the girl and the dream

I like sometimes taking photos of unknown people from behind. It creates a certain tension, a certain need is not satisfied. You see the body, you see the position, you read what the body language is telling you, you look at the context. Your empathy whispers, is suggesting, is telling you that the girl was dreaming of something.  Could she have done something else?
Who is she? Your flash dream.

f5,6, 1/500, 85mm

daydream

Do I dream about the summer? Maybe.
Do I dream? I do!
What else could you do while laying on an immense empty beach, south of LA, looking at an ocean big as half of the planet, called Pacific?
What else could you do looking at nothing and everything, looking at the past, present and future without blinking?
What else could you do while seeing life everywhere, even though not visible?
What else could I do while sharing it with my love?

Just grab the camera and hold it still while pressing the shutter!

f13, 1/1600, 10mm

corporate

I work in a glass building. It is not exposed as many others but it is strange that you can feel safe behind the glass even though there is nothing natural about it. Glass but no windows, you see outside but you breathe air pulled in through pipes, you can see the blizzard but warm air blows on your cheeks, you look at the people outside but the people outside are looking at a building. Everything is at the right angle, balanced, calculated, symmetric, even the asymmetries are designed. The glass is perfectly separating two worlds, two realities. The sun set reflects on the glass but just to add more sense to the puzzle. 


That's what I thought after I took this picture of the Vodafone building in Bucharest.  


f4, 1/125, 200mm

the city with an aura

Whenever I go there I try to take this picture again even better. 

I have a better camera now, better lens, I take a tripod, I have better knowledge and much more experience. 

Some of the new pictures are technically better but I could never reproduce the atmosphere from this one. 

The moment was just gone... 

To make the things even harder for me, I have lost the raw version of it. 

I cannot explain in words how much I love this picture, and how close is this picture to the image I have about this city.  

I won't say which city it is. 

It is the city you like most, it is the city in which you would live in, it is your dream city. 

f4,5, 13sec, 10mm

cities and mountains

From the Piatra Mare peak, I took this picture. Some hundreds thousands years ago, from a small tribe, a somebody received the gift of reasoning. From that moment we, as a species, evolved. We lived with and against the nature. We got to live anywhere and everywhere on this world, from the most pleasant to the most hostile environments. And the nature, with "her" infinite power is always having "her" way but still accepting us. I have just one question and it is not about the nature, it is about me. Why I love the mountains so much?

f9, 1/400, 105mm

dominant species

       We kill to eat. It's a fact. And this was our reality from the first homo sapiens. It is in our customs to sacrifice a pig before Christmas, to have it fresh on our table. The modern society is  protecting most of the public from how the food is sacrificed, and it creates rules on how the animals should be killed minimizing the pain. Meanwhile the traditional ways are still practiced, and when the technology will fail, we will come back to the traditional ways.

When I saw this image, I could not refrain myself from smiling. The representatives of the dominant species, man, once again preparing the kill, victorious, with the trophy laying at their feet, sharing his success over a cell phone.

Taking this picture I was driven by very real, deep and mixed emotions!

f4, 1/100, 200mm

climber's reward

Piatra Craiului, 1 december 2011. I do not usually mix my hobbies, this time I have made an exception by taking in the backpack the heavy camera and the wide lens. Quite tired after the previous day when my friends pace was higher then mine, I was pushing to reach to the Piatra Mica peak in reasonable time. The view to the valley it reveals only when you reach to the peak. I have seen this view more than 10 times. Always the beauty of it, doubled by the peace and quiet from the peak, gives me a feeling beyond words. Staring at the view, I forgot about myself for a while, an then I took few pictures. 


To see few other pictures from this trip (Piatra Mare and Piata Craiului) click here!

f9, 1/1000,  13mm

(exposure bracketing +/-2)

feeling blue

In the early spring of 2008, while driving my car to Sambata, I saw the field burning. Trying to catch a good picture of the fire, I moved around, enlarging the frame until the sunset was also in. Slowly, I became an insignificant spectator of a very special show, happening in front of me, following its own rule and its own pace, independent and without knowing of me. When the truck passed the spectacle of life was complete, me pressing the shutter, being just a part of it.

f3,5, 1/40, 11mm

innocence

Walking in Brasov with Adi and my friends, after a summer rain. This little fellow was perfectly equipped for the occasion, and very happily running, walking and splashing through the water, proud of his nice rubber boots. He was so happy that nothing else seemed to matter. I reached the point where the also the background was reflecting in the water, watching the whole scene through the lens, the frame and the moment were as best as I could get. And here is it, making me remember and smile again.

f4, 1/100, 200mm 
(click on the picture to se it bigger)

night in paris

Paris, on top of Tour de Montparnasse, end of August 2008. This is the kind of a picture that you are compelled to make. As a tourist you can make the picture when you get there. And you get there when you can. You just can't come back several times to catch the proper light and sky. But even so, the sight was beautiful, very very beautiful. And it was very very cold for an end of the summer. The wind was blowing in gusts. So strong that a 30 seconds exposure was producing blurry pictures.  The Tour I was standing on was moving. Not enough to feel it but enough to affect long exposed pictures. So I decreased the exposure time, waited for the blue light from the top of Tour Eiffel to start it's cycle. And now, the magic is here, in the picture and forever with me. 

f9, 9, 35mm
(click on it to see it full)

evening stroll

Brasov, summer of 2010, a rainy and cold beautiful evening. As always I have the camera with me and I'm looking for things that can make a good picture. While I'm in my world with my thoughts Adi and my friends are entering into a small passage, strolling and talking. The light which comes from the other end of the passage reflects beautiful against the pavement drawing the silhouettes of them agains the background. I have all the time to set the camera, to focus, to press the shutter. 

f4, 1/100, 120mm

dusk leftovers

Late afternoon, almost evening! With Mihai, looking for the beautiful sunset evening light in Herestrau parc. Expecting worm dusk light but getting a pretty sharp one, with an undefined color sky. Not at all what we expected. We finally reach the Arcul de Triumf square, right after the sunset. A blue beautiful sky, the leftovers of the dusk  are contrasting with the yellow-orange street lights. The traffic goes on, unperturbed by the fight between the lights. No time to set my tripod. Shooting from my hand, hoping for the best, the blue light is fading fast.  This one has everything that want in it.

f 3,5, 1/10, 10mm

honesty

I found this picture few days ago while I was reorganizing my photo storage. I shoot this at a family event in early 2008, in Orastie. The honesty and the humbleness of the Holy Baptism was heart moving. The power of my words ends here...


f2,8 1/60 28mm

polo

Team building, perfect location, very hot day! Some of my coleagues enter into the pool. After cooling down somebody comes with the ideea to play a polo game. The teams are formed rules defined, and the game starts. After few minutes everybody got caught in the game like they were playing the game of their lives. Good angle, good light, watching the game through the lens, shooting from time to time. Alone with the goalkeeper the course of actions were easy to predict, not the result.

f4.5 1/4000 140mm

gazing through the window at the world outside

London. After a long day, late in the afternoon, in front of St Paul Cathedral we find a refuge. A simple Starbucks coffee shop. Two soft big armchairs, facing the window were like waiting for us. We were tired and sinking into the armchairs sipping a fresh juice and a hot chocolate 

For a while the time stood still for us. And we were:

Gazing through the window at the world outside

Wondering will Mother Earth survive

Hoping that mankind will stop abusing her sometime

After all there's only just the two of us

And here we are still fighting for our lives

Watching all of history repeat itself time after time

I'm just a dreamer, I dream my life away

I'm just a dreamer, