Jonas Hafner takes wonderful pictures from a unique & experienced perspective. Impressive pictures of lovely ladies is the most significant part of his photostream. He has some brilliant concepts and skills which he manipulates in a masterly manner and captures the raw beauty of his beautiful models. He is able to think of a variety of posing styles, perspectives, editing options etc. which give a very pleasing feel and aesthetic appeal to his images. He’s going to be a medical practitioner soon and we hope he does not break his relationship with photography. here’s our interview with this very talented amateur photographer:

Hello Jonas! Introduce yourself to our readers:

I was born in Germany and until a month ago I was studying medicine in the South of Germany. To this day I spent three years abroad. I was living in Scotland, New Zealand and Sweden. Besides photography I am really into music (playing the guitar and the cajon), traveling and sports (soccer, climbing, hiking). At the end of the year I will apply for a job as a doctor.

Can you tell us why do you take pictures?

I hope I don’t take pictures to overcome some disturbing issues from my childhood - as far as I know there weren’t any. Maybe I just like playing with light, meeting people, being creative and making progress that I can see. If you’re good at it you can inspire people and make others happy. It’s more than I can ask for.

How does your study get along with photography?

Like many others I started with landscape photography. It took some years until I got into portrait photography but I stuck with it ever since. Studying medicine and taking as many pictures as I did wasn’t always easy, but if you really want to make it work, you can.

Tell us about your photo gear and things you edit with:

Most of the time I use Lightroom, in rare occasions Photoshop on top. I only use prime lenses (50mm and 85mm) on my Nikon D800. My work got published in photography magazines, was used as commercial work and I won several photography contests. However I wouldn’t call that an achievement. My biggest achievement was to meet the photographers I look up to and to become friends with them. Sharing your hobby with people who think like you is a wonderful experience.

Do you have any film camera, too?

Film cameras are fun. I’ve got a Hasselblad and its shutter sound is just amazing. Film is great for skin tones, especially in harsh sunlight. However it’s quite expensive, it takes a lot of time until you finally see the picture and if it doesn’t work out the way you planned it can be quite frustrating.

What do you have to say about your style of photography?

Photography can be cliched. For instance floral wreaths in portrait photography, especially those with roses. I am not sure if my style is that unique. All I can say is that I am not big fan of make up, jewelry, tattoos or earrings. I like natural beauty with available light and I am always looking for unique faces rather than just beauty. Still I feel the need to change something soon. It’s never good to repeat your own work. Reinventing yourself isn’t easy but necessary to take a step forward. I really wanna do more indoor photography and start with conceptual work.

Where do you mostly go to take photos?

We’ve got a lot of nature which is great for portrait photography the way I pursue it. The best places to shoot are the places you chose. A good idea doesn’t need a perfect location. As long as the light fits you’re good to go.

Has photography brought any changes in your vision?

It happens quite often that pictures pop up in my mind while I am looking at my surroundings. If you’ve edited a lot of pictures you know exactly which location is suitable. The camera and your eyes deliver a different picture and some locations that may look great in your eyes might be worthless on camera and the way round.

What are your ambitions and future plans?

I am not sure if have any ambitions. I don’t depend on photography and I don’t need to make money with it. I just wanna do what I like and be happy with it.

Tell us what inspires you most:

My favorite quote: Take nothing but pictures leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time.

My favorite photographers: Marat Safin, Oleg Oprisco, Anka Zhuravleva, Luisa Möhle, Sparrek and many more.

If you’re looking at all the pictures you’ve taken over the years you’re always glad that they exist. This feeling combined with the search for something new keeps you motivated. You want to try out something new, you wanna improve and to be productive.

How do you manage to work with models and strangers?

Making people feel comfortable isn’t always easy. I usually give precise instructions. On the one hand it helps the model to feel secure in what she’s doing, on the other hand it’s hard to really get to the know the model by doing so. If you’ve worked with a model before it’s so much easier to try out new things and let the model take the lead.

Say something or give some advice to new photographers:

The best advice I can give is to take as many pictures as you can and to find people who you can take pictures with. As long as you have fun you won’t give and as long you won’t give up you will become a better photographer.

Thanks to all the people who like my work! I appreciate it.

Jonas Hafner links: Website | Flickr | Facebook

Note: All images appearing in this post are the exclusive property of Jonas Hafner and protected under the International Copyright laws. Their copying and reproduction in any manner is strictly prohibited without the express permission of the owner.