5MINS with Michaela Metesová
Hiya Michaela, could you tell me what inspired you to take up photography?
At the age of 16 I took a part in an exchange program in Texas, USA. I was about to spend the whole school year there and I had a chance to choose a few elective subjects. I subconsciously chose photography and it was one of the best decisions on my life, I fell in love with it.
Would you say growing up in Slovakia caused you to have a different perspective on childhood or have you noticed similarities in your travels?
Children have the same magic in every part of the world.
So let's talk about your series featured in Issue 16, "Innocent Dark Minds"
When photographing children, do you find it difficult of is it more exciting and enticing, to explore their freedom?
I enjoy working with children so much. While working on Innocent Dark Minds, I moved to my grandma’s house for almost a month, where Kevin and Denis, my little cousins live. The house is located in Oravská Polhora, a small village located in South Slovakia. It’s the house where I grew up, so I’m emotionally connected with the space around. The children I was working with know me well, and we spend a lot of time together apart from taking pictures, so they feel very free with me. Even sometimes when the conditions were very unpleasant, because of the rain or cold weather. They endured it very well, they trust me so much, they would do anything I tell them to do.
Perhaps, because I promised them ice cream after shooting. (haha)
You mentioned photographing children to show the similarities and differences of adults is an aim of yours; will you ever photograph adults in the same way?
I didn’t think about it, to be honest.
The images are beautiful in black and white, is there a reason you’ve photographed them this way?
I think black and white photographs are able to portray more of a dark side of human nature. And that’s actually what I aimed to show, a dark side of children’ nature.
You’re still young yourself! Do you think this helps your connection with children?
Actually, this body of work was only a proof of already existing connection.
So what’s next for the future, will you be continuing this project on or starting new work?
I’m thinking about starting a project where I will document youth in a region where I was raised up. It could be a challenge to visualize the age of growing up. Time is so confusing, but paradoxically, very beautiful. I will still take photographs of little children, especially Denis, my cousin with curly hair, who appears in most of the photos, because he is my favourite kid in the world.
Thanks for chatting with us!
Check out more of Michaela's series Innocent Dark Minds in #PHOTOGRAPHY Magazine Issue 16 and her website
