MY NEW YORK STORY

Mark Grguric: The Image Shaker

By Bailey Beckett

Mark Grguric is one of the most promising young visual artists in multi-platform media. His exquisite eye and intuitive understanding of lighting, composition and form has distinguished him as up and coming in photography.

Inspired by artists like Guy Guibourdin, Ernst Haas and Brassai, Grguric’s versatility allows for a free-form, follow-the-moment style of shooting that goes beyond any perception or pre-set narrative to reveal in-the-moment action, emotion and storytelling. He is regularly hired by brands like Coca-Cola, Peloton, SmartWater and H&M, among others, as well as for editorial and privately commissioned works. A native of Frankfurt (where his father was based as part of the US military), Grguric studied at the Academy of Art in San Francisco and The Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. He is currently based in New York. He talked to New York Lifestyles about his inspiration, aspirations and influences.

Why photography?
I originally was into music and went on tour photographing a band when I was 18 years old and fell in love with photography from that point forward. I didn’t consider it an actual career until I was around 20.

What is your aesthetic?
I would say my aesthetic across the board, regardless of the nature of the work I am making from advertising fashion to beauty, is to figure out a way to add a surreal element to a natural environment, usually by playing with light and reflections within a space. When it comes to my personal work, I simply love capturing beautiful moments, the beauty in humanity.

Do you have a niche?
I would say that I am very technically skilled across the board for both still life and lifestyle. However, I understand that’s a little general. In a perfect world I’d love to be shooting commercial fashion and advertising of any kind.

Tell us what inspires you most.
Color, abstract concepts and new ideas! Reflections, multiple elements being used to capture and image or video. A lot of experimentation.

How do you get people comfortable in front of the camera?
Mostly with a very personable vibe and clear communication of what we are trying to achieve on the day of production. Also playing music and keeping the energy up really helps!

What kind of photography do you prefer?
I personally love black and white photography. However, for my own personal work, I prefer vibrant colors and abstract concepts when I get to produce them.

What’s the best part about shooting in New York?
People are straightforward and professional. If you’re honest and try and execute a shoot the right way and you don’t have a big budget, people will work with you! Also, there are places in New York City where you can find anything under the sun including equipment and props. You have no idea the bizarre troubles and logistical issues I’ve had in other places to find a beach cart or a 12x12 piece of white acrylic. Pieces that are so very inexpensive, but so pivotal to the success and seamless flow of a shoot.

Tell us your best location for a shoot.
It’s hard to pinpoint a specific location in New York as the best place because of the fact that each different shoot calls for a different vibe. My personal favorite is in Greenpoint where there’s very little foot traffic and beautiful mixture of classic Brooklyn homes combined with industrial architecture around every corner. Plus, the restaurants are amazing for sourcing food for crew and the bars are perfect for drinks after the shoot.

What are the biggest challenges?
I’d say the biggest challenge that I’ve had to accept is embracing people for who they are and not who I’d like them to be. You work with all kinds of people in this industry. The biggest difficulty is that the ones who are the most talented are the ones who are the most introverted and reserved. It would be nice to have introverted photographers and lighting designers around more often. But they tend to spend more time in the studio than in social environments.

What do you see yourself doing in 5 years?
Hopefully running a successful creative production company and traveling around producing shoots for hotels and design spaces on the business side. As far as my photography career, hopefully figuring out my niche and really exploring that market!

For more information on Mark Grguric, visit markgrguric.com.