Photographer Spotlight: Marko Brajkovic
A conversation with Marko Brajkovic: how he sees, what drives him, and the creative instincts that define his black and white vision.
Behind every photograph is a way of seeing a rhythm of thought, emotion, and light. Photographer Spotlight is a continuing series from The Monochrome Collective, featuring conversations with photographers who use their craft to explore the world in shades of black and white.
Each interview delves into the artist’s artistic style, creative process and the inspiration that shapes their work. From quiet studies of everyday life to ambitious documentary projects, these voices remind us that photography is not just about what is seen but about how we choose to see.
Through these spotlights, we celebrate the diversity of vision within our community the subtle, the bold, and the deeply personal illuminating the artistry that connects us all.
Today we are spotlighting Bosnian photographer Marko Brajkovic.
Here is our interview:
𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗖 𝗦𝗧𝗬𝗟𝗘
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘄𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝘆?
Photography allows me to slow down reality and express my creativity. I’m drawn to ordinary things that I try to transform into something unexpected. For me, taking a picture is about translating what I feel in a place rather than just what I see.
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀?
Poetic, Surreal, Raw.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗼?
I’m attracted to overlooked spaces, fragments, and objects that feel slightly out of place. Gardens, streets, artificial objects inside organic environments, shadows, and small details that in my mind I try to transform into little stories. I often have a title in my head before I take a picture.
𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼?
Many of my favorite images reflect something internal, a state of mind, a memory, or a quiet discomfort.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸?
Melancholy, irony, but sometimes also some social critique, and a subtle sense of disorientation. I’m interested in images that don’t explain themselves immediately and stay slightly unresolved.
𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗦
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵?
I use both film and digital. A Canon A-1 for film and Fujifilm and an old Lumix camera for digital, often adapting vintage Canon lenses. I’m more interested in character and imperfections than in super sharp perfection.
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝘃𝘀. 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆?
Almost everything is spontaneous. I prefer being present and reacting rather than planning. I trust intuition more than preparation.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘂𝘀𝗲?
I keep editing minimal. I avoid heavy processing and prefer the natural grain and imperfections working with high ISO. But I use lightroom for some cropping and some adjustments to contrast and exposure.
𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝘆?
Both. But digital gives me the continuity to shoot every day, while film forces a different kind of intentionality.
I always have a camera with me.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴?
Learning to trust my images without overthinking or justifying them.
𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗣𝗜𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡
𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝘆?
Places and those moments where I just stop and in some way see something, and the feeling of being slightly out of sync with the world. Daily life is my main source of inspiration.
𝗔𝗻𝘆 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲?
Cinema has influenced me more than photography. Directors like Tarkovsky, Fellini, David Lynch, and Emir Kusturica shaped the way I think about atmosphere and narrative. But of course also Moriyama, Ghirri and Pentti Sammallahti.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆?
Reading. It helps me let my thoughts drift while observing small, unnoticed details.
If you would like to see more of Markos work you can find him on foto @markovicmarkovich.
