INSPIRATION

Short profile

Jovana Rikalo is a fine art and portrait photographer from Serbia. She originally studied law, but her love for photography led her to a career as a photographer. She is now renowned and successful worldwide. Her photos have been featured in publications around the world including Digital SLR Magazine, Adobe, Practical Photography Magazine, Digital Photo Magazine, Bella Grace, Faerie Magazine and many more.

Since 2020, she has been organizing workshops around the world to help young photography talents achieve their dreams. As she reveals to us in the interview, she has no shortage of creative input in her work: "I have a book full of ideas, half of which I haven't had a chance to implement yet, because every day at least 10 new ideas come in."

Portrait of Jovana Rikalo.

5 QUESTIONS TO JOVANA RIKALO

Can you tell us a little bit about how you became a photographer?

I started doing photography 10 years ago. I studied law and never imagined I would start taking photos, until I found an online platform called Flickr. I was amazed by the talented people and their fine art series.

Day after day I started showing interest in photography and wanted to create something similar and try. This is how it all started. After I bought my very first professional camera, I was move confident to create more and start doing photos for clients too.

Dreamy portrait in a botanical garden surrounding with flowers and wonderland style.

Photo: Jovana Rikalo

Please share something about your images. What is your special interest? How do you choose the colors, composition, themes etc. ?

I do find inspiration from life, nature and people. My style is fine art because I love capturing emotions, surreal concepts and having the freedom to create. I love taking portraits too. Colors are based on the concept I want to create, location where I am taking photos and what emotion I want to show. Composition is also very important but I think about this more in the editing part.

When it comes to themes, there is connection to seasons and the availability of models, locations. Some locations look nicer in summer, some of them in winter.  My favorite is creating photos in snow and among flowers.

Dreamy surreal portrait photos, on the left, dark tones with horse and blowing hair and on the right bright tones with snowflakes.

Photo: Jovana Rikalo

Where does this interest come from?

As I said, mostly from life. Everything that is happening to me, emotions I feel, I try to connect with location, models and scenes.

It is so challenging because you are showing your emotions through other people.

Surreal fine art portrait with blue and yellow tones, composition with blue-and-yellow macaw sitting on head and flying out of sight.

Photo: Jovana Rikalo

How do you get inspired? And what inspires you the most? Films, books, or magazines? Or what surrounds you?

I can be inspired by everything because I train my brain to work this way. When I see flowers, location, prop, I can connect detail to story.

I have book full of ideas, half of them didn't have a chance to create because daily I add more than 10 of them haha.

What are your plans for the rest of the day?

To finish editing, start planning next week and sleep afterwards. After I become a mother, I need more sleep and usually I want to work and sleep at the same time :D.

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