Фотограф Adam Johnson

—Чи ви фотогенічні?

—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.

—Як ви опинилися у галузі фотографії?

—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.

—Якими, на вашу думку, є найголовніші складові гарної фотографії?

—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.

—Чи любите ви подорожувати?

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

—Що вам більш за все подобається у вашій професії?

—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!

—Що вам менш за все подобається у вашій професії?

—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.

—Яким буде майбутнє фотографії?

—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.

—Що робить жанр фотографії, в якому ви знімаєте, особливим?

—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.

—Як ви справляєтеся з критикою?

—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!

—Чи є якісь тренди у фотографії?

—Of course! I just prefer to ignore them.

—Якими для клієнта повинні бути критерії вибору 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.

—Чого слід уникати при фотозйомці?

—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.

—Яка людина, на вашу думку, може бути символом 21-го століття?

—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 ви бажаєте сфотографувати?

—Ben Folds, Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United.

—Чи маєте ви якісь професійні табу?

—Not that I know of!

—З ким ви хотіли б пофотографувати?

—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.

—Про що ви хвилюєтесь і чому?

—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!

—Який момент є найбільш вражаючим у вашому житті?

—The births of my two children.

—Якщо ви були б персонажем мультика, книги або фільму, ким саме ви були б і чому?

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

—Хто надихає вас у вашому житті і чому?

—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.

—Як ви визначаєте успіх? Як ви його вимірюєте?

—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.

—Ви надали б перевагу тому, щоб вас любили чи все-таки поважали?

—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.

—Якою була найбільша помилка, якої ви припустилися на роботі?

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

—Коли ви збираєтесь у подорож, що ви берете з собою і чому?

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

—Чи є щось серед гаджетів, які вам належать, що ви воліли б краще не купувати? Чому?

—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!

—Як ви вчитесь робити гарніші знімки?

—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.

—Чиї роботи найбільше вплинули на вас, як на фотографа?

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

—Про яку одну річ ви хотіли б знати, коли розпочинали знімати фотографії?

—That there were no rules!

—Що ви хочете сказати за допомогою ваших фотографій?

—I've no idea. Good stuff I hope.

—Що мотивує вас продовжувати робити знімки?

—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.

—Чи вашим батькам варто було б бути більш чи менш суворими?

—No comment.

—Якщо ви могли б повернутися назад у часі, що б ви зробили інакше?

—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.

—А як щодо життя на інших планетах?

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

—Хто є вашими героями?

—I have no heroes.

—Кого ви не поважаєте?

—An awful question.

—Чим ви займаєтесь у свій вільній час?

—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.

—Який ваш бік публіка ніколи не бачить?

—The public? As opposed to who?

—Коли ви повністю задоволені своєю роботою?

—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?

—Чи ви вірите у традиційні ролі чоловіків та жінок?

—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.

—Чи ви легко заводите друзів?

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

—Де ви хотіли б жити?

—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.

—Який найбезглуздіший вчинок ви коли-небудь погодилися вчинити?

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

—Чи є життя після укладення шлюбу?

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

—Чи є у вас улюблений жарт? Розкажіть нам.

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

—Ви любите собак чи котів?

—Neither.

—Кого або що ви ненавидите?

—I hate wasps. Passionately.

—Найкраща річ у житті - це:

—Family time.

—Те, що найбільш дратує в житті:

—Traffic jams.

—Чи є щось таке навколо вас, що б ви хотіли змінити?

—I want to make my house bigger!

—Що б ви хотіли змінити в собі?

—I would like to break my iphone addiction!

—Що б ви хотіли змінити у світі?

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

—Чи могли б ви дати кілька порад фотографам, які тільки починають свій шлях?

—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.

—Якщо іншопланетяни завітають на Землю, і ви будете першою людиною, яку вони зустрінуть, що ви їм розповісте?

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

—Якщо вас запросять знімати кіно, якого жанру воно буде?

—Slapstick comedy.

—Завтра я піду і...

—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...