Behind the Lens with Mark Smiljanic

Q1. Having worked with clients across 27 countries, including Russia, the USA, and Germany, how have these international experiences influenced your approach to photography and storytelling? ​

Hmmm, I’d say that each client brought something new to the table. Working in Russia, I would say, taught me boldness; mentoring and interacting with students from the USA showed me how important personal branding and recognizable styles are, especially in a saturated market, while working for a few German brands, I’ve come to appreciate punctuality and precision.

Still, I would say that every story and every person needs their own approach. It’s more often the background than a country of origin that shapes a person, and knowing how to adapt to people, and your clients, does make a difference in your day-to-day interactions.

Staying committed to photography isn’t hard when you do it out of love, for art’s sake. And it’s important to continue loving it, so it doesn’t turn into a job only.

Photography has been something that I’ve started as a hobby, and never intended to turn into a profession…However, when it did become a job — then you only have yourself to trust…And when you don’t trust yourself — you put even more work into it.

With times changing fast in our field, it’s important to find your way to keep loving it, and I know it’s a big challenge to many of my colleagues.

Speaking of societal expectations — coming from a conservative country, choosing art over a “serious career” comes with its drawbacks…But then you also realize a country has no fence to keep one in (most don’t: ’D).


Working hard, improving my craft, and staying respectful toward my clients and my vision helped me prove my points.



The biggest lesson? You owe yourself loyalty before anyone else.

Q6. What does a perfect day off look like for you when you’re not holding a camera?

All my perfect days have been holding a camera: ’D Sometimes it was in the backpack as I was too busy enjoying the moment, but it was always somewhere around, screaming to be used.

But if we’re really trying to look for those camera-free moments, then it is sitting somewhere random, with a dear friend, having a long walk, eating junk food, talking junk stuff…raccoon style. I tend to swap it for a restaurant experience sometime, as I love my fine dine, but really — perfect days are indeed simple affairs, spent with the dearest people that make those days perfect.

It’s a bit too early to pass judgement on that. Certainly, some genres of photography will always remain relevant and authentic, the kinds that capture human emotion, moments, etc.
 There, AI will always be just another tool, unless we’d start having robots going around our weddings and taking pictures.

You know, people were scared of Photoshop, too, back in the day. That makes me think AI is going to stay a tool in the hands of the creators. If you know who you are as a creator, as an artist, no tool will replace you.

If you don’t — well, that’s a different story. I have my fears about the industry, certainly, but I try to see how I can use the emerging technology, rather than crying in the corner about it. It’s here to stay. I don’t have to be a fan, but I know when and how it can save my time.

On the other hand — there are certainly fields such as advertising, where AI generative art would be good enough to most people, so they won’t hire photographers anymore.
 It’s really still too early to know the definite answer to the question.

Q12. What advice would you give to photographers who want to start a career in photography?

Give it a go as a hobby before throwing yourself into it professionally. If you’ve never had a brush with photography as a business, it’s nice to dream big, but it takes a lot of work to succeed and position yourself out there, before it starts bringing in the cash.

Be a decent human being.
 If you’re a guy, shooting boudoir — professionalism isn’t optional, it’s a requirement, and it’s survival. Make your models comfortable. Adore them through your craft, and don’t cross that line. Don’t ruin art for them, and for other decent people in the industry.

Don’t lose your love for the craft. Don’t just chase trends, don’t just chase money. Chase the feeling that made you pick up a camera in the first place.

Or if money is the only goal, and you don’t care about anything else, then don’t listen to me at all.