Danko Maksimovic

“I fell in love with the colors and the magic atmosphere of film photography. That experience has totally changed my visual perception of the world around me and it inspired me to continue developing myself in that direction.”

Intercru: Where are you from? Where do you live and work now?

My name is Danko Maksimovic. I was born and raised in Sarajevo, former Yugoslavia. During my life I have moved a lot, until I finally settled in Belgrade, Serbia, where I have lived for 15 years now.

At the moment, I’ve been working in a Swedish IT company for more than 7 years.

How did you get started in photography? What was your first camera?

It was about ten years ago when I bought an old Russian camera Zenit 12XP and started shooting photos of my friends. Instantly, I fell in love with the colors and the magic atmosphere of film photography.

That experience has totally changed my visual perception of the world around me and it inspired me to continue developing myself in that direction.

What do you like the most about shooting film?

The tones for sure. It’s the only way to get the real cinematic vibe like in old movies.

Where do you find creative inspiration for your work?

My work is mostly inspired by the French Nouvelle Vague cinema movement. Besides that, I enjoy the visual aspect of European film styles from the second part of 20th century.

The main inspiration of my photography is a woman who reflects a strong personality, eroticism, and possesses a certain dominant role combined with a little mysticism. I am also inspired by architecture, especially the socialist modernism style, which is dominant in Belgrade.

Who are some of your favorite photographers?

As for photographers whose work I think is admirable I would say Lucien Clergue, Sally Mann, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Ferdinando Scianna, Jock Sturges and Jean Pierrot.