Creator Stories

Andrija Ilac

Greetings! I'm Andrija Ilic, a photographer from Serbia who has been calling the Faroe Islands home for over a decade.

My photographic journey began in the mid-90s in Yugoslavia (later Serbia), in a dark room lab of a master photographer, and the beginnings were pretty much old school: mixing my chemicals, processing film rolls and photography prints, taking notes while shooting photos and analyzing the results later. In a country affected by wars and unrest, I decided to take my camera out of the darkness of the lab and out into the world to make my mark on what was happening in my environment.

I entered the world of professional photography as a completely anonymous guy without knowing anyone in that business. Being 24/7 out on the streets covering the extensive protests of Serbian people against Milosevic,

“it happened that a guy pulled out a gun in front of me and started shooting; I remained on the spot, focusing only on my frame.”

Later that evening, I knocked on the door of the biggest newspaper company, and I offered that exclusive photo to them.

It was the first time I sold and published my photo, officially marking my career's beginning. Soon after, I found my photography “home” with the news agency FoNet from Serbia and got my first significant assignments, covering the war in Kosovo in 1998/99, the NATO bombing campaign against Serbia in 1999, the final big protest against Milosevic and the overthrow of his regime, and the attempt of special ops trying to arrest him and extradite him to the international court.

That was also a final chapter of the Yugoslav wars and drama, and ironically enough, on that occasion, I was shot and wounded in my right hand by Milosevic's bodyguards. I remained on the spot, getting my photos with just one hand. Always all-in for a photo. After the peace finally arrived in the Balkans, I found myself in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the Middle East, covering the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

After that, life would have me moved to the peaceful and remote Faroe Islands, with nature and landscapes straight out of a good sci-fi movie, and that opened a new chapter in my career as a landscape and outdoor photographer.

Since early childhood, I have been significantly connected with nature, which was introduced to me by my grandfather, a true Highlander and a WWII veteran. I spent my summer and winter holidays with him on a pretty wild mountain in Serbia, where you can hear wolves howling on a silent winter night.

He impacted me most significantly, developing that urge to explore, experience, love, and feel comfortable. I learned all those nature tricks and hacks that will be useful many years later.

“I fell forever in love with the wilderness and vast spaces, always being respectful and never taking for granted the blessing of being able to be there in the great outdoors.”

When I became a photographer, I used time gaps between my photo assignments to pack my backpack with the basics, grab my photo gear, and wander out into nature, sometimes for days—reflecting on things and resetting my thoughts. Sleeping out in the open without a tent was never an issue, and for some reason, I always felt comfortable being one with nature. I was worried about whether my camera batteries would last.

Moving to the Faroe Islands, I shifted my focus to landscape photography. Transitioning may sound like a funny term, but there was a process of switching my mindset and approach to landscape photography after doing a documentary, where split-second reactions were essential, including the right decisions with composition and shutter speed; there were no second chances.

I came to a level where I had all the time to commit myself to pursuing my photos. Everything was slightly different: the perception, switching the style and technique, topic selection and fields of interest, other ways of preparing photos and the assignments, scouting locations, and dealing with the harsh Nordic weather.

Forecasting specific light scenarios and responding accordingly became integral to my photo preparation. I don't rely heavily on lucky shots while wandering around; instead, the core of my landscape photography workflow lies in understanding and knowing my location thoroughly, constantly learning the potential of my chosen spots, mastering light scenarios, and dedicating time and effort to outdoor exploration in pursuit of the perfect frame. Good shots don’t come that often, only once in a while, but when they do, the joy of hanging a "trophy" photo on the wall is more incredible Even without a successful capture, the opportunity to be outdoors and connect with nature is a blessing.

See more of Andrija's documentation on his profile.