My earliest memory of photography is taking pictures at a steam locomotive grand prix with my dad at 14. I never consciously wanted to be a photojournalist but photography has always been present in my life. While at university studying biology, I began to look at it as a potential method of earning money.
For my first assignment, I had to photograph the Harlem Globetrotters entertaining passengers in one of Budapest’s underpasses. Unfortunately they were not where they should have been, having accidentally arrived earlier. I learned the lesson of a lifetime that day, that a photographer should always arrive much earlier than the official start time.
For two weeks in Nepal, I had to follow a Hungarian climber going up Manaslu, a mountain over 8,000m high. I learned that I could accomplish much more than I had ever believed before, especially if I had a task to focus on.
Over the years, I have come to realise that I can take much, much better pictures if I treat my subjects completely equally.
Take photos of subjects that interest you. It will show in the frames if the photographer is completely uninterested. Don’t opt for the easy route; if you are bored, don’t give up, but seek out what intrigues you.
I respect the retired photojournalist Imre Benkö the most, as he is still enthusiastic about photography, is not comfortable in his oeuvre, and is constantly striving for renewal and change.
