Interview: Marija Micic
FEBRUARY 2022 ● INTERVIEWS
Marija! What's up, homie?? How did 2021 treat you? How's life over in Serbia, and how have you used creativity to stay sane during these wild times?
Hello! First of all, I must say that 2021 has flown by! Life in Serbia returned to normal a long time ago. Considering how long the pandemic has lasted, I think people are used to living in such circumstances. Like in 2020, which was quite difficult, I tried to work hard every day and spent time hanging out with family and friends this year. As I have many hobbies, I used them to escape from reality when needed. Photography, my greatest love and something I enjoy the most, helped me in difficult times. Another beautiful thing I am proud of is that I met many good and talented people who continue to inspire me every day. They've helped motivate me to be a better person and a better photographer!
I've been absolutely loving your recent photos – they have this sort of grungy, high-contrast aesthetic about them that's reminiscent of 90s punk-influenced imagery. You seem to blend together silhouettes, grain, and a single dominant color in these shots. What has been your inspiration behind these snaps?
Thanks, Dante! Your opinion means a lot to me! These latest works are really inspired by music and movies, which are a great passion of mine. I can't imagine a day going by without music or movies in my life. Also, when shooting portraits, I draw inspiration from the subject's character and the place where I take photos. This was the first time I had experimented with light in this way, and I am very pleased with the results. By the way, I grew up on punk music, so the rebellion, attitude, and desire for freedom that is felt when looking at these photos is probably a consequence of that.
As I've been scrolling through your Instagram feed, I've noticed a fairly distinct shift in your shooting style. Maybe it's the film you've been using. Perhaps it's the cameras. I'm all for it – I'm a huge fan of the visual style you've been establishing but can't quite pinpoint what exactly it is. Can you elaborate on this a bit? What do you feel has shifted in your approach to film photography? How has your style evolved?
While scrolling through my Instagram feed and perusing the photos I keep in my archive, I've also noticed this. I think it's because I've been using the Pentax 67 and Mamiya 645 with 120 film lately (I've mostly been shooting with Kodak Portra 160 and 400). I've used 35mm film, like Fujicolor 200, for example, in various camera models before. But in using 120 film, I find myself trying much harder and putting more effort into each photo. Some of the reasons include the more limited number of shots per roll, the prices, and the fact that I don't use a light meter. Every photo must be good, and I am very happy when I hit the right exposure. What I can still notice, which is very important to me, is an ongoing effort to keep making progress. For example, when I compare the photos I took two years ago to the images I've taken more recently, I can see huge progress. I am learning a lot. Analog photography has become a big part of my life, and I will do my best to continue to progress. When it comes to equipment, I've tried many cameras and film stocks, but I think I've found the combination that suits me best, and for now, I'm happy with the results.
Looking forward to 2022, what are some things you want to expand upon in your photographic style and approach? Are there any themes you feel particularly passionate about or drawn to that you'd like to explore more?
I definitely want to work more with portrait, street, and cinematic photography in the future. I'm a big fan of movies, which greatly inspire me. Through portrait photography, I want to evoke and emphasize emotion. And through street photography, I want to capture the moment, showing glimpses into everyday life in Serbia.
Obviously, the past year or two have been a bit of a shitshow around the globe. What have you learned about yourself and, more broadly, the world at large? What role has film played in shaping these views and findings, or how has film helped you express yourself and navigate this clusterfuck?
We will see what the consequences of all this will actually be. In general, I think that people take much more care of their health than before and show more love and care to their loved ones. I think they realized that material things are perhaps not as important in life as they once thought. In these two years, I have learned how independent I am. I am proud that I can still keep everything under control and live a normal life despite everything happening around me. Ever since I was a kid, film was always a part of my life. I would play around with my dad's camera wondering what kind of thing it was until I actually started using it. Now, when I look through the viewfinder to capture a moment, it's like going to another dimension where it's just me, my camera, and my observations, which are driven by inner, sometimes subconscious feelings. And for me personally, there is no better way of expressing myself.
Alright, since this is a @y35mag co-curator-themed issue, let's come up with some sort of hypothetical that involves the whole gang. Where would you take us all if we were to get everyone over to Serbia for a week? We all have our own fairly unique shooting styles. What kinds of photoshoots would you try to arrange? Walk us through how this endeavor would ideally play out in your head. I know Trevor would be off shooting some abandoned, run-down building in black-and-white while I'd be flying around trying to find some magnificent neon bouncing off windows and rainy pavement. I imagine Viki and Tory would seek out some glorious landscape imagery, and Jules would get lost searching for old classic cars. Ryan would probably be pushing some film, stoke levels off the charts, and Bobby would be doing his thing capturing a little bit of everything. What's your idea of a cohesive project we could all work on together in your neck of the woods?
Oh, I hope this really happens one day! I must say that this is entirely possible because Belgrade is so diverse – so much so that we could achieve everything in one day. We would get up early in the morning and go to Kalemegdan so Viki and Tory could catch the magnificent views at the estuary of the river Sava into the Danube. After that, we would walk through the city, hoping to find some classic cars for Jules. I also like classic cars, but unfortunately, very few are left here. While looking for classic cars, there would be a lot of attractive scenes for Ryan and Bobby. And since Trevor likes abandoned buildings, we could go a little further to an industrial zone that we would quickly reach. And finally, when night falls, we could return to the city center where many neon signs and reflections would be waiting for you. Since we would have a few days left, we could go to another city, visit some mountains and lakes, and search for more inspiration. Serbia is a small and beautiful country. It is easy to get everywhere quickly. We have everything except the sea, so I'm sure you would all come home with a lot of rolls with amazing shots.
