MPB Meets: Cinematic Photographer Mia Novakova

Cinematic photographer Mia Novakova creates beautiful multiple exposures that transport us to familiar—yet equally unfamiliar—realities. In this interview, MPB heard from Mia Novakova about her inspirations, processes and camera gear.

“The dullest places can appear mysterious and exciting”

MPB: Your work is ethereal, dark and mysterious. What draws you to the shadows?

MN: I'm drawn to the quietness, solitude and lights. During the night, the city looks different. Even the dullest places can appear mysterious and exciting. I feel like the night allows me to be more honest and true to myself, which, in return, inspires me to create and to express those feelings.

“More control”

MPB: How do you create your double exposures?

MN: I mostly do it in post-processing. It gives me more control over the final result, and it saves me a lot of frustration. Also, none of my cameras has built-in features to create the double exposure effect.

“Almost like painting”

MPB: Do you generally have an idea in mind, or are you more reactive?

MN: When I shoot, I rarely plan anything. I'm mostly guided by intuition. I spend a lot of time editing my work, combining multiple photos, and putting little pieces together to create the image that I see in my head. Almost like a painting. Sometimes, I instantly recognise which photos would look good together, but there are times when I prefer to experiment. I listen to some music for inspiration and follow my intuition until I end up with something unexpected.

“Interpretation is subjective”

MPB: If landscape or nature photography is as close to a literal interpretation of the world, how would you describe your work?

MN: I don't think there's such a thing as a literal interpretation. By default, an interpretation is subjective. In that sense, I don't really see a fundamental difference between shooting nature or landscapes and my own subjects.

For me, there isn't really a difference between one person shooting something realistically, and another who does it in a surreal or dreamy way. The difference is in the experiences that the images evoke, rather than a style or technique used to create the image. I've had surreal feelings when looking at work that has been shot realistically, and vice versa.

“My own thoughts and fears”

MPB: Is there a certain way you want people to interpret your work?

MN: To me, it doesn't really matter what the evoked emotion is, as long as there is one. Everyone perceives things differently, and I think that's the great thing about art. Occasionally, I try to influence the interpretation of the image with, for example, the help of a certain colour. Most of my work is introspective, in one way or another. I often project my own thoughts and fears into it, but I still try to leave some room for different interpretations.

“I still don’t like calling myself a photographer”

MPB: You feel quite strongly about snobbery in photography, specifically when it comes to equipment. Could you talk us through what made this an issue for you?

MN: The photography community has tons of gatekeepers, to the point it's often toxic. Especially for people who are just starting out. It demotivated me when I was starting out, I began doubting if photography was actually for me. I thought that if my work was to be considered ‘legit’, I had to follow certain rules and have really good gear. And even then I'd still be an ‘amateur’ in the eyes of a lot of people. All of this made me quite distant, and it's one of the reasons why I still don't like calling myself a photographer. Some people are so wrapped up in camera wars, they don’t realise how silly it is.

I've always tried to understand where that gatekeeping attitude comes from. I guess before the mass adoption of photography, those people considered themselves special and self-important. They thought they had mastered that craft. Post-processing is often mocked and frowned upon as if it's ‘cheating’. I think that’s ridiculous. Not every artist wants to document reality. Some want to create and show their own version of our world.

This is just a means to an end, the tools we use to create our images. The important thing is the passion and creativity that we bring to our work.

“We wouldn't be speaking right now if it wasn't for Instagram.”

MPB: Most people are consuming photography via a digital device. Do you feel this is destructive to the medium or is it a positive thing?

MN: I recently graduated from university. For my final year project, I decided to make a photo book. I spent a lot of time designing the layout and text, figuring out where to place every photo, so that it all came together to tell a story. It was the first time I saw my work in this light. I had complete control over the way it was presented. After spending months working on my photo book, it felt strange looking at Instagram through the tiny screen of my phone. I felt detached from Instagram and stopped posting for a while.

I’ve noticed the way I've been consuming photography had been overwhelming and distracting me. It hadn't been inspiring me. The constant scrolling through streams of images had led to a kind of image overload. I started to be more mindful of the way I consume art in general, looking at more photo books and going to exhibitions.

Of course, there are positive aspects to digital platforms like Instagram. They connect people, giving opportunities to artists because their work is more accessible to the public. If it wasn’t for Instagram, we wouldn't be speaking right now.

“I think that making artwork and not showing it to the world is often liberating.”

MPB: Do you encounter any hidden problems with having a big online following?

MN: It still feels surreal, having so many people follow me and want to see my work. Although I'm incredibly grateful for it, I don't let the numbers get to my head. I take breaks from social media. And I try not to post just for the sake of posting. Sometimes, I refrain from sharing certain photos because they’re either vastly different from most of my work online, or they are too intimate. For example, I have lots of black-and-white images that I’ve never shared with anybody. I think it’s liberating to make artwork and not show it to the world.

MPB: Your work is very cinematic — with light playing an important role. Have you ever had leanings towards cinematography?

MN: I definitely have leanings towards cinematography and I'm eager to learn more about it. I'm incredibly inspired by the work of Robby Müller. It cuts through time. His use of colour and light is incredible. It has influenced me a lot.

MPB: Is there anything you’d like to try?

MN: Might sound cliché, but I'd love to shoot on Super 8 film. I'm a fan of its gritty and grainy feel. I really want to try it. I'd also like to start working on another book.

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