Fotograaf Julian Abram Wainwright

—Hoe bent u beland in de fotografie-industrie?

—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!

—Wat zijn volgens u de belangrijkste elementen van een goede foto?

—Light. Moment. Composition.

—Houdt u van reizen?

—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.

—Wat vindt u het leukst aan uw beroep?

—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.

—Wat vindt u het minst leuk aan uw beroep?

—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.

—Wat ziet u de toekomst van fotografie?

—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 :-(

—Wat is er bijzonder aan het fotografiegenre waarin u zich specialiseert?

—Emotion.

—Hoe gaat u om met kritiek?

—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.

—Zijn er bepaalde trends in fotografie?

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

—Welke criteria moet de klant hanteren bij het kiezen van een fotograaf?

—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.

—Wat is er totaal uit den boze bij het fotograferen?

—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.

—Welke details die vaak onopgemerkt gaan, kan een fotograaf vastleggen?

—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.

—Wat beïnvloedt de waarde van een foto? Wat zijn de elementen ervan?

—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.

—Wie wil u graag fotograferen?

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

—Heeft u bepaalde taboes op professioneel vlak?

—Don't be late.

—Met wie zou u graag fotograferen?

—Larry Burrows.

—Waar maakt u zich zorgen over en waarom?

—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.

—Wat is het meest indrukwekkende moment van uw leven?

—The birth of my children.

—Hoe definieert u succes? Hoe meet u het?

—Happiness, pride, respect, kindness.

—Wat neemt u mee op reis en waarom?

—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.

—Hoe leert u bij om betere foto's te maken?

—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.

—Wiens werk heeft u het meest beïnvloed als fotograaf?

—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.

—Wat had u graag geweten toen u begon als fotograaf?

—How to run a photography business.

—Wat wil u graag zeggen met uw foto's?

—Life is beautiful.

—Wat motiveert u om foto's te blijven maken?

—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.

—Hadden uw ouders strenger of minder streng moeten zijn?

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

—Wat zou u anders doen als u in de tijd kon terugkeren?

—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.

—Wat denkt u over leven op andere planeten?

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

—Wanneer bent u helemaal tevreden over uw werk?

—Never.