idea. Good stuff I hope.

—Ano ang nag-uudyok sa iyo na ipagpatuloy ang pagkuha ng mga larawan?

—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.

—Ang iyong magulang ba ay dapat naging mas o hindi gaanong istrikto?

—No comment.

—Kung maaari mong balikan ang nakaraan, ano ang babaguhin mo?

—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.

—Paano naman ang buhay sa ibang mga planeta?

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

—Sino ang iyong mga bayani?

—I have no heroes.

—Kanino ka walang respeto?

—An awful question.

—Ano ang iyong ginagawa sa iyong bakanteng oras?

—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.

—Anong bahagi mo ang hindi nakikita ng publiko?

—The public? As opposed to who?

—Kailan ka ganap na nasisiyahan sa iyong trabaho?

—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?

—Naniniwala ka ba sa tradisyunal na mga papel para mga sa lalaki at babae?

—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.

—Mabilis ka ba makipagkaibigan?

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

—Saan mo gustong manirahan?

—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.

—Ano ang pinakamangmang na bagay na sinang-ayunan mong gawin?

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

—Mayroon bang buhay pagkatapos ng kasal?

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

—Mayroon ka bang paboritong biro? Sabihin mo sa amin.

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

—Mahilig ka ba sa mga aso at pusa?

—Neither.

—Sino o ano ang iyong kinasusuklaman?

—I hate wasps. Passionately.

—Ang pinakamahalagang bagay sa buhay ay:

—Family time.

—Ang pinakanakakainis na bagay sa buhay ay:

—Traffic jams.

—Mayroong ba sa iyong paligid na nais mong baguhin?

—I want to make my house bigger!

—Ano ang nais mong baguhin sa iyong sarili?

—I would like to break my iphone addiction!

—Ano ang nais mong baguhin sa mundo?

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

—Maaari ka bang magbigay ng mga tip para sa mga photographer na nagsisimula pa lamang?

—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.

—Kung ang mga alien ay pumunta sa Earth at ikaw ang una nilang makikilala, ano ang sasabihin mo sakanila?

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

—Kung ikaw ay tatawagin upang mag-shoot ng pelikula, ano ang magiging kategorya nito?

—Slapstick comedy.

—Bukas ako pupunta at gagawa...

—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...