Published by Leonardo Calcagno
Who are you :
My name is Mitja Kobal, born in a tiny country called Slovenia, now living in Vienna, Austria where I’m working as a freelance photographer.
Your current job :
Among private clients, I’m working as a photographer and photo editor for the Greenpeace.
In which city are you located?
In a beautiful and cozy city of Vienna in Austria.
A word to define what kind of worker you are :
I’d say I need a long piste to get into the work, but once in I work hard as hell until the job is done.
What tools are essential to your life (app, software, etc..) :
I could be able to go through my work without the hardware of Dell precision laptops, surface laptops, Wacom tablets, NEC Pa272 monitor and a good sound system (Yamaha & NAD). I couldn’t do my work without excellent software like Capture One, Lightroom, and Photoshop and an app Wunderlist.
I recently upgraded to my only Apple product the iPhone, which in my opinion has one of the best cameras on the market and I love it for that, but iOS seems to be pretty retarded system compared to Android, which is a pity.
What does your office space look like?
What kind of music do you listen when you are working?
Mainly abstract electronic music from ambient to IDM but also post-rock and trip-hop, for long nights sometimes also Goa trance.
Do you have a way to organize your day to maximize your work?
I have it written down but I almost never stick with it :). In general, I start with work, work after 2 pm even though I am an early bird up already at 6-7am. I finish my day at around 1 AM.
What tips would you give to improve productivity?
Usually, a strong shot of green tea, coffee, yerbus mate or whatever the hell you need to get energy levels up, helps with productivity.
To-do list helps a lot. I am using Wunderlist app which is for me the best I came across so far. Stick your focus to each task, finish it and only then move on, would, in my opinion, be the perfect and best production plan.
You’re better than your colleagues to :
I’m sure this is not an advantage every time, but I am a pretty free thinker, I don’t mind trying new techniques, go out of the comfort zone. I’m a pretty intuitive person, I don’t think so much of the future and plan it but rather do only the things I love and feel I need to do at that point in time.
Be in the moment 110% and do the work as best as you can.
What is the best advice anyone has given you?
Live what you love.
What is your best tip for saving time?
I would say a workflow you stick to. The only weak link with that is that you’re for sure going to lose a bit of creative spontaneity and originality.
What is your routine start and end of the day?
Green tea to get me going & Seinfeld for goodnight.
Aside from your computer and your phone, what gadget can you not you go without?
My camera and my headphones.
behance.net/cwithe | mitjakobal.com | facebook.com/mitjakobalphotography | linkedin.com | instagram.com/mitja_kobal |