PHmagazine Issue #00

Interview: Matus Zajac

“ I use Photoshop as an enlarger I don’t want to “cheat” photography. “

Portfolio:

Beauty of Documentary photography is in the oportunity to capture moment that can’t be repeated YEAR - MMX

CONTENTS

04 INTERVIEW : Matus Zajac I am using photoshop as an Enlarger..

18 PORTFOLIO : Patrik Jandak

beauty about documentary photography...

On the Cover: Actress Carinne Leduc Photographer: PatrikJandak

editor: Patrik Jandak co-editor: Martina Puskarova design: art_photo

Contact: / Editorial: editor@phmag.ca / Advertising: info@phmag.ca /

ISSN: 1924-9424 Toronto, ON, Canada 2010

greetings I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for choosing our Magazine. This Premiere #00 Issue is dedicated to Documentary photography. In this introduction Issue we talk to talented Slovak photographer Matus Zajac and in portfolio section you can find my documentary images. Starting with the next issue we will introduce work of exceptional photographers from around the World from different genres of photography.

PHmagazine is monthly publication without prejudice, focused on the World of photography and open to everybody. We strongly believe that a good photography doesn’t necessary need “big” names on either side of the camera, our only criterion is quality. We hope you’ll enjoy this Premiere #00 ISSUE. Your feedback, comments, suggestions and submmitions are highly apriciated.

Patrik Jandak editor in Chief

photo Š Matus Zajac

INTERVIEW

Matus Zajac Since 2003 Matus is a photographer of the National Council of Slovakia and a personal photographer of the chairman of the parliament. A founding member of photographic group Rovnými nohami (With straight legs) and a founding member of the society of documentary photographers, PHOS Photos / www.phosphotos.com Matus teach photography at workshops in Ružomberok and periodically exhibits his works. In his busy schedule he finds enough time for his own, personal project which deal with social themes and portrait.

PH- on your web site you said” I am using Photoshop as an en enlarger” what did you mean?

MZ- yeah, what I mean is not to speculate and overdo it; using only levels adjustments, dodging and burning tools just like I would in the dark room.

PH- do you think that people are changing photographs too much?

MZ- yeah that’s what I see now, it seems like photographers started to calculate and are replacing the emotions in photography

“I am using photoshop as an enlarger, I don’t want to cheat photography.” with those technological tricks. It’s almost like photographers turned into graphic designers and lost the feel and sense of the viewfinder as photographers do, as they are more technical. Nowadays, most photographers shoot large quantum of images and are relying heavily on the postprocess in computers, although I am not saying that all are like that.

For example, when I am

doing a workshop with all types of semi-pro and amateurs, the first thing they talk about is technology, editing software or mega pixels, but they are not interested in the essence of photography which photographer has to have it in his eye and in his head.

PH- do you have a feeling that approach to photography has changed?

MZ- I see that photographers these days are creating the story and image itself in computer in the post-process, but instead while

photographing and then images are flat, cold, very artificial and don’t have the depth.

They don’t rely on their eye but on the second phase, the postprocess and computer manipulation. What I don’t like is when they manipulate documentary images; if you are an art photographer and combine photography and design that’s fine, but journalistic and documentary photography should stay pure in my opinion.

“I’m using photoshop as an enlarger I don’t want to cheat photography”

PH- you teach photography, meeting a lot of tal- I make a decision if I’ll shoot on film or digital, ented people, what can we expect in near fu- but even with digital I am not shooting it exactly ture, base on your students? clean and perfect. If you are doing Fashion or MZ- I think it’s making a positive transition and Advertising then you need perfection and top start. There are few people who are not falling quality but if you are doing street photography for new trends and are doing photography like and photographing a homeless person for examback in the 80’s and 90’s with deep understand- ple, the absolute perfection is almost unethical it ing for social photography and are hoping for a has to be dirty. change that this digital craziness will pass and PH- what is photography today? people will start to select photographs better. MZ- photography became business, you can’t That is what I hope for too- for people to start se- be only a good photographer and a dreamer, lecting photographs on different criteria in near but you have to be a marketing expert and it seems to me that the better you are in marketfuture.

I have one extremely talented student in my class, ing the more chances you have to sell. Talented he travels around the world and always gathers photographers stay unknown, just because they information about places he don’t know how to sell visits; he contacts some peothemselves ;in many documentary photography cases they don’t even ple who guide him around vilcontact any art-direclages and places and brings should stay pure tor, as they are afraid back top quality images, but that they will bother he says to me them and that they will “Matus I am a ‘shelf’ photographer. I have great images but nobody knows be ultimately rejected! about them!” Well what to do with it? There are While I was Photo-editor in Tyzden magazine I few options: either to encourage them into exhi- discovered Boris Nemeth a young photographer bitions, or to push them through into the media, and I pushed him through, I fought for him in the which is more difficult because most Art-directors magazine and gave him chance and now he’s are afraid to work with new, not experienced starting to receive awards in photo competitions and his work is improving by far each day. It took and not established photographers.

PH- do you think that digital technology enriched him six years of hard work to establish him self but he did it, although the sad thing is that there is photography?

