copyright Andrejs Zemdega / iStockphoto.com

Today we have the pleasure to speak a little bit with Andrejs Zemdega, nickname Zemdega. I met Andrejs and his wife two years ago during the Malta ReF5esh iStockalypse and after that we get in touch again during the Berlin Uberlypse 2009. During that period they lived in Rome, in Italy, so we can consider him a little bit italian A perfect interview for this blog!

Hi Andrey, it’s great to have the opportunity to speak with you. Please, tell us what are you doing right now in Latvia, do you work only for iStockphoto or are you also a “traditional” photographer?

Ciao, Gio! OK, in English First of all – BIG thanks! I’m really pleased that you asked me for this interview.

I would really like to say that I spend all my time for iStock (because I want to), but no! Actually not even for photography. Most of the time I spend with my newborn baby Zemdega and my wife. But I also try to work as a freelance photographer. I’m only starting to get into Latvian market as young and unknown artist. Still shooting almost everything except weddings. Still getting almost nothing for invested work and time Growing muscles for the future – as we say in Latvia.

What did you do in Italy and what are you impressions about Rome?

I studied photography in Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) in Rome for three years. When I arrived I thought that I know a lot about photography, but IED opened my eyes. I’ve learned so much there. Everything from technical stuff, darkroom, history, studio work, post-procesing ect., but mostly understanding that there is so much more to learn. After last exam one of my professors Stefano Cerio asked me to join him in his studio as an assistant. I enjoyed almost every day being in Rome, even traffic. It was a wonderful time in my life. When you are not a tourist, but live for long time in Rome it was getting loud, annoying and too old for you, but I loved it. I can’t explain it.

You are a member since March 2007, how did you get in touch with iStock?

Before Rome I worked in big publishing house as a guy who searches images in stocks for magazines. After a year, everyday watching thousands of pictures, I decided to try it myself. I started to shoot and sell images. In one and a half years I made 20 bucks – it wasn’t istock. Than one of my classmates from IED showed me istockphoto. It was in class about stock photography when he told my to try. In few week after first download I made 20 bucks! I didn’t thought twice about exclusivity, it was a love at first sight.

Your style is becoming every day more interesting. Your last awesome project is already really famous on iStock: Mr. Nail. A story developed for the Vetta Collection. This is the first time I see on iStock such kind of photography. Concept and story mix together. Could please tell us what is the Mr. Nail story about? Do you have any backstage images to show? How long did you take to create that story?

Mr. Nail was a long term project, very long. Afterall I planned, shot and prepared it for print in two, three weeks, but that’s not a story. When I started to do photography, I saw some pictures with household items made as persons, also nails. I loved this idea and tried to make some. Zero. No image was worth keeping. My technical knowledge was not enough to get it done. Years passed. I got knowledge, but there wasn’t enough will. And there it came as a IED final exam personal project. It was a perfect time for retry. I decided to make story about one young guy who is desperately alone and searches for true love. Another thing was NO Photoshop, only basic colour adjustments, curves and spot removal. I succeeded for 95%. There is little montage in only two pictures. Sorry, no backstage images. There was very little time for this project as normaly it is with exams – everything at the last moment But I kept some models! As one of my image was rejected, twice!, and I have only 11 images on istock, I decided to reshoot it and maybe add some more… in a near future. Mr. Nail wasn’t for Vetta and even for Istock, but after one and a half years of sitting on a hard drive, I decided to give it a try. As I wrote – only for Vetta. I know it won’t be my bestseller project but I wanted to share it with others.

As I said you have been to Malta in 2008 and to Berlin in 2009. Few weeks ago you had the honor to be selected and invited for the “magic team” to the next iStockalypse in Tokyo. Congratulations! What are you expectations for this Lypse?

Oh yeah, thanks! Actually I didn’t understand that I’m invited. I thought it was a usual mail from istock about next lypse. Only after reading it three times, asking some friends from Istock if it can be true, I understood that I’m going to Tokyo. It will be expensive, long, exhausting, sleepless, superSEXY experience I’m nervous…

Canon or Nikon? Pizza or Pasta? Wide angle or Tele? Windows or Mac? East or West?

Canon

In Neaples – Pizza, in Sicily – Pasta.

Both. But not the middle. After cheking lightroom data I found so few images shooted using 24-70mm lens in past three years that I sold it

Mac definitely.

West

What is your favorite keyword?

I checked my bestseller and first keyword was “water“, so let it be.

Do you have any favorite artists on iStock?

Oh Giorgio, you are one of them, but I will say THEPALMER (I’m not screeming, he had capslock broken when he registered).

Describe iStock with one word!

Freedom!

Thanks for spending your time with us! Have a great one in Tokyo! Hope to see ya soon somewhere in the World, maybe in Latvia

Grazie, Gio! I really hope that you will plan one of your trips throught Latvia till I’m there

AZ