Photos by Lewis Parenti, @d0wdy // courtesy of Adi Muhtarevic
Adi Muhtarevic is the very model of an American success story. His parents fled Bosnia in the wake of civil war, settled in the US, and built a life for themselves. Adi continues his parents’ model by becoming a self-taught photographer, putting in work at his local skatepark, photographing the likes of Danileigh, Da Baby, Young Thug, 21 Savage, and more. His recent relocation to LA has him primed for the next exciting chapter in his young career.
The following interview has been lightly edited.
What are your influences?
People who are passionate influence me. People who are all about what they do and they don’t give up until they have whatever it is they wanted. My parents and family moved to the U.S. from another country due to war, not knowing what was next; they all figured it out to make a life how they wanted it. I’ll never stop working as hard as I possibly can because them making great successes in the situations they were put through made me realize that anything is achievable as long as you put in the work. They never gave up, so why would I? My homies and people I surround myself with also influence me because they are all some of the most talented and driven people who’re living life how they want to.
What’s the most overrated?
I feel like people’s desire to skip the struggle and get to where they want to be in life is overrated. Everyone has big goals and dreams, but a lot of people don’t want to put in the time, work, struggle, and failure to make it where they want to be. I think the struggle followed by the come up is one of the best moments because although it is tough, you are constantly growing, learning new things, and always working towards your goal. Like J. Cole said, “It’s beauty in the struggle.”
What’s the most underrated?
Not caring about what others have to say is underrated. People are so quick not to do something or change their minds on something because someone else has a different opinion. Doing what you want because you want to is the best way to keep moving forward.
What are you most excited about right now?
Right now, I am excited about living in Los Angeles; it has been a goal of mine to move out of Michigan. Huge thanks to music artist Danileigh, we’ve been doing a lot of work which prompted me to move to LA. I appreciate her team a lot, they’re like family. I recently got out here, and it feels good. Also, this fisheye lens I got. I started photography at the skatepark, so I mainly used a fisheye lens, and after not having one for a couple of years I decided to get another. It’s dope using it within the type of work I mainly shoot now.
What’s next for you?
There is some stuff going on right now that I can’t talk on, so stay tuned! But taking photos and just enjoying my life is something that is always happening.
Bonus Question: What does it mean to create art as a photographer in a world where everyone has a powerful camera in their phones? How do you differentiate what you do from the thousands of Instagram “photographers”? How can photography thrive and survive in such a world?
I think using your mind and thoughts when taking a photo is what makes it “art.” Anyone can take a photo with an expensive camera or a phone, it doesn’t matter nowadays. The photo shot on the phone could still be better than the camera because of how the photo was shot and the idea behind taking the photo. I don’t focus on differentiating myself from anyone, for real; I don’t pay a ton of attention to others. I do what I want to do, shoot, and edit what I think is dope. Photography is cool because you can document a moment, person, object, or anything as a still image that will last forever. There are so many things you can do within photography; there’ll always be something new, dope, or creative that someone is doing. That’s how I think photography will thrive and survive because people always want and need documentation and content.
