In a country where the fashion industry is more or less non-existent you really need to be creative, patient and hard working to achieve the fashion photos you have visualized. Nina Masic (NinaMasic) is a 25 year old young woman from Bosnia & Herzegovina who is passionate about beauty and fashion photography. Recently graduated from The Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo she is pursuing her dream as a fashion photographer. Itās not always easy, but it is totally worth it at the end. Masicās portrait photos shows, with excellent technique, the real beauty of the model shot. Enjoy our conversation!
Can you share three tips with your fellow photographers?
1. Choose a model that you find interesting.Ā Try to find someone with whom you can connect in some way, otherwise (at least in my case) youāll just get lost and keep taking photos not knowing what you actually wantĀ to get out of it.
2. Choose the right lens. If you shoot close-up portraits use tele-lenses because they wonāt distort the face and will preserve the true anatomy of your models.
3. Take some time to learn Photoshop.Ā IĀ do think that retouching and the whole process of post-production is very important. If done properly, it will make your photo shine and pop out. It can also be a kind of your own signature, something that makes others recognize the work as your own.
Tell us a bit about yourself, how do you describe your photography style?
My name is Nina, I was born in Bihac, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Iām 25 years old.Ā Iām currently located in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Last year I graduated at The Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo at the department of Graphic Design.Ā I shoot mostly fashion, beauty and portrait photography.
In one sentence what has photography done for you in your life?
It has made me happy and fulfilled!
When did you start taking photos and what inspired you to get started?
I started exploring photography when I was a teenager, and from the very first start I knew that I had found my biggest pleasure in photographing people. I found beauty in people around me so I started taking photos of my friends - and thatās how it all began. At that time I didnāt know that photography would become my profession, I started exploring it at the same time when I was preparing myself for college to study graphic design. I thought graphic design would be something that I would do later in life. But during those 4 years at the academy I saw that I was wrong. Instead I used every second of my free time to shoot. I graduated exactly one year ago, and my graduation day was the day I decided Iāll dedicate myself completely to photography.
What has been your favorite shoot and why?
My favorite shoot is a fashion editorial called "Urban summerāĀ simply because it was the biggest challenge for me so far. Editorials are made of six images that actually are a combination of photo and CGI. Itās quite an extensive project production-wise and itĀ took more than a month to get it done.
Do you remember a difficult photo shoot session? What happened?
Almost every photo shoot in this country is difficult for me, because of the lack of, well, more or less everything. The fashion industry is almost non-existent, and we are far behind other countries. So if I want to present myself in the best light I know that I must do almost everything alone, and that for sure canāt give you the best results.
What do you carry in your camera bag?
Camera: canon 6D,
Lenses: 50mm f/1.8 ; 85mm f/1.8
Light reflector
Do you have a favorite location and time of the day to shoot?
I donāt. It all depends of what I want to achieve in the photo and what style I want to do. Iām now more active in the studio because I can control the light and I get better material for post processing ā something I enjoy the most.
Please share one of your favorite photos with us with a short tutorial:
This photo (Rain) was taken in a shopping mall. We were walking around andĀ I saw this big window and thought it could be effective to take some portraitsĀ behind that glass. It was raining outside and I knew it could only make the photo better. That day was the first day I met Merima, she is now my favorite model, my friend and a muse!
So she was sitting there looking outside and I went outside and start shooting. It was funny to see us communicate with just hands and some strange movements but we understood each other perfectly. I choose the side of the window in which light from the outside was the brightest, so itās only natural light. I used Canon 6D and 85mm lens. It was all so spontaneous in this photo, the place around us and the weather outside was the perfect match and that is why I love this photo. If I planned this, Iām sure I wouldn't get the result I did that day.
In the post processing, after basic skin retouching, I decided to turn this photo to black and white. This was because I felt the photo could describe the weather and the mood of the photo better than in color.
Whatās your favorite photo you have shot and why?
My favorite photo is Hypnose. I think it has everything that one photo should have. It got emotion and Iām pretty much satisfied with how it all came out from a technical point of view.Ā Above all I think itās important to meet the fundamental things, like having the photo technically perfect, with great composition, correct exposure, etc. After that you have to bring your own something in it and give it some aesthetical and emotional value. I think that the lack of balance between these two factors is the main factor when certain photo appears just as not good enough. I donāt say this one is perfect, but itās the closest one to it that I have.
For more great photos taken by Masic visit her profile and website.
