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Interview: Markus Ravik

Markus Ravik, 24, is a Brisbane-based photographer. Markus has completed a Diploma in Photography at the Brisbane College of Photography and Art and is currently working at JB hi-fi and freelancing. Ravik owns 8 cameras, his favourite being his 5D Mark II because of its "inredible versitility". I got in contact with him recently to ask him some questions about the ins and outs of his photography:

What initially got you into photography? I think the moment I started getting into any form of photography is when my father gave me his old Pentax ME SLR film camera and a roll of film. He then showed me a stack of all these black and white photos from his travels around the world, photos that he had taken on that same camera almost 20 years earlier. The moment I got my hands on that camera I shot off a roll of film, and couldn’t wait to see the results. Probably not my best work… I’ve not really kept a copy of those photos. From memory, I was 14 or 15 years old at the time.

What kinds of images do you take for markusravikphotography?

Mainly I photograph bands, whether it be promotional shots of the band or them playing live. I do a lot of my work around the Brisbane area, sometimes down the coast. I also photograph other events from time to time if requested, but covering live gigs definitely has to be my passion. I’ve just started doing some work for Dr. Sketchy’s Anti Art School, photographing the models that pose for the life drawings – I have to say, other than photographing bands and musicians, it has to be the next best thing I’ve ever covered. I’ve worked several smaller festivals as well, the latest being 2high Festival in Brisbane a few months back, which was very fun.

Are you paid for your photographic work?

Yes and no. As most photographers know, the music and concert photography industry is an incredibly hard egg to crack. Nowadays, every second person with a digital SLR is some form of “music photographer”. It’s just the reality these days though, so I’ve learned to deal with that. If you want to make a living in photography, it can’t be done from music photography alone, you have to do other jobs here and there to make any real income. So, basically I rarely get paid for my music photography, I’m just happy to receive a media pass for the event, free entry for a couple of mates to bring along and the occasional tab at the bar!

Do you think it is important to take photographs of things you love and enjoy rather than opting for the bigger pay cheque?

I think it’s definitely important to photograph something that you’re really passionate about; otherwise you may become bored with what you end up doing. If you’re very lucky, you will get to photograph something you love and get paid for it. I think you will find that very few photographers (at least out of working photographers that I know) will make a living purely from photographing what they’re passionate about. Often they will have to do a lot of their ‘bread and butter’ assignments to make their steady income, whilst finding time to shoot what they love in their own time.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a photographer?

All I could suggest is to get your hands on some entry level digital SLR, invest a larger portion of whatever amount you’re spending on a decent lens, that’s going to last you a lot longer than the camera itself, plus it’s the most important part. Don’t get too hung up on the features of the higher end models of cameras, not straight away at least. Then, I would just say go out there and photograph everything you can imagine.

Where do you find your inspiration?

Following photo streams of certain popular music photographers inspires me; Chris Owyoung, from New York City, is one of my favourites – incredible concert and band portrait photographer. Jim Marshall is another true legend among the music photographers of all time; the best thing about him was that he didn’t even use an incredibly expensive equipment – the camera is only as good as the photographer holding it.

and ... where did you get your nintendo belt thing?

Hah, I actually bought a pair of old Nintendo controllers on eBay years back, just because they were cheap. It was only later that I decided to make one into a belt buckle when one of my other buckles broke; I used the parts from it to make what is now my Nintendo Belt.

For more information see http://www.markusravik.com/

Interview by Lilla Hill, photograph by Markus Ravik

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