Juraga Photography
The wheels are always turning in Kresimir “Kresh” Juraga’s head. A creative visual artist who’s more comfortable behind-the-camera lens, he brings his photography subjects to life through vivid color, refraction of light, the incorporation of unique props that he’s built and experimental video.
For the last four years, Juraga, a native of Croatia, has run Juraga Photography next door to his wife, Dani’s, Downstage Center Dance Studio in the Lincoln Point Shopping Center. Much of the translucent blocks, steps – and even a helicopter hoisted above a couch in his studio – are remnants from the stage. Brought to life in his studio, the props take on an all-new vision.
“Everything is always under development,” Juraga said of the eclectic accoutrements. “It’s kind of forced into the photography.”
Yet, with the free-spirited vibe, wild colors and prism-like objects that he melds into his images, Juraga’s photography feels anything but forced.
Juraga spent countless hours watching videos on the Internet and teaching himself photography skills.
“I was always interested in photography,” he said. “You follow what you’re passionate about.”
Much of the photography subjects that Juraga works with are dancers from his wife’s studio, including Dani herself. His creativity transforms the typical recital photo into one-of-a-kind art, allowing him to “explore photos in a whole new way.”
“It feeds each other,” he said of the collaboration with Dani and her studio.
Juraga also shoots photos for magazines and has attracted talent from New York to his small studio, which was originally a Curves workout space.
First Juraga offers a “normal photo shoot,” he said with a smile, “and then we go a little bit crazy.”
“This whole thing is a creative platform,” he said, motioning to his studio with its iridescent screens, stairs and blocks, all providing depth and new dimensions.
His new experimentation is combining video into his photography.
“Technology and everything is just insane, the possibilities,” he said. “It is very much artistic and on the edge of exploring more ways to do it.”
The end goal is to devise new methods of storytelling. It’s a matter of “thinking and rethinking and applying new approaches,” he said.
“I was open-minded for all this to develop,” Juraga said. “We need to be able to adapt.”
To learn more
Juraga Photography is in the Lincoln Point Shopping Center, 830 W. Trenton Ave. Photography sessions are available by appointment only. To learn more visit http://juraga.com/ or email kresh@juraga.com.