攝影師 Adam Johnson

—您上相嗎？

—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.

—您如何開始從事攝影行業？

—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.

—您認為一張好照片裡最重要的元素有哪些？

—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.

—您熱愛旅行嗎？

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

—您最喜歡這個職業的哪個部分？

—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!

—您最不喜歡這個職業的哪個部分？

—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.

—攝影的前景如何？

—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.

—您擅長的攝影類型有什麼特別之處？

—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.

—您如何應對批評？

—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!

—攝影有什麼潮流？

—Of course! I just prefer to ignore them.

—客戶選擇攝影師的標準有哪些？

—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.

—拍攝時應該避免哪些事項？

—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.

—您認為哪個人可以被視為21世紀的代表人物？

—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.

—您想拍誰？

—Ben Folds, Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United.

—您有任何職業禁忌嗎？

—Not that I know of!

—您想和誰一起拍攝？

—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.

—您會擔心什麼？為什麼？

—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!

—您人生中印象最深刻的一刻是什麼？

—The births of my two children.

—如果您是個卡通、小說或電影角色，您想成為誰？為什麼？

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

—誰能在生命中激發您的靈感？為什麼？

—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.

—您如何定義成功？您會怎麼衡量它？

—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.

—您是希望被喜愛或是被景仰呢？

—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.

—您在工作上犯過最大的錯誤是什麼？

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

—當您要去旅行時，您會帶什麼？為什麼？

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

—在您擁有的物品中，有任何您希望沒買過的嗎？為什麼？

—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!

—您如何學習拍出更好的照片呢？

—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.

—身為攝影師，誰的作品對您影響最大？

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

—哪件事是您希望從開始拍照時就知道的？

—That there were no rules!

—您想用自己的照片說些什麼？

—I've no idea. Good stuff I hope.

—讓您持續拍照的動力是什麼？

—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.

—您的雙親應該更加或是更不嚴厲呢？

—No comment.

—如果能回到過去，您會有什麼不同舉動呢？

—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.

—您對在其他星球上的生命有什麼看法呢？

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

—誰是您的英雄？

—I have no heroes.

—您不重視誰？

—An awful question.

—您空閒時會做些什麼？

—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.

—您的哪一面是公眾不曾看到過的？

—The public? As opposed to who?

—您什麼時候會對自己的作品完全滿意？

—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?

—您認可男女性的傳統角色嗎？

—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.

—您容易交到朋友嗎？

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

—您希望在哪裡生活？

—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.

—您曾同意嘗試過最愚蠢的事是什麼？

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

—結婚後還有人生嗎？

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

—您有最愛的笑話嗎？請告訴我們。

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

—您喜歡狗還是貓？

—Neither.

—您討厭誰或什麼？

—I hate wasps. Passionately.

—人生中最棒的事是：

—Family time.

—人生中最煩人的事是：

—Traffic jams.

—您的周圍有任何您想改變的事情嗎？

—I want to make my house bigger!

—您希望改變自己的哪一點？

—I would like to break my iphone addiction!

—您希望改變世界的哪些方面？

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

—您能為新進攝影師提供一些建議嗎？

—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.

—如果外星人來到地球，而您是他們第一個遇見的人，您會跟他們說什麼？

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

—如果您被邀請去拍攝電影，那會是什麼類型的電影呢？

—Slapstick comedy.

—明天我會去做...

—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...