Friday, February 19, 2016

Featured Photographer: Stephan Kotas




"I was born 31 years ago in Prague, Czech Republic. I have been living and working in Bali, Indonesia for last 11 years. I focus on fashion and wedding photography while doing art and personal projects on the side."



"I shoot with Nikon cameras since I started. Honestly I am not much of a 'tech geek' regarding equipment. Camera is basically just a tool for me, and I like Nikon’s toughness and durability in rough outdoor conditions."



"I started as a travel and landscape photographer about 12 years ago. When I began I was contributing to magazines with travel and documentary stories, about 5 years ago I started to focus more on fashion and commercial photography.  I love photography. It’s my biggest passion. I like art in general and used to paint before as well. I love visuals and enjoy the whole creative process involved in photography. Preparing concepts, going to places, exploring locations, choosing models, make up and styling… or being in a studio and experimenting with light. I cover quite broad range of photography genres.  I enjoy how different subjects require different approaches, preparations and skills. I have always liked learning new things and experimenting."


"Art nude in nature is probably my most favorite subject to photograph. The goal is to capture female body form at interesting outdoor locations. Women and nature are an endless source of inspiration to me,  I like connecting the two. The challenge for me is to fit the female figure naturally into the scene. The shoots are usually quite physically demanding as they might require climbing, dealing with harsh conditions of mountains, cold weather, sharp rocks, burning hot sun or muddy swamps. It’s not easy to find the right model who can endure the level of discomfort."


 "I love traveling, I travel both for work and fun and always bring a camera. I am based in Bali which is a beautiful place to live and work. Indonesia is amazingly beautiful and probably the most diverse countries in the world. There are so many different islands, landscapes and cultures. I had a really great time shooting in Scotland, it is such a photogenic country with challenging weather. Just few weeks ago I got back from an awesome trip to Madagascar. It has been one of the best trips of my life and I am already planning to go back there soon. There are many places I would like still like to shoot; Iceland, Socotra Island in Yemen, The Himalayas.. The world is huge and amazing!"


"Inspiration can come from many places. I find great inspiration in nature and different landscapes, countries and cultures I’ve visited. In the era of the internet,  it is easy to find references and inspiration. I have realized it’s worth putting your energy into long term projects and not to compromise your artistic vision in exchange for faster results. Less is more."


"One of my series is called “Tales of Fire”. It’s my ongoing personal project and I do the concept, styling and all production by myself.  Fire is the main light source in the images and I am having great fun experimenting with props and fire tricks. The fire is real, no photoshop. I always do a lot of trials and rehearsals to ensure safety for models and everyone involved."





(interview by Carli Rentsch)


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