Matěj Knežević

Digital Marketing, Content Management, E-commerce

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Why People Photograph

One of the crucial elements in human being interactions is communication. It is a skill which is developed through time. To become naturally confident at it you have to go through the same...

Avoid these photography mistakes

First of all, the composition doesn't have any fixed rules, but if you follow some of the classic ones, your photography will be set to another level. Composition basically directs...

WHY PEOPLE PHOTOGRAPH

TO COMMUNICATE

One of the crucial elements in human being interactions is communication. It is a skill which is developed through time. To become naturally confident at it you have to go through the same process of repetitive learning you have already experienced in developing skills such as reading, walking or counting. We choose the way how we communicate with each other and there is no doubt that for a myriad of us, it is way easier to express our feelings, emotions, opinions or attitude by the spoken word, but what about the rest? There are several ways how to do so, I prefer photographs or visual arts in general which is not always self-explanatory, but it has its language that can be understood by most of us. Photographers aren’t the greatest speakers, but they are for sure the best storytellers. In order to be able to snap good pictures, you have to think beforehand considering whether your scenario in the frame can tell a story, spark emotion or at least bring subjective memory into an individual viewer's head.

TO BRING BACK MEMORIES

From the moment the human body is born it begins dying. Sometimes it happens faster sometimes it happens slower. Our perception is being imposed and transformed through thoughts and memories in our brains. Sooner or later you realize that you are not capable to bring back all of your memories just by simply trying to remember or link related past events. In this case, photographs might be useful in fact with just one frame our brain is more likely to remember more memories since over 90% of the information we receive is from our visual understanding. The human brain loves photos, it can process visual information 60 000 times faster than written information. When you start to appreciate the time, you find distinct angles from where you might see photography on a completely different level. Everybody loves going through old photographs but you have to take some to savour that sweet moments years later.

TO LIE

Sometimes I miss the good-old candid photos, especially those journalistic ones from TIME magazine where you as a viewer essentially become part of the story. Additionally, you start wondering about what happened in the scene. When a photograph makes you start to think beyond the frame that’s the point where you can be pretty sure you are looking at a great photograph. Time is moving fast; the development of new technologies and last cultural trends are seeking attention from a vast mass of people and they change the way how we treat photography. Photo retouching has never been so accessible as it is today, the question remains where are the ethics? Many would ask, how far is too far? It gave us wider possibilities of how to work with one’s creativity but at the expense of removing the natural form in which we can find real beauty. Do you know that even film photographs were retouched in the 1930s? No? I thought so because retouching was used much less and in the right way so you haven’t spotted it at first sight, not even at the second sight. You cannot say the same about today’s work but you can pretty easily describe the egregious way of how is it harming people's self-esteem.

AVOID THESE PHOTOGRAPHY MISTAKES

YOU DON'T COMPOSE

First of all, the composition doesn't have any fixed rules, but if you follow some of the classic ones, your photography will be set to another level. Composition basically directs the eyes of your viewer to wherever you want, so you can simply highlight your main intention in the photograph. Or on the other hand, you can hide an object, which you don't want to be shown. All the objects and the people in the photo need to be in a position, which is pleasant to your eyes. The perfect composition comes to play when you don't have to change anything in the photograph, especially when it comes to still life.

Follow the basics such as the rule of thirds, leading lines, frame with the frame, and central composition, and you'll see the difference. Above all in art, in your vision or in the whole universe, there aren't any limitations, you have the power to do whatever you want, so take advantage of that and express yourself, your emotions, and your opinion with any composition you like.

YOU BUY GEAR INSTEAD OF BOOKS

This is the best advice which has been ever given to me. Everyone is obsessed with new gear, the best cameras, and lenses. You know what? You can take great photographs even with your phone. I mean it's not about technical parameters, but rather about how you can tell a story in only one frame or if you can strike viewers’ emotions. By books, I don't mean technical ones, but photo books made by your favourite photographers. Do you take portraits? Buy a book made by Richard Avedon. Do you like fashion photography? Go and get Annie Leibovitz's fashion photo book.

The main idea behind this theory is that you are learning photography through your eyes. Where do you think you can get the best inspiration from? When you get the book, first of all, everyone loves to really feel the book, the structure or even the smell of the book. As you are going through the book, page by page, at one point you'll ask yourself, “Oh boy, these photographs are awesome, how did he or she take them?” Right off the bat, you are learning something new, even if you didn't realize it yet. Soon you’ll start thinking about the composition, light, meaning…

YOU ARE NOT CLOSE ENOUGH

This is from my point of view one of the biggest issues in photography overall. Get as close as you can to your main object and then shoot. Real McCoy is definitely Robert Capa, who once said: "If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough." He was one of the founding members of the Magnum photo agency. As a war photographer, he was always in the first line with the soldiers. Unfortunately, he stepped on a mine in the Vietnam War and died at the age of 40, but his images are still alive. He filled the frame with emotions instead of blood.

Most people choose a telephoto lens when they want their subject to appear closer to the camera, they just zoom in. What they don't know is that their photographs are less intimate. Use a 28 mm lens to really understand what distance in photography means, principally in street photography. Getting closer to your subject will give a feeling of being in the action, and that's very powerful. So once you are holding a camera, remember to take one step closer, it won't hurt you.

Matěj Knežević

Digital Marketing, Content Management, E-commerce

Matěj's visionary and enterprising mindset has led him to seize numerous opportunities to work on ambitious projects from a young age. Between the age of 15-18, Matěj went through 3 internships as Photographer & Journalist at Prague Morning, Theather Archa and Music Gate, where his love for producing and managing content ignited. As a result, he served as a chief editor for the GPJP Times, an English school paper magazine and worked as a freelance photographer for clients like Lee Cooper or Time Out.
At 19, Matěj co-founded Medikobio.com an e-commerce store focused on selling high-quality solely, natural gel against muscle and joint pain. Though the project had a slow start, Matěj decided to gain relevant experience and started to work at Filipes Media as a content manager. Here, he worked with a diverse range of e-commerce clients across many industries such as healthcare and fashion, developing a deep understanding of customer needs and pains. Additionally, learning about SEO in the marketing agency, enabled him to accelerate MedikoBio.com and rank on the first page of Google with more than 100 keywords.
Having the desire to explore the healthcare industry Matěj joined Sanofi as a Digital intern, where he focuses mainly on uplifting e-commerce product pages, redesigning or launching consumer healthcare brand websites and product content management.
Following his graduation from a Bachelor's degree in Business and Management in Swansea, Wales, Matěj embarked on a journey to further his knowledge and skills in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, pursuing a Master's degree in Barcelona, Spain. During this time, he co-founded two other successful ventures, serving as the CMO: Indigo Studio, a SaaS company that develops and rents plug-ins for e-commerce stores, and Rented.es, a mobile app-based marketplace for renting out any product for as long as you need.
During his free time, he appreciates the remarkable photography of Richard Avedon, the wise decisions of Warren Buffet, the captivating cinematography of Woody Allen, and the incredible discography of INXS.