Adding an Artistic Flare: Interview With Mihajlo Ckovric

Mihajlo Ckovric is one of our notable photographers, exploring and experimenting with the medium as we know it. Mihajlo also has an interesting take on the microstock market, and the types of works that are valued today. Read more about his story, how he started in stock photography and the little achievements that happened on the way.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your professional background.

My love for photography started from my earliest days I think. My father works as a video editor and in 90’s, when I was a little kid. he was doing a bit of wedding photography. Although I don’t remember much of that because he stopped when I was still too young to remember. Probably that was in my influence all the time.

I even have some photographs where I’m holding a roll of a film and playing with it all the time. The real interest in photography started when I was at my last year of high school,

and then somehow I meet some photographer, he gave me his camera and I spent all the day playing with it. I remember it was Sony a700 with old Minolta lens 70-200 f4, and this was the first photo that I took with it:

And that’s how I started. 🙂

How did you stumble on stock photography?

Well I used to read a lot about photography, in fact, that’s how I learned all that I know about it, from the books and then practising it.

In one of this books they were writing about micro stock market and that’s how I decided to try and apply on some of the platforms. That was in 2014, but to be honest I wasn’t really serious about it until a few months ago.

What have you learned so far from working with microstocks?

First of all, with microstocks, I learned how to produce higher quality photos. It’s simple, there are some standards that your photos need to have and you try your best to fit in.

Then I realised also that it forces you to be creative. There are a lot of platforms at the moment, and a lot of creative photographers  and videographers collaborating with them, so somehow you have to stand out.

I’m not saying that I managed, but the fact that I’m doing this interview right now means I’m on a good path. Or at least I hope so 🙂

What are your personal favourite themes to work with?

There are few I think, but if I have to chose one I would chose couples.

I LOVE shooting couples, the love between them is what inspires me the most. I love to hear their story, and to try to implement it in my work, to capture that magical moments full of emotions.

The thing is that there is a bigger picture behind it, it’s not just taking a picture of two people, it’s creating a memory for them, something that they will remember and show to their grandchildren.

A few days ago, I shot my first wedding for this season, it was a really nice one, but the thing that made it unforgettable for me, was the moment on the end when my team and I went to say goodbye to this wonderful couple. We went there, stood in front of them and we just huged them all together, all four of us. It was a first time for me to feel like that and I’m shooting weddings for about 6 years now. It was one of this moments when you realise that you are doing something good in your life 🙂

What inspires you every morning?

New day, new adventures and love. 🙂

Where do you find your models, and where would you recommend beginners should search?

Most of the time on social media, or friends of friends. I shoot a lot with people that I know, and that’s what I would recommend for beginners, to work with their friends, that’s how you and your models will be relaxed and that is half a job done, the other half will come after some time.

Do you have a favourite photograph? If so, what’s the story behind it?

It’s hard to say, they are all my children but I can take one of them for example. It’s a portrait of my father and grandfather while they were talking. I just interrupted them, they looked at me and I captured this.

I didn’t even know what I got till two weeks after when I developed the film. Since then it’s one of my favorite real lifestyle portraits, more like documentary.  

What can we expect to see in your portfolio in the near future?

There are a few interesting projects that I’m planing lifestyle portraits of people doing their crafts. Some more videos perhaps, and there will be landscapes from destinations that I’m planning to visit this year.

What do you think sells really well at the end of the day, and what kinds of photographs would you say are popular right now?

In my case, it’s some artistic portraits.

I believe that some more commercial photos of business people are selling better, but still there is a lot of pictures like that out there and since the stock market is changing in the last couple of years, people are looking for photos that looks natural, with pleasing light and colours, so we should try to find a balance between that. To create something that is commercial so that the client can use it but still to keep our vision.

Your #1 tip or words of wisdom:

Look at the world around you.

For more works and inspiration, visit Mihajlo Ckovric’s Instagram account.