Interview: Photographer Jon Master (Norway)

Can you tell us a little about you?

I’m Yugoslavian born multi artist. Musician, painter, designer, film maker and photographer. I played on the stage professionally with different bands for many years, have two CDs, one in Switzerland and the other one in Italy. I’m in photography from 2014 and I’m based in Norway.

How and when did you get into photography? As a musician I didn’t have much free time so I was shooting landscapes as a hobby photographer. Short story – I get thousands of followers on FB, get a call from a magazine for an interview, they put me on a front page, people start calling and suddenly I was in wedding photography, family, children, parties, sports… And fashion, of course.

What does photography mean to you? For me the photography is the way to explore. To get inspired. And a lot of joy.

Please briefly describe your photography style for our readers.

I’m doing fashion, boudoir, model photography and I’m trying to have it my way. Connecting sport and beauty. Health and fashion. Finding something different. My photography is not ‘’natural’’ because I’m not a journalist.

Where do you get inspiration from? I’m too stubborn and too lazy to check the other photographers. Even less classical painters. I’m getting inspiration from my models. Every girl is different and every girl is an untold story. My shootings are relaxed and fun. A lot of laugh, improvisations and exploring.

Do you think in advance what you want in the picture? No, never. Every picture is, and as I said every model is, a different and untold story. I say ‘’untold’’ because there is a process. Talking, planning, posing - shooting, and editing, so the story develops itself.

Studio, on location or both? Both, absolutely. I’m very happy with my studio and there is a bunch of beautiful locations around my place.

Would you consider yourself a hobbyist or a paid professional? I’m doing both. I’m not ashamed to do free as charge shooting, as long as the model is really special.

What has been your most memorable session and why?

I was shooting in Belgrade, Serbia back in 2017, there was three models and we was walking around the Kalemegdan fortress. And then on one location suddenly came like 50 tourists from China. They was all very loud and started to shoot my models, with both cameras and phones. I was standing on the side laughing, models was posing and the whole situation was very weird and nice at the same time. And since we are here I would like to point on pig-ignorant, extremely stupid Facebook rules about sharing pictures in photo groups. I’m blocked by Facebook very often because I’m sharing my photos along with the models name and my Instagram link, and they call it spam and security breach. Sometimes I wonder if there is any adults running Facebook. But morons definitively.

Nikon or Canon? Favorite lens? Sony. 45mm inside, 85mm outside.

What is one piece of advice you would like to offer a new photographer looking to start their own business?

Shoot, shoot and shoot. Don’t think about earning money at the very beggining. And specially don’t think about the most expensive equipment. The best camera is the camera you have right now. Shoot landscapes, architecture, parents, girlfriend – boyfriend, neighbours... Get experience, get popular. Get quality.

What do you think of our new magazine? Love it. Quality is there, conception is there. Professional.

https://www.instagram.com/jon_master_photography/ https://www.facebook.com/jon.master.photography/