Janko Bosch, A lizard walked beside me in the desert

AK: Please introduce yourself: What is your name, where are you from, what do you do?

JB: My name is Janko Bosch. I live in Koog aan de Zaan, which is basically a suburb of Amsterdam. I'm a digital art director for a dutch newspaper (NRC) and a freelance photographer. I also run my small imprint Zoink by Zaptronic. So far only I published my personal work but I hope to expand with other interesting projects.

AK: What is your relationship with photography, and how did you get into it?

JB: I feel I had multiple moments when I discovered photography. As a child and teenager, I was more interested in drawing and wanted to become a comic artist. During my time at the academy, I discovered the darkroom and loved it. But also at the academy, I discovered the internet which defined my life. I became a web designer and later I became an art director. I continued to shoot for personal reasons. In 2011 when I grew tired of drawing I bought a new camera. This is what I consider my true start in photography. Besides being an art director photography became my dominant creative pursuit. 

AK: What do you think triggers you to photograph in a certain moment? Is it planned or solely driven by intuition?

JB: I work a lot on intuition. Currently, I'm working a lot in a studio but even in this controlled environment, I notice how intuitive I work. It can take weeks to figure out setting, styling technicalities, etc. by adding, testing, removing, and testing again to learn by doing.

AK: What is the story you want your pictures to tell?

JB: I don't strive to tell journalistic stories. I consider myself an art photographer. The pictures I make often have a poetic element to it and often have a deeper level. For example, a picture of a balloon is not just a picture of a balloon but it's also a picture of the fragile balance between life and death.

AK: Which city would you like to visit the most, and why?

JB: I can't get enough of London. For me, it's such a place of creativity and culture. But I also love Berlin, Stockholm, Antwerp, and Tokyo. After the pandemic, I really need to visit them again. But living in Amsterdam is a dream for me as well. Nothing beats the atmosphere in Amsterdam on a sunny day.

AK: What is your personal relationship to cities, and how do you perceive them as places in general?

JB: Despite how impressive nature can be its cities that inspire me most.The cultural histories, the shapes of the cities themselves, the human activity and interaction with these places. 

AK: Regarding your project «A lizard walked beside me in the desert»: What was your intention, and how did you come up with the idea?

JB: I didn't have a real plan beforehand. I have wanted to visit Iran for a long time. Being a photographer naturally, I intended to take photos. If I go somewhere if I never know if I come back with enough pictures for a project. In this case, I had. What I did intend was to stay away from cliché media stories like the regime and women's rights. I photograph urban scenes so that's what I did.

AK: Which project did you never finish?

JB: So many. I have quite a few unfinished comics and photo books in. But it's all part of the process so I don't look back at them with regret. If I did it would actually be a reason to pick it up again. I would clearly not be finished but still in progress.

AK: What is that «one thing» you have never managed to photograph and is now gone for good?

JB: My childhood. I grew up in the 80s. I have some blurry memories but not enough pictures. Although my father is a photo enthusiast and took a lot of slides only a few survived. If I took pictures then I'm sure they ended up as blurry as my memories haha.

AK: If you could travel back/forth in time, what advice would you give your younger/older self?

JB: I don't think in that way. We're all the result of what happened to us during our lifetime. Good or bad. Self-inflicted or caused from the outside. The way my photography developed is influenced by my experiences as a designer and vice versa.

AK: What do you prefer saying: «to take a photograph» or to «make a photograph», and why?

JB: I say I «take a photograph».

AK: What is the most interesting experience you have had while photographing?

JB: I had so many interesting encounters with random people while walking around with my camera. The most common response from people is the look on their face saying: «why is he shooting that?». It seems a universal response.

AK: If it wasn’t for photography, what would you be interested in doing instead?

JB: Probably still drawing comics :)

AK: How would you describe one of your pictures to a blind person?

JB: Tough question. One of my favorite images is a white wall with a few yellow dots and a splash of blue. When I see this picture I always think of it as a piece of minimal music where white is silence and the color spots perfectly placed tones to make it a piece that consists of almost nothing but just enough to make you listen again and again. 

AK: What are you currently working on, and—if there is—what is your next project or journey?

JB: Traveling is difficult right now so once we're able to travel again I'll decide where to go depending on where we can go. I'm also working on a project in my studio. It focuses on fetish fashion and erotica. I hope to exhibit some of that project in 2022.

AK: Thank you, Janko!

Editorial Notes:

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Photography: Janko Bosch (2019)
Location: Tehran, Iran

Links: Website, Instagram, Imprint