Photographer Mario Kroes started photographing in 2012. He moved to LA to study Business Administration, but it took an entirely different direction. Read his full story – including how his career started with a pack of yoghurt – below.
Cover photo: © Mario Kroes
So Mario, thanks for your time! To start, can you tell a bit about your background?
“Yes, of course. I moved to LA from Germany to study business administration. After I graduated, I would spend my breaks at my job browsing tumblr and other fashion sites, to save photos that I liked. After 6 months I asked myself: “Why am I doing this?!” and decided to get into photography myself, so that I could create images that I admired.”
“For my first photo series I poured a pack of yoghurt over a friend.”
Do you remember your first picture?
“Hmm.. It’s tough to say what I would consider to be “my first”. I cannot remember my first actual picture, but there was a series of photos I took with a friend of mine. It was a series in which I poured yoghurt all over her head. I think when I got the photos back from the lab and saw them on my screen, I felt like I was onto something special for the first time.”
That sounds amazing. Your photos are somehow recognizable and someone poured over with yoghurt does fit in. How would you describe your photography style?
“I have no idea! I just do what I like and what feels right.”
No problem. We love your work anyway. Is there a story you want to tell with your photos?
“Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Sometimes it’s just about the photo itself and I am not sure if I’m always intending to say something very specific. Other times I have a very specific message in mind, which translates to the viewer and other times it doesn’t. In my opinion, art consists of two sides: the creator and the viewer. Everyone sees something else and that’s what makes art special.”
“The coolest job is what I do next.”
You’ve worked for magazines like Vogue and other major publications. What was your coolest job so far?
“For me the coolest is always what I do next. I liked everything I’ve done so far, but the most exciting is always the future and progressing forward.”
Ok, concerning your next jobs then: is there a specific direction you want your work to take in the future?
“I want to push more boundaries and see what I can get away with. I love to challenge myself. Furthermore, I’m interested in just about everything, so I don’t have any set plans for the future.”
Are there any existing projects coming up that we should know about?
“I’ve started a side project photographing homeless people in Los Angeles. I take their portrait on the streets. It’s been a really interesting and completely different from everything I’ve done so far. I am looking to couple this project with something else now and figure out to raise some money for the homeless people in Los Angeles.”
And that’s how we like it: a creative mind who also seeks to do something good for the world. Check out the latest work of photographer Mario Kroes below or at:
www.mariokroes.com
@mariokroes
https://www.instagram.com/p/BtO6nVdg9-p/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsYxG4KgXMf/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrYcQcFA8L6/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BqNhZ0pgBBB/
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