Interview: Monthly winner Photographer Gabi Gogiu QLT Studio 2 (Romania)
Can you tell us a little about you?
Hello! I am Gabi, 41 – almost 42 years old, from Romania. I have a beautiful daughter, my passion is photography, particularly nude photography, but between my interests are cars (I was an automotive editor for 17 years), movies and good music, travels and fish tanks.
How and when did you get into photography?
My first contact with photography was when I as a little boy, when my dad put his camera in my hands. He set the camera and I just pressed the button! Years later, when I was the producer of one of the romanian automotive TV shows I started to use my cameraman’s cameras (all three of them are photographers) and I enjoyed it. I started to shoot mainly new cars for magazines and soon I was asked to become the official photographer of Dunlop, the main sponsor of Romanian motorsport. That was the beginning! 6 years ago I had my first nude photo shoot and since then I mainly focused on this art.
What does photography mean to you?
It is impossible to answer that without using a cliché! For me, photography is a joy, a pleasure, a way of life, a quest for beauty. A shoot is a great way to relax, to express feelings and emotions.
Please briefly describe your photography style for our readers.
Beautiful shapes and powerful feelings – that is what I search and want to express in my photos. That is the reason I can’t say I have a particularly style.
Where do you get inspiration from? From everywhere! Movies, places, shapes... But usually, my muse is my model. When I see a model for the very first time, I try to imagine her in various posings and sceneries.
Do you think in advance what you want in the picture?
Continuing the idea exposed in my above answer, when I contact a model in order to do a shoot together, I already have some ideas of a scenario for the shoot. Usually, I am focusing and putting much more effort to shoot a great single awesome photograph instead of having several nice or even good photos! I consider that the photographer is a lazy painter. The painter is creating a piece of art (his painted canvas) in several months. The photographer is doing the same thing in a manner of seconds but he must pay a lot more effort in preparing his shot. So, I am thinking a lot in advance about what I want to do in my shoot but, of course, trough the shooting, I am open to everything else, to any new idea (mine or of my model’s).
Studio, on location or both?
Definitely on location! In nude photography, the studio is great to capture the beauty of the human body, trough bodyscapes, unusual lighting and poses. But a great location is much more ofertant for photography, putting in scene out of the box ideas!
Would you consider yourself a hobbyist or a paid professional?
I was considering myself a hobbyist photographer even when I was paying my bills with earnings from photography because I consider photography a perpetual learning art. The more experience I have, the more shootings I have, the more tips and secrets I discover I need to learn! So... hobbyist? Yes, I am! Paid professional? Also – yes!
What has been your most memorable session and why?
Unfortunately, I don’t have a happy answer! The session that let me with the most powerful feelings was the last shooting at a rally when I was hit by a car in an area that supposed to be safe for us. The result: a fractured shoulder, two broken cameras and two broken lenses.
From every single other shootings I have beautiful memories and is hard to point one above the others!
Nikon or Canon? Favorite lens?
Nikon for the simple reason is the brand wich I started my photo career. I also tested Canon, they are making very good cameras but I can’t say that Nikon is better than Canon or vice versa! Favorite lens? Prime lenses. There is a little bit of magic in 50 mm, 85 mm, 105 mm, 135 mm…
What is one piece of advice you would like to offer a new photographer looking to start their own business?
Shoot and learn! A lot! Learning about photography should be the main activity, before everything else! Experiment and find your own style. Search inspiration in other photographers portfolios but don’t copy them. Be unique! Be you! Work hard and study!
What do you think of our new magazine?
A great and wonderful idea! Very well done, your magazine is a place where I discovered a lot of new or unknown (for me) talents – models and photographers. I consider Modellen Land as a real alternative to social media or dedicated models/photographers websites.
