Without further ado, here is Johann Marx from johannmarx | photography.
All images are Copyright (c) Johann Marx. Unauthorised use is strictly forbidden. Please respect the model in your comments.
Q: What style of portraiture intrigues you the most and keeps you coming back for more? And why?
A: I really enjoy doing high-fashion and themed/conceptual portraits. The high-fashion work has always been a passion of mine and something that I was interested in right from the get-go. There’s something about that edgy, crazy industry that I find incredibly alluring and I think every portrait photographer has that dream to have their photograph on the cover of a large, glossy magazine. The conceptual stuff is just a lot of fun to do – from coming up with the idea and planning it to putting it into action. It’s an amazing creative process and gives me a chance to give life to some of the weird little scenes that run around in my head.
Q: What drives you onto the next portrait session? Don't they become generic?
A: There is always a chance that you can get stuck in a rut and struggle to come up with ideas for the next shoot, but I find the models to be very helpful in that sense. Most of them have a pretty clear-cut idea of what they want and if they don’t, we usually come up with something quite easily. It helps to find inspiration in other photographers’ work as well.
Q: What single factor do you think contributes to the successful images that you are producing right now?
A: Pure blind luck! Seriously though, I think it’s largely because of the amazing people I’ve had the fortune to work with lately. It’s amazing when you get a group of likeminded creative people in a room and they can feed off one another’s energy - that’s when the best ideas come to life. The shoot with Candy and JP is a prime example. We were all on the same wavelength and the ideas just kept on coming. So I’d have to say that working with the right people has brought out the best in my creativity.
Q: Who do you think you have been influenced by to the greatest degree and what do you take from those influences?
A: There is SO much inspiration out there that it’s tough to not be influenced by everything we see around us – movies, music, the media in general. We get bombarded with information constantly. It’s a sensory overload that is not easy to ignore. That being said, I am greatly inspired and influenced by the amazing art I get to experience on sites like deviantART. There are some exceptionally talented artists out there and I am always so amazed at what people can come up with. And it’s that inspiration, the respect for and fascination with these artists’ creativity that drives me to come up with original and creative ideas of my own (as difficult as that is) and, hopefully, inspire others as well.
Q: Is there anyone you really look up to and strive to emulate (not copy) in their success and results?
A: Oh my! Where do I start? I wouldn’t be able to single out one specific artist, to be honest. I am an insane David LaChapelle fan! He is just so creative and his use of color, creativity and unique style is just mind blowing. Other favourites include Andrzej Dragan, Dave Hill, Zhang Jingna, Miles Aldridge, Maya Guez... there are SO many!
Q: How much planning or forethought goes into a shoot before the client arrives?
A: I discuss the shoots with the models before-hand, primarily to get an idea of what they want, but at lot of it is on-the-fly winging it on the day. For the more elaborate shoots, like the one with Candy and JP, there was a fair amount of planning and discussion before the shoot, but a lot of those ideas evolved and mutated into something completely different on the day. Another fine example is a shoot I did this past weekend. It started out as one thing and ended up taking on a life of it’s own. Those are the shoots that normally work out the best. Planning is essential, for sure, but there’s a certain rush in shooting from the hip. I do have to start planning a bit more though.
Q: How much do you think assistants contribute towards the success of a shoot (such as MUA and hairstylists) or is it all you?
A: Oh, it’s definitely not all me! As much as I would love to lay claim to that. The models and make-up artists have a huge part to play in the work I do. I am very fortunate to work with some incredibly talented and creative people and it’s a team effort, for sure!
Q: Let us in on some secrets. What is your next biggest shoot and what do you have planned for us?
A: That would be telling, now wouldn’t it? I have some pretty big things happening soon, including a shoot with a very prominent South African celebrity in March. I’m very excited about the shoot and we have some amazing ideas that are going to be quite interesting to pull off. That’s code for “I have no idea how I’m going to do it!”. There’s another big project on the cards that I’ve been milling over for months now, but it will be quite a feat to get the right group of people together because of the scale of the project. But I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to pull it off. Was that cryptic enough?
