#2 Artist Interview - A2J photography

In our blog series ''Get to know the artist'' we introduce on of the artists on Picfee. 

In just 5 questions, you will learn more about the style, motivations
and experiences of the artist in question.

In this second edition, we meet Anis, better known as A2J photography. Both as a photographer and digital artist, his works are distinctive, immensely popular and easy to recognise. Time to get to know him a little better..

Kindness is like snow, It beautifies everything it covers.

1. Who are you, what do you do and what gear do you prefer to use?

Hey all, I am Anis Waterreus, currently living in Hoogeveen, Netherlands but for the most part I grew up in Groningen, Hengelo and Hoogezand. In daily life, I have my own plastering business. I also like to keep myself busy with photography, and for some time now I have also really enjoyed styling my work as a digital artist.

Gear:

Sony A73 / A7R3 Open white angle lenses 16.35 24mm 1.4 g master. 1.4 of 1.8

2. Which style within photography do you prefer?

I  used to start with landscape photography. Over time and through trends and the inspiration of others, my preference shifted towards Urban photography and the in English described ''ordinary things in daily life''.

Now that I think about it, I also really enjoy capturing portraits, for example, but now I do that a bit infrequently. I like to shoot with lenses with an open aperture of 1.4 or 1.8. I have also been getting a lot of energy from designing digital art for some time now. I therefore find the developments within this form of art very interesting. I find it incredibly cool to combine these elements. I find the photoshoping and therefore really being an artist very cool.

My working method is that I start by taking photos and then I process them into my own images.

Serenety

3. In terms of photography, who is your big role model/inspiration?

It used to be Albert Dros, also a Sony shooter and member at Picfee. He creates the most amazing images of the most beautiful landscapes with his photos.

Only my style, as mentioned earlier, has changed quite a bit in recent years. This is partly due to inspiration from other angles, of course. What I find cool is that both well-known and less well-known photographers inspire me in their own way. It sounds a bit cliche, but it really is true. I get inspiration from the smallest things, so it doesn't matter to me if someone is super famous, or has only just started. I look at people who do things differently from others.

As far as digital art is concerned, at Benny productions, they make really great work. They use both photos and videos for digital art. You can find the coolest videos on youtube, so I definitely recommend every reader to check them out. In my opinion, they are really developing a new market. 

4. What is your favourite work of yours?

Uhm wow that is a difficult choice. Especially because my style of photography has changed a lot over the years. But certainly when I look at my work from the past period, one of my favourites stands out. That is my work; Life doesn't end after sunset. I think that is a really cool creation where the ratio of photo and digital art reaches its peak.

Life doesn’t end after sunset

5. What tip / skill would you like to share with every other photographer?

Take a really good look around you. See things from a different angle. If you pay attention to small details, you will see that a lot happens within a standard frame. Another tip is: try shooting with an open aperture, you will see that your view of the world changes.