Hi there,
New Friday, new day for an interview. Today, Alja is with us, who, like me, enjoys playing video games. I have to ask her if she would like to play Apex Legends with us. 🙂
Even though she claims to be a non-professional photographer, her pictures seem really top-notch. Okay, before I get carried away, I’ll stop, because this isn’t an interview with me but with Alja. 🙂
Let’s go!
Alja Polajžer is a 29-year-old hobby photographer whose camera is her loyal trip companion. She was born and raised in Ljubljana and works as a communication expert. In her free time, she likes capturing moments and exploring new places through the camera’s lens.
Meet Alja Polajžer – the communication expert who finds solace behind the camera lens
You can find Alja Polajžer here:
- E-mail: photography.alja@gmail.com
- Instagram: @alja.photography
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Hi Alja, how long have you been working as a photographer now?
I got really interested in photography in 2014. I didn’t take the extra step of being behind the camera until then, but I was always interested in photography in the sense of looking at exhibitions, National Geographic, and so on. If we went for a walk to the central Tivoli Park, a stop at the photo exhibition at the promenade was always a must.
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What inspired you to become a photographer? What were your first steps?
What really pushed me to take the next step was actually a photography course we had at the university. It was held by Arne Hodalič, the well-known Slovenian photographer, who really dived into all the technicalities of photography, compositions, playing with light, etc. There, I learned to see photography from a different angle and what manual settings and cameras can do. From there, I developed a passion for it but didn’t have the equipment at first—student budget and all. Fortunately, my parents noticed my interest and wanted me to pursue it, so for a special occasion, they bought me my first camera, which I still have today.
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Are you a professional or an amateur photographer?
I would rather describe it as a non-professional photographer. But of course, I still have, and always will have, a lot more to learn.
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What is your favorite subject to photograph?
I am mostly focusing on landscape photography, but I have a whole mix of it, from city to nature and people.
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What kit do you shoot with?
I shoot with a Nikon D5100. Until 2017, I had the original NIKKOR 18-55 mm lens, but I saw that it wasn’t quite appropriate for my needs, so I made an upgrade to the NIKKOR 18-140 mm lens.
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How would you define your photographic style?
I would describe it as capturing my experiences. I mostly shoot when I go traveling, and I find that I am always looking at something from the perspective of a camera. So it’s a mix between seeing and capturing.
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Which editing software do you usually use?
I mostly just use Adobe Lightroom. I still try to keep the editing to a minimum as much as possible. But when there is a need for an extra fix or I want to give it an extra twist, I also use Adobe Photoshop.
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John Wanamaker said: Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is, I do not know which half. Do you gain your clients by advertising or in another way?
Since I am a hobby photographer, I really do get followers by word-of-mouth or organic posts on my Instagram account. I do think that getting the job should be preceded by a good recommendation, followed by other forms of promoting your work (boosting posts on social media, etc.).
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How does your typical working day look like? What do you do when you are not working? How many hours/days per week are you working? What do you do in your free time?
Waking up early and having breakfast and coffee are definitely the first steps. In my full-time job, I always seek new challenges and learn something new every day, as cliché as that sounds. But when I’m not working, I meet with my friends, love to go on a trip (of course with my camera), go hiking or climbing (mostly during the warmer season), and am also a binge-watcher and enjoy playing board or video games. And I go traveling as often as possible.
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What would you do differently if you would start again?
I wish I had taken the opportunity to dive into it earlier and not hesitated so much in buying the camera. It is definitely worth having.
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A professional photographer is also an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs have many things in common. They read a lot. What about you? What are your favorite books?
I know that it’s an unpopular opinion, but I really am more of a movie person. I mostly read articles for work, but when I’m on vacation, I do like to have a reset and read books. I think that up until now, Dan Brown’s books were the ones I read most quickly and eagerly, but I do have J. R. R. Tolkien on my list for this year’s read.
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What was the best advice you have ever received as a photographer? Do you have any advice for other photographers?
Don’t do it in auto mode; learn the basics. What is shutter speed, why is light important and how to use it, composition, and so on? Practice a lot, even if it means missing a moment. You’ll learn from it and definitely remember it for the next time. Moreover, the equipment isn’t everything. You can do great with less and less with great.
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Top 3 mobile apps on your smartphone?
- Messenger
- Calendar
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Top 3 websites?
- IMDB
- Youtube
- Canva
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Your last vacation?
Normandy and Paris. I would definitely recommend it.