One year journey with - interview with Irix Ambassador Jahz Design
Read the interview of Irix Ambassador Jahz DesignWhere did you manage to get to in 2018?
Oh yes!!! 2018 was rich as regards going to new places, but I was mainly in Portugal and Italy.
Why did you want to go to these places? What photographs did you want to take there?
These were all places that I’ve been wanting to explore for a long time, but last summer I absolutely wanted to take shots of all the old theatres in Italy. And it was mission accomplished! 🙂
In general, how would you describe your style of photography?
It’s a mix of exploration and staging. For me, urban exploration is first and foremost a passion. To discover what man would leave abandoned, be it castles, hospitals, prisons or churches. The story is different each time; places that were filled with life and within a few years were returned to solitude. It’s undoubtedly this contradiction that is at the source of each of my photographs. In the space of a hundredth of a second, I try to bring these places back to life.
I bring my personal interpretation of the place. I try to create a story through every shot.
What do you think is important in creating architectural photography of abandoned places?
The most important thing is to find the point of view that will best reveal the architecture of the place, the central point of the building.
After one year with Irix, how do you think your photography has changed? How can you pump it up to a new level?
After a year of use, I’m absolutely delighted with the Irix quality. I took another step forward in building up my photos. The new shooting possibilities! I spend less time on my edits. What happiness!
You had a chance to test out both the Irix 15mm and 11mm. Why have you finally decided to take photos with the Irix 11mm exclusively?
With the 11mm the shots are more creative. It’s easier to stand out from theothers creating such an ultra wide angle perspective.
After one year of shooting, why do you think the Irix 11mm is a prime lens for architecture?
The architectural photograph is a very particular type of photo. It requires extremely accurate and reliable equipment. This is the case of the Irix 11mm; the objective is robust, the focus is accurate.
What would you say to those taking architecture photography, and is the 11mm a good lens for them? Lots of people are afraid of such a wide angle lens, and feel better off with a 15mm as it seems safer, so tell them something they shouldn’t be afraid of.
I was afraid of having a wide-angle that was deemed too important for the architectural photograph, and that it would also have significant distortions. But in reality this isn’t the case. It's not a fisheye. The 11mm is a good compromise when choosing a true wide angle. It’s much better than I realised. It’s very easy to use.
Give us some tips about architectural photography using the Irix 11mm lens.
Architecture photography is a very interesting style of photography – it’s a very good exercise for the eye. The architecture of a building has several elements and details that are as important as each other. Thus, the realization of an architectural photograph requires good preparation. Angles, perspectives, symmetries – they’re all important points.
But the most important thing is to have fun taking pictures !!!