The Sublimity of Beauty and Nature: an Interview with Amir Kuckovic

The very essence of a person, place or thing can be seen against the natural glow and radiance of sunlight. Photographer Amir Kuckovic’s variety of photographs are unified in his natural photographic signature.

Hi Amir! Firstly, we noticed that your body of work in film photography is rather versatile, ranging from fashion, portrait, lifestyle to landscape. Which among the genres do you find yourself most comfortable with? Why?

Portrait is the genre I’m more comfortable with — I like it when I can take pictures of the models in their most natural — something that doesn’t resemble fashion editorials. When I do, I feel freer to shoot what I wish and follow my vision, and it seems everybody is more relaxed.’

Which photography genre do you find most challenging?

Definitely fashion photography. You need to plan it all: the idea, the team (to have a good team is the most important aspect), find the perfect model/s. It may not look like it, but mostly, the genre comes off with a lot of inconveniences.

You also work in analogue, which isn’t the initially preferred medium in photography, especially for fashion. Have you tried your hands with digital medium?

Actually, I mostly work in analogue and I prefer not to retouch anything, however, just a month ago I started to shoot in digital because of my new job in a model agency. Maybe the only reason I shoot in digital is because you can’t shoot “model polaroids” in analogue.

Earlier we talked about how your body of work varies from each. Which among your photographic series represents your style the most, and why?

I think the portraiture series. I believe I have the ability to take very natural portraits while enjoying the little moments — like taking coffee, talking… but I also love my landscapes, fashion editorials, because they are always simple, always showing the most beautiful and natural things what I was seeing in that moment.

Do you follow a certain art principle?

No, I haven’t really “studied” about art or photography in the strictest sense. Contrarily, I actually have a license in Marketing. Maybe my very “art principle” is to shoot what I consider “beautiful”. It’s as simple as that.

What/whom are your creative muses?

The different girls whom have passed through my life, especially the women in my series, Girl with a Camera. They are the people I know personally and admire.

Tell us more about Girls with a Camera, what is it all about? The title is intriguing.

Girl with a Camera was my memorable experience, because was a culmination of 3 months of work in my most ambitious project. Anyway, to clarify the series, it’s “a set of portraits made with different analogic cameras from different manufacturers and settings. The goal is to capture the individuality of a series of local female photographers which stand up by their personal sensitivity, attention to detail and wide vision of pure photography. Each shot represents the artist with her favourite device in their very own personal and intimate atmosphere”.

What about your most challenging experience in photography?

The most challenging experience for me was when I started to shoot fashion. It is hectic. You need to plan everything, find good make-up artists, stylists, art directors, models, locations, moodboards about the ideas. Also you need change your own vision of the photography, because it is not like the natural portraits that I’ve always been doing. You need to have a taste for fashion, know what works and what doesn’t. You have to consider the clothes too, not only if the model looks pretty. All of the composition needs to be beautiful.

And lastly, going back to the topic of film photography, do you think more professional photographers should learn the medium? Why?

Despite my preference for analogue, no, everyone has different tastes and they know what works better for them. Most of the big photographers started to shoot in film and then digital. In my case, it was first digital and then film, but it’s more of my preference to have the colors I like without retouching. We have a lot of incredible photographers that shoot in film and in digital. They can both live together. It’s like the Spanish expression, “para gustos, colores” what means something like — “for different tastes, have different colors to choose”.

If you liked our interview, read our feature of Amir Kuckovic or visit his website or Instagram for more of his photography. Images used are with permission from Amir Kuckovic.