Q: Without being a gear-head do you think having the right equipment is important for your style of photography? Is it important to understand that gear inside and out before being successful?
A: Absolutely! I am in a situation at the moment where I feel that the equipment and space I have at my disposal is keeping me from doing the work that I know I’m capable of. A lot of people say that it’s not the camera or the lens that makes a photograph, but the photographer, and I agree with that to a degree. However, I think when you are trying to reach a certain technical quality in your images, you must have the right gear and you must know how to use it – inside and out. I must admit that I’m guilty of not knowing my gear as well as I know I should. A lot of times it’s random tweaking and fiddling until I get the look that I want, and while that seems to have done the trick for me until now, I know that I have to get to know my gear better. I recently took some time with a friend to do some light tests and familiarise myself with my lights a little better. Let’s hope it pays off.
Q: What piece of gear do you currently lust for and why do you think it will contribute towards an improvement in your photography?
A: I have a wish list as long as my arm! More studio lights, bigger studio space, a higher-end camera, better lenses... If nothing else though, I’d have to say a Canon EOS 1D or 5D and the Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8 and EF 85mm f/1.2 lenses.
Q: Do you think good interaction and byplay with the models is important or does your vision and direction over-ride that to get the results you want?
A: I have a LOT of respect for the models I work with and I always make a point to get as much feedback from them as possible. As long as we all have a clear understanding of what we want from the shoot, there tends to be very little need for direction and we can all just have fun.
Q: How much post-work do you do on your images and what is the nature of that post-work?
A: I used to do a lot more post-work before than I do now, because I’ve made a concerted effort to make my photographs look less touched up and more natural. For the conceptual stuff, obviously, there’s a lot of post-work involved, but I do try and stay as close as possible to the natural image when doing other work. I normally do a lot of color adjustments, because I’m very fussy about the colors in my photos. Other than that, the usual: skin clean-up, some minor skin smoothing (if it’s really necessary), sharpening, etc. I refuse to alter body and face shape though - that’s one thing that I will never do.
Q: How important do you think peer review is amongst photographers or is it sufficient to believe in yourself that an image is truly great?
A: I’ve had a change of heart about this recently. I always used to feel that getting your work critiqued by other photographers is just an opportunity to get slated for making technical mistakes, but lately that has become more important to me and I realised that I need that technical feedback to improve as an artist. Having great ideas will only get you that far, you have to execute them efficiently to get them across to your viewer. Don’t get me wrong though, I don’t just accept critique. I process and analyse it before reaching a conclusion. That’s the trick, I think, to handling critique effectively.
Q: How do you handle criticism both positive and negative?
A: I think I handle it reasonably well. Every photographer will agree with me that it’s not the nicest feeling being told that an image that you put a lot of work into, is not good or lacks something, but sometimes we need to hear these things to motivate us to get better, right?
Q: In your opinion how do you believe one goes about making the transition to a full-time professional photographer? What type of qualifications do you deem necessary?
A: The only qualification you need is a good portfolio. Or that’s the only qualification I think you should need. Unfortunately this industry is more about who you know than what you know and it’s all about getting a foot in the door at the right time than anything else.
Q: As a photographer where do you hope to see yourself in two years time?
A: As a full-time fashion photographer. It’s my dream. I want to work for a magazine doing fashion editorial and ad campaign work.
Q: What else would you like to share with us at this point in your fledgling photographic career?
A: This industry is cut-throat and you have to be on your toes the whole time. There are some amazing artists out there and you have to bring everything that you have, and more, to stay on top of the game. Push yourself, and the envelope, as hard as you can. But, above all else, have fun with it. As someone I know said: Photography is the most fun you can have with most of your clothes on.
Be sure to check out Johann's work on his web site at johannmarx | photography or on deviantArt and modelbase. Keep tabs on his current and future work on his blog as well. Thanks for sharing with us Johann.
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