In conversation with the German photographer
„I love to shoot outdoors. I like to be challenged by nature, weather and light.“
Marko Kubitz is a self-employed photographer from Dresden, Germany who made a plunge to self-employment. He works for agencies and medium-sized businesses in the range of corporate, interior and product photography. We met Marko and talked to him about his work.
print24:
Marko, you’re a self-employed photographer since 2010. Why did you decide to take this step and what did you learn on your way so far?
Marko:
I had my first experiences with a borrowed digital single lens reflex camera. I took pictures of bands and tried to catch the “perfect” moments. It turned out to be really difficult at the beginning but I adopted different techniques during my assistant job for photo- and video productions. I learned most things by trial and error.
print24:
Your website is full of job-oriented photography. Do you also like to photograph in your free time or is it bound to work?
Marko:
There is a slight change going on at the moment. I often got frustrated because I didn’t bring my camera to strenuous uphill climbs or snowboard trips with friends. I found my equipment to be quite bulky for spontaneous shootings but I pulled myself up to always take my camera to almost all occasions. It’s so much fun to use the camera without seeking for the “perfect” picture.
print24:
Which kind of photography do you like most?
Marko:
I love to shoot outdoors. I like to be challenged by nature, weather and light. Basically I like “fast” photography with humans. Sporty, Lifestyle and commercial motifs are very inspiring and always have that authentic and spontaneous touch although they’re mostly staged.
print24:
Which photographers inspire you?
Marko:
I like to take a closer look at fascinating pictures. You never know under which circumstances the image was taken. I try to watch the photographic scene from a distance and make up my mind and think about my own images. I don’t like to be influenced by externals. I want to develop my own artistic view.
But I can name one artist- Chase Jarvis („The best camera is the one that’s with you“). His work, all the behind-the-scenes videos and photographic approach are simply amazing.
print24:
Please show us your 3 most favorite pictures and tell us what makes them so special.
Marko:
Image 1 – Easy-going: True to the motto: “Shrug your shoulders”
This is a picture of a portrait shooting. I tried to capture different facial expressions to arrange them to an image series. It’s one of my favorites because it shows a quirky guy. I just can’t take my eyes off.
Image 2 – Pippuri
This picture was taken for a fashion label based in Dresden. I love this image because of its wide-angle. The location makes it a perfect story.
Image 3 – Kiteboating
This picture remembers me of my love to photography – being outside and close to the scenery. I took it during a Kite-Boat photoshoot. I joined several catamaran trips and at the end of the day I was able to take this atmospheric image.
print24:
Do you have a determined keep in sight or do you just go with the flow?
Marko:
I plan a shooting after talking to the client. Based on this I prepare the entire organization and technical stuff. I always try to visit the location first to get an impression and also plan some motifs ahead. During the shooting I try to get inspired by the given conditions to get more ideas.
print24:
What’s part of your photo equipment and which techniques do you use?
Marko:
I work with a full-frame camera and usual focal lengths. I also work with zoom lenses and flashes for concerts and picture stories. Outside I often need dedicated flashes and reflectors. Photographic techniques I use are 360° panoramas, exposure latitude, grey filter and polarizing filters. A big part of the technical work happens on the computer afterwards. I love to use Adobe products – Lightroom and Photoshop.
print24:
Which photography websites do you visit for inspiration?
Marko:
I’m a huge fan of YouTube and Flickr.
Flickr is a platform where creative people showcase analogue and digital artwork and tell their stories. YouTube is great to see videos of Chase Jarvin and DigitalRev.
print24:
Which projects have you planned for the future and do you have any advice for prospective photographers?
Marko:
Sometimes I miss working comfortably with films and photographs. That’s why I recently bought an analogue medium format camera. I already exposed the first roll film. Now I want to try to take portraits in the studio with this camera.
Advices for prospective photographers? That’s quite difficult to tell. I recommend to try a lot of different things, be open-minded and see with your heart and not just your eyes.
print24:
Thanks for the interview!
You want to know more about Marko Kubitz? Then you can visit his website www.marko-kubitz.de
