Nancy Kilpatrick Writer

Get to know Graphic Artist and

Photographer ISTVAN KADAR...

Istvan Kadar

NK - You work with images. Did that interest in visual art come about in childhood, or later?

IK - It started in my childhood. My parents told me that I liked to draw and paint rather than playing with others in the kindergarten.

When I finished high school, I knew I wanted to be a professional in the art field. For a while, I was torn between acting and going along the path of visual art, but very soon I realized I'd feel more comfortable working behind the curtain, so I went to college for graphic design. I am a self-taught photographer.

NK - What led you to this work professionally?

IK - After I finished my studies I got a job as a graphic designer at Icon Magazine where I worked with images and I fell in love with that process. Later I held the post of Art Director at notable advertising agencies, both in Budapest, Hungary and in Toronto, Canada. Now, though, I focus more on my own art, and I work as a freelance graphic designer from home.

NK - You have a large body of work and I know your images sell on the Getty sites. Getty site

IK - I love traveling and that's a huge part of why I started to take travel photos and sell them on Getty. It's almost like a dream job: go see the world and meanwhile you take photos and make a living from that. But unfortunately, I'm not employed as a travel photographer. I pay my own travel expenses, and while there is an income, I can't make a living from only selling travel photos. Stock photography pays about 15%-20% of the price charged for a photo. Still, if you want to sell, I think it's worth it to work with the big agencies. Large companies and corporations search for stock photos because they can browse millions of images on the major sites. That, by the way, brings up an interesting question: why wouldn't someone just Google my name and buy my photos much cheaper from my website: Istvan Kadar Design

NK - You've won the National Geographic first prize in the Nature Category, and the Hungarian Press Photo Award. Clearly, there are some photos that are closer to your heart, like your amazing images from Transylvania, where you were born.

IK - Taking photos where I grew up is always close to my heart. The great memories and nostalgia give them a special value.

NK - You designed the fabulous covers for my new series and I know you've done covers for several other writers' books. Can you say something about the process of doing a book cover?

IK - Designing book covers is my favorite graphic design work. It involves combining photography, illustration, and typography. I've always admired writers because I am not that great with words, so it's a terrific feeling to create visual art for another artist. I love creating something that's in the writer's mind and bringing it to life as an image.

NK - How can people contact you to see or buy your photos, or to hire you for graphic artwork?

IK - Anyone can reach me on my contact page here: Istvan Kadar contact

Istvan Kadar Photography