I asked Jordan Garza this same bizarre question a few months back in an interview, but I'd like to hear your take on it: Let's pretend some weird-ass situation arises where you're about to be transported somewhere else in the world for one day – maybe it's aliens who snatch you up or some sort of unexplainable magic, I dunno. And you have just a few hours to prepare. BUT, the kicker is this: this will be the last time you'll ever be able to shoot film and your last chance to express yourself through photography to the world. And the location is totally random; all you know is that you'll wake up in some unfamiliar place. What the hell do you do to get ready for this, and how do you make this outrageous situation special? What camera and film stock do you bring with you to document and capture your surroundings? Would you try to emulate the styles you've been crafting in Serbia, or would you try to adapt to this new, unfamiliar area and take a different approach to your shooting?
The first scene that goes through my head when pondering this scenario is me in some desert with my Pentax 67, loaded with a roll of Kodak Portra 400, as I catch the smiling faces of the members of my forever-favorite band, the Red Hot Chili Peppers! In this case, I wouldn't be sorry if it was my last chance to take a photo. Ok, this is just my imagination, now I will really answer your question! The equipment remains the same. I would fully adapt to the situation and the environment. I would try to get the best out of it and definitely catch something new that the world has not seen before. And this outrageous situation would be inherently special because these are the last photos I would ever take.
Ok, now back to reality – is there any single image of yours from 2021 that's your absolute favorite? Maybe there's some sort of special meaning or fun story behind it. What was that moment like for you?
It was a beautiful October day. I went with my sister, Andrijana, to a meadow near the Sava River. We were enjoying the sunlight, just talking, when a little yellow dog approached us. He was so happy and endearing; he spread wonderful energy. When he got a little tired of playing and running, he sat next to me, and then I took the opportunity to photograph this wonderful creature. Later, when I developed the film and saw the picture, I was overwhelmed by such beautiful emotions and memories, so this is definitely my favorite photo. I hope the little yellow buddy is well, and we may meet again in the meadow.
Do you think a story can be told through just a single photograph? We live in a world where media seems to be shifting heavily toward short videos. However, as passionate film photographers, we obviously live for those still images. What does it mean to you to fully capture a story or emotion in just one frame? What goes into that process, and what must be present to really embody the story's spirit?
Absolutely! It is difficult to answer this question, but I think the most important thing is that the person looking at the photo does not remain indifferent. While taking photographs, we feel certain emotions that can later be transmitted to another person. People often don’t even know why they feel happy, sad, sentimental, or excited while looking at a photo. I believe in energy, so in every part of something we do, there is a part of us and our emotions that we felt at that moment. On the other hand, if we do something superficially and without emotions and energy, we will not achieve any effect on the audience either. That is not art. I think the point of photography is to capture a moment or emotion that is unique, unrepeatable. For me, no sunset is the same. People on the street are different at every moment: different faces, expressions, even birds in the sky, colors and shapes... There is no recipe for the perfect photograph. When I'm taking pictures, I don't think much about what I'm going to take next. If I walk and listen to music, sometimes something will inspire me and attract my attention and make me press the shutter button – even if it's just a basket hoop that reminded me of my childhood at that moment.
Because everyone has individual viewpoints and perceptions to offer, I like to ask artists variations of this same question in many of my interviews: There are several different reasons why creatives choose to compose art, or in our case, shoot film. We have that innate need to create, give life to emotions, hatch ideas that provoke thoughts, and find a release from the real world around us. Maybe we like to document our surroundings, inspire others, express ourselves in ways that are easier to convey through images, or perhaps it's something else. What do you find most satisfying or rewarding in shooting film?
First of all, I agree with everything you actually said through this question! What I love most about film photography is the process. From loading the film to the development to the excitement in seeing the results. By the way, I'm pretty nostalgic, so this way of photography takes me back to the "good old days.”
Last question! I've been a huge fan of yours for a long time and am grateful to be able to collaborate with you and call you a friend. We've all seemed to have formed a pretty tight-knit squad, and that's very special to me. But tell us more about yourself! What kind of music are you into? What are your favorite types of movies? Outside of photography, what else are you passionate about? Go off, tell us anything you want!
Thank you, Dante. I really appreciate you, your opinion means a lot! Without music, I have to say that I could not imagine a day. As I said earlier, I grew up on punk music. But over time, my horizons have expanded quite a bit, so I love jazz, soul, blues, country, and even classical music; it all depends on the mood. I like to explore a lot and share music with friends. Ryan shares fantastic music with me! My favorite types of movies are thrillers and dramas. I am passionate about films, film theory, and film criticism. They are a great inspiration to me in everything I do, especially in photography. One fun fact is that I watch at least one movie every day, sometimes two if I have enough time. And I love when someone asks me for a recommendation. Besides this, I like to ride bicycles, read books, and hang out with friends. I also love to travel, so I plan more bike trips and camping in the future. For me, freedom is everything. It's something I value most in every sense. I'm 28 years old, and I love animals and tattoos. I don't like politics.
Thank you for these questions, and thank you for giving me the freedom to talk about everything, especially the things I love, which are a big part of me. I really enjoyed this and smoked a lot of cigarettes going through this interview. As we wrap this up, I would like to say that I am very happy to be a part of this community. I've met so many artists who inspire me every day and encourage me to be better in every way. To be continued...
Marija's Instagram handle is @___treeoflife.
This interview was featured in Y35 Mag Issue No. 13. To see all of the photographs Marija chose to present, check it out here.