MZ- well if you look at it from perspective that not too many with his case. people shoot more images then yes, but that’s Unfortunately, the people who are supposed to the trend to shoot more so quality declines and look for new talents and quality are starting to sit you have more garbage. Some of my students back, to rely on photographers they know and bring 2000-3000 images to me and it’s hard to are not creating opportunities for new talent. find the real quality amongst them. It seems to I think, I believe that this will change and those me they don’t pay attention while photograph- people in charge, Art-directors will get bored with this situation and will start to search new taling, they are just snapping frames.

I, myself ,do think before I am going to shoot as ents and quality.

“

”

photo © Matus Zajac

INTERVIEW

photo Š Matus Zajac

INTERVIEW

PH- Ok so what are the chances that a young photographer with decent portfolio one day shows up in a magazine, meets with Photo-editor and starts working for that magazine?

MZ- absolutely no chance!!! At least not here in Slovakia. Today the Photoeditor from Tyzden magazine doesn’t meet with any photographer to discuss images for publication. Few years ago, there was no chance that an editor did not talk with the photographers, in contrary, they sat together and made the selection, whereas today it’s all about editor’s decision.

Maybe a few years from now, there will be no more print magazines, as it all will be online and e-magazine form.

photo Š Matus Zajac

PH- for your project Forms of Faith, did you search for some answers?

What’s behind it?

MZ- what’s behind? Firstly, it is that I am an atheist (smile) and also I look at Religion as a unique phenomenon of how to control people.

Doing projects like this takes time and often you have to go for couple of days and weeks, return to same spot different times, so I usually lived a with Priest and we talked about things day and night. I found out that Faith is like a big machine that controls people.

My images are very critical to religion and people often ask me why are my images that particular way? I simply answer because that’s how I see it I am not trying to make it look different than what I see.

PH- Forms of Faith is about Roman Catholic church, do you plan to photograph other Religions as well?

MZ- I do have images from others religions, I have photographed Muslims and Jews. I am planning to go to Israel and photograph the Jewish Religion, I am not sure if I’ll make it part of Forms of Faith or do it as a separate project. I’ll see how it fits in. Also, I am photographing Muslims in Berlin as part of my project about Immigrants.

PH- yes but those images are shot differently and are part of a different project.

MZ- yes they are, as for sure I am planing to go to Israel and shoot it the same way as Forms of Faith but don’t know if I’ll make it a part of it or not. In a way, I want to take a brake from this topic and am coming back to on the projects about Immigrants again. I am planning to go back to Berlin and start working on that after 5 years.

photo Š Matus Zajac

PH- you have photographed Gypsies.

MZ- they facinate me; they are beautiful people.

You see the purity and beauty in them. Sure they live the way they do, in dirth and poverty, minimum personal hygine and high criminality but I wanted to portray them in a different light.

PH- Why did you decide to photograph them?

MZ- when I was 17 I was assisting Tibor Huszar and he took me to the settlements where my was my first experience whith Gypsies began.

Me and other photographers from a photographic group ‚‘With straight legs‘, we got an assigment about Gypsies. We agreed that each one of us will photograph them differently, focusing on different

aspects of their lives. I then realized that I have to photograph them differently from what has been done before. Karel Tuma photographed them extreemly harsh and captured the raw side of their lives, all the addiction to alcohol and drugs, their violent side and criminality. I wanted to show the opposite side, the beauty of people and their traditions. For me, it was a great experience, I never felt in danger and found them very sincere and nice. If I compare it to working with politicians where you have a lot of intrigues and jealousy, Gypsies are sincere and more open. It is a whole different world.

photo Š Matus Zajac

photo Š Matus Zajac

photo Š Matus Zajac

“I’m using photoshop as an enlarger I don’t want to cheat photography”

PH- you are an official photographer to Chairman of Slovak Parliament, if you can compare working for politicians or working on your personal projects, is there a difference?

MZ- working for the Slovak Parliament, even if there is many people to meet, it is not working with people, they don’t care about me or my work, as their expectation is just to have a guy with camera to take the pictures. By working on my personal pro-

ject I have a chance to get to know people and they know me what I am doing and how it is being done. In regards to photographing politicians, I don’t have the respect for them and sure I do have to produce excellent photos, but I am not giving it my 100%. I am lucky enough that I can work on my personal projects or for magazines where I can give it 100% and be happy about the work I’ve done. If I would be photographing politicians the way I want, they would not understand it nor appreciate it; they would take it too personally and I would probably get fired. Of course I have images for my self I like and some people are telling me I should exhibit them but I always tell them, “Sure in about 20 years.” (smile).

PH- so it seems to me that there is not much appreciation for photography and photographers these days.

MZ- for politicians, you are just a guy with camera.

They are starting to see all photographers as paparazzi.

PH- your message to our readers?

MZ- A good photograph is the one that you can look at for at least 3 years.

PH

Patrik Jandak born in Slovakia in 1977 in years 2002-2005 worked as official photographer to two Presidents of Slovakia Rudolf Schuster and Ivan Gasparovic.

Since Apr.2005 live in Toronto Canada.

New York 2010

“beauty of Documentary photography is in the opor

Hamilton Ontario Canada 2010

rtunity to capture moment that can’t be repeated�

London UK 1998

Murali, Toronto 2009

G20 Summit Toronto Canada

photographers stop me with question, why do you still shoot “ even on film, you can’t see what you are shooting? What I am shooting is infront of me not at the back of the camera. “

Toronto 2010

Toronto 2009

Toronto 2010

Toronto 2010

Toronto 2010

Mexico 2007

Mexico 2007