Fotografo Julian Abram Wainwright

—Come sei entrato nell'industria della fotografia?

—I worked as a photojournalist for 10 years. When my wife and I started a family, I decided to transition to weddings because the lifestyle was better suited for spending time with my family. I only discovered that I love photographing weddings after I started shooting them!

—Secondo te, quali sono le componenti più importanti di una bella foto?

—Light. Moment. Composition.

—Ti piace viaggiare?

—Yes. After college I travelled all over Asia, from Iran and India to Laos and Myanmar. I loved it so much I moved to Southeast Asia and have been here 15 years.

—Che cosa ti piace di più nella tua professione?

—I get to document one of the most important days in peoples' lives. Hopefully the images I create will be passed on to future generations. That gives me pride in my work. I also love that I get to be creative and photograph they way I want to.

—Che cosa ti piace di meno nella tua professione?

—I love travelling, sometimes – particularly in the high season from January to May – it can be a drag. Saying goodbye to my kids for a few days is always tough.

—Quale sarà il futuro della fotografia?

—Trends will come and go, but I think there will always be a market for classic documentary photography. People want photography that shows real moments, that tells the story of their wedding day. And there will probably be more drones :-(

—Cosa c'è di speciale nel genere di fotografia in cui sei specializzato?

—Emotion.

—Come gestisci la critica?

—Working with magazine editors for a decade has given me thick skin. Criticism is good. It helps you grow as an artist. Take it, learn from it, move on.

—Ci sono determinate tendenze nella fotografia?

—Trends are silly and don't interest me. As an artist if you follow trends you are lost.

—Quali criteri dovrebbe utilizzare un cliente per scegliere un fotografo?

—Obviously the images have to speak to them, make them feel something in their hearts. And they should get to know the photographer, if not in person maybe on Skype, so that they get to know their personalities and see if they're a good fit.

—Che cosa non è ammesso durante la ripresa fotografica?

—Don't be an asshole. Seriously, always be the nicest guy in the room. And don't make it about you. This is their day, not yours. Bend over backwards to make it work. And don't interfere with the natural flow of things. I've seen video teams interrupt the first dance to tell the couple to stop and do it a different way. That's ridiculous. My job is to document the wedding day as it happens in real time. Not create a fake fairy tale. My clients want the same thing.

—Quali dettagli, che solitamente passano inosservati, riesce a notare un fotografo?

—The moments in between, the quiet moments. A good photographer is observant, vigilant, and ready to capture the moments that most people don't see. Also, an experienced wedding photographer learns to anticipate certain moments and reactions throughout the wedding day, and knows where to find them. Its like muscle memory in sports. It becomes a sixth sense.

—Che cosa influisce sul valore di una foto? Quali sono le sue componenti?

—All photographers post romantic, well lit portraits, because this sells and attracts clients. But the most valuable photos are real, not posed. Those are the ones I think couples will appreciate most 50 years down the line. Interesting natural light, a great moment/emotion, and thoughtful composition. Those are the basic three elements in any good wedding photograph. It sounds simple, but its very rare to capture all three in one image. When you do, its magic.

—Chi vorresti fotografare?

—Fun, kind people who aren't afraid to laugh and cry and get nasty on the dancefloor.

—Hai qualche tabù professionale?

—Don't be late.

—Con chi vorresti fare una sessione di ripresa fotografica?

—Larry Burrows.

—Che cosa ti fa preoccupare e perché?

—I worry about my kids. The usual parent stuff. When you have a family, you realize whats important, and whats not. And it allows you to not worry much about most things, and just focus on what matters.

—Qual è stato il momento più impressionante della tua vita?

—The birth of my children.

—Come puoi definire il successo? Come si misura?

—Happiness, pride, respect, kindness.

—Preparandoti per partire, che cosa metteresti in valigia e perché?

—I travel a lot so I have a good system. My Think Tank Airport Roller Derby holds my gear and saves my back. I have a new Macbook, the really little one that weighs nothing, and its perfect for someone who travels a lot. Noise-cancelling headphones, and lots of podcasts. Cliff bars.

—Che formazione professionale segui per fare fotografie migliori?

—Try and go out every single day and photograph. Anything, it doesn't matter. But the repetitive process of making pictures will make you better. Be thoughtful about it, slow down, and remember the basics of good photography. And also go to the library or bookstore and check out the photography books. Looking at pictures on the Internet sucks.

—Il lavoro di chi ha avuto la maggiore influenza su di te come fotografo?

—Classic photojournalism, like from the Magnum Photo Agency. My passion is photojournalism, so I spend a lot of time following contemporary news and documentary photographers. Too many to list.

—Qual è l'unica cosa che vorresti aver saputo iniziando a scattare foto?

—How to run a photography business.

—Che cosa vuoi dire con le tue fotografie?

—Life is beautiful.

—Qual è la tua motivazione per continuare a scattare fotografie?

—There's something timeless about strong documentary photography. I like creating things that will have a long lifespan. And there's kindof a never ending pursuit of beauty and grace in photography, in capturing that elusive trifecta of LIGHT MOMENT COMPOSITION that keeps me curious and motivated and passionate about picking up a camera every day.

—Pensi che i tuoi genitori avrebbero dovuto essere più o meno severi?

—They did a good job. I should tell them that more often.

—Se potessi tornare nel passato, che cosa faresti in modo diverso?

—No regrets. Even if you mess up, learning from your mistakes is essential in growing as an artist and a human being. I have a great life, can't complain.

—Che cosa pensi della vita su altri pianeti?

—Of course. It's kindof ridiculous to think we're the only life in the universe.

—Quando ti senti completamente soddisfatto dal tuo lavoro?

—Never.