“What makes an amazing photograph is when the composition, colors and talent(s) that fit the mood, concept, and technique the photographer uses.” – Peter Tjahjadi

Although he had been involved in the world of photography since he was a kid (as his father is a photographer), Peter Tjahjadi did not follow his passion until completing his bachelor’s degree in Business Finance in Seattle, United States. He, in fact, found that working in finance is not his calling. He finally had the courage to continue his master’s degree in Fine Art in San Francisco.

Prior to taking fashion shoots, this founder of Peter Tjahjadi Creatives usually visualizes a concept, pondering over a complete look that matches the models with the mood, location, and setting. It’s like having a fantasy that should come true, he says. His fashion shoots mostly carry a dreamy mood with a bit of fantasy, but sometimes he likes to imbue a sense of confidence without too much colors or knacks. He takes benefit of natural light to produce such mood. And again, every time he executes the mood and concept, he must have the explanation behind them. That is the value he believes.

Casting a model or talent for his work is another aspect to highlight. As he advises, “Photographers should relate well with models, personally or professionally. They have to grasp the chemistry to make the day of shooting pass well, to feel the connection in the process. For example, if I asked a model to cry but she couldn’t do it, there could be a problem; the project would fail. It takes a lot of things to produce an amazing photograph, so during that day, the connection between me and model(s) should instantly be established. Everything should perfectly go in time. Therefore, the casting process is crucial.”

And after all these years contributing to a myriad of publications and international projects in the United States, Europe, all the way to Asia, he still has one challenge yet to face: presenting a fashion shoot carrying the theme of diversity. He aspires to travel to unexplored places, somewhere in Russia for instance, and hold a fashion shoot that creates a mix of cultures and mood, such as capturing Indian-American models with igloo as the setting. Aside from looking appealing, this concept would also convey a great message to the society.

PHOTO Rudi Sulistya (@banucatra) for HighEnd