Interview with the amazing photographer Uldis Lapins10-09-2012
Uldis Lapins comes from Latvia, but has been working as a photographer in Marbella for couple of years now. His photos are one of a kind and will amaze you for sure! i-Marbella decided to find out more about Uldis and his passion!
1. How did you start taking photos? What triggered you?
Photography has been my passion and hobby since childhood thanks to my father, who was also passionate about shooting. He gave me my first camera, unfortunately I do not remember what kind of camera it was and I have no clue where it is now. He had a Russian camera called Zenit. He even made his own small photo lab. Room with the red light, where we made our own photos. For me it all seemed very interesting to watch and help him make the photos. Later in my teenager years I was running around with his Zenit shooting everything!
After graduating I forgot about photography for a while. I had to work, earn money and I had less time for my hobby. And then I did not even have a good camera. I worked in various jobs - trade, construction etc. But I didn't feel any of those jobs and I did not like it at all. And the whole time I wanted to get a better camera, but it was hard to find extra money for that. Seven years ago my whole life changed dramatically - I lost everything and I made one of the best decisions of my life, with the last money I had left, I decided to buy my first digital camera, Canon EOS 20D to start shooting again. My other hobby is DJing, so I was well-known in party circles. I tried to sneak into all the various events with my camera. I was good at event photography and the people liked my photos a lot. That's how it all started. I no longer needed to find events to shoot, people invited me and I realized that I could make money with this. Between events and wedding photography, little by little I started to try other photography fields like studio photography, interiors and with models.
2. Where were you educated?
I educated myself. As I said before, photography has been my hobby since childhood. Every time I used my camera I learned something new and I'm still learning. If I did not know something I asked other photographers and all the information is also available online. Learning will never end and every new project acquires new knowledge. But I plan to go to school, so I would also have a diploma.
3. What made you come to Marbella? What do you like here the most besides the climate?
I always wanted to run away to a sunnier location. I do not like winter and summer in Latvia is short. What I really love is to shoot models outdoors and here in Spain there are much more options and I can do it all year round. Why Marbella? One day in Riga I met my friend, who had worked in Marbella over the summer and she told me good things about it. Spain has always been one of the places where I wanted to live and after talking to her I realized that Marbella is a good place to start. So I decided to try my luck here. Of course I love the sun and nature here, but also I love the atmosphere. People here are much happier, more friendly, more smiling. Here life is less stressful, less negative. Strangers on the street pass by with smiles and greets, it's not happening in Riga.
4. What do you like about most about your work? What are the downsides?
I like that there is no routine and there is a lot of diversity. One day I shoot some interior, the other day I am away in the mountains or by the sea creating a portfolio of models. Photography has no boundaries, there is that never endless self-development and the absorption of new knowledge, it's impossible to exhaust yourself. Photography never stops to surprise me. I am doing what I love and I love what I do. And I've always wanted to leave traces behind, so that people would remember me and for me my pictures are my footprints.
The negative side is that this occupation needs a lot of money for cameras, lenses, lights etc. Uninterruptible equipment is updated, it continuously breaks down, so it needs to be repaired or you need a new one. And if you have serious equipment, then it will cost serious money and has its own normal weight. Also you always carry a heavy bag on your shoulder, which causes pain in the back. When I'm shooting outside with studio lighting my bad is three times larger and heavier. All this is interesting, and I like it a lot, but it does not make the bags lighter. And if you want a good result, the digital image need to be processed, it means long hours sitting by the computer, that again causes pain in the back. And this negative side has another negative side, that people do not know and do not understand that, everyone thinks that photographers have an easy job, and that we are all cheeky and taken too much money for our work. I'm not talking about those who buy a camera and call themselves a photographer, I'm talking about those who deserve to be called photographers.
5. What do you like capturing the most? Why?
There are many photographers who lean to one particular direction, for example only interiors, weddings or nature. I like everything - weddings, interior, fashion, nude, food, landscapes, events ... But the most I like to shoot models outside the studio - fashion, swimwear, nude etc. It can all be done in studio, take a shot of a girl and photoshop some beautiful background, but there are no feelings there. I think that two of the most beautiful things in the world are nature and women, so of course I like to combine true taste of nature with a female beauty!
6. You photograph so differently from others, how did you start the technique? Who taught you that?
Each photographer has their own style. I just shoot how I feel right in that situation or on the contrary wrong, to be different.
7. Have you photographer any celebrities? Who would you like to shoot?
I have photographed actors, singers, TV faces in Latvia. Last summer I was able to take pictures of many big DJs, such as Axwell, David Guetta, Fedde Le Grand, Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso, Kaskade, for many it will seem nothing special, but as I mentioned the other my hobby is DJing, so some of them are my idols. That's why I was delighted that I had the chance to capture them. And also some singers, Fat Joe, Flo Rida, Outkast, Mann … To shoot with a good model in some beautiful place definitely means so uch more than a picture of some kind of celebrity. Celebrities are the same people as we are, only they have different work. Of course there are also famous models and yes I would be honored to work with some of them.
8. What do you consider to e your biggest accomplishment?
I haven't achieved it yet!
9. What are you goals and dreams?
To make the Pirelli Calendar. When I will do that then I can answer the previous question.
If you would like to book Uldis for any event, wedding or interior shooting contact him:
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