Q&A Michael Kai | Photographer
Originally from Germany, Michael Kai is an award-winning Melbourne based photographer. After high school he worked as a documentary photographer in former Yugoslavia immediately after the war. He then studied photography in Photo Design at the University of Dortmun, Germany and intermediately at RMIT in Melbourne, Australia. His portfolio includes artistic as well as commercial projects and his list of photography and design awards include RedDot Design Award, Arte Laguna, International Colour Award and Adobe Design Achievement Award.
Name:Michael Kai Nick name: Micha
Profession: Commercial & Artistic Photographer
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Passion:
Apart from personal photography, I really enjoy rock climbing, mountain biking and getting outdoors. Travel is another one on top of my list.
I get my inspirations from:
Light, shapes & colours around me. Sometimes it’s just matter having a camera in my hands and getting in the right mindset.
How I got my break:
There wasn’t any particular moment or job which allowed me to go out on my own, but rather an accumulation of things, like positive feedback, awards and the frustration of making money for others. These things gave me the courage to take the plunge.
My top tricks of the trade:
Fake it until you make it. Be nice, be inquisitive and be open to feedback.
My style in a sentence:
I see my styles as pretty straightforward; clean, graphic & simple.
Bet you didn’t know I can:
Fix technical equipment (although things don’t always quite go to plan)
My latest project is about:
I am in the process of planning an exhibition about observational photography. I still looking for a good copywriter to write some supporting text so if there is anyone out there give me a call!
My last purchase:
For a shoot, I went to Kmart and bought 11 bouncy balls with animals printed on them. The balls were used to simulate 11 people’s heads under a sheet.
My current favourite mecho item:
Virgin Active Health Club sleep pods – I could use one of those in the office!
Travel destination and tips:
New Zealand. It has amazing landscapes and somewhere I can see myself retiring one day.
Pssst… One time I… had job for a big client, who asked me to take images of various retails shops. It was impossible to get authorisation for most of them, so I resorted to building a spy camera contraption with a point and shoot camera and had to think of various ways not to look too conspicuous!
The mecho team invites you to continue the conversation below with Michael during September… Make it fun! Post comments with your own free personal Gravatar
NOTE: ARCHIVE ONLY from Sept-10. You may leave a comment but please note Michael is no longer actively responding to any questions post 30 Sept-10.
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7 comments
7 Comments Add your own
1.
Hayley | September 1st, 2010 at 7:09 pm
Hi Michael,
Cool seeing you live on your passions! There are nice balance and quality in your photos. What made you move from Germany to Melbourne?
Hayley
2.
Tom | September 2nd, 2010 at 9:12 am
Hey mate, must been quite experience documenting former Yugoslavia immediately after the war? What made you not continue on the documentary path and become more commercial?
3.
Michael Kai | September 2nd, 2010 at 11:37 am
Hey guys!
When I was in Yugoslavia I thought B/W photography ala Sebastio Salgado was the path to go but studying afterwards really opened my eyes about what is out there. Studying in Germany is actually is less commercial but more conceptional orientated. I love the work of Stephen Shore and Andreas Gursky. It’s very tough to survive as an 100% artist, especially in photography.
I moved from Germany to Melbourne mostly because of the lifestyle and the people. Germans can be so grumpy sometimes. Also there are a heck of a lot very good photographers out there, especially in the main cities.
Michael
4.
Fred | September 5th, 2010 at 7:22 am
Hi michael,
what suggestion do u have of what musthaves settings to look after when purchasing a digital camera when not being a professional but still want decent pics? Cheers
5.
Adam | September 6th, 2010 at 9:50 pm
How many cameras do you own and which one would you not be able to live without?
6.
Michael Kai | September 6th, 2010 at 10:13 pm
Hey guys,
If money doesn’t matter the only camera I would use is a Leica M9 with 2-3 prime lenses. That’s the best quality you can get. The quality is as good as the Canon professional cameras. Those are also the 2x camera systems I have and use. For some bigger jobs I rent a Hasselblad Medium format system.
If budget matters most important of getting decent image quality is the the sensor size and the lenses. I would recommend a entry level DSLR (e.g. Canon 60D) or have a look at the new Sony NEX cameras, they are quite good.
7.
Rick | September 14th, 2010 at 4:24 pm
Best photo you ever taken or most proud of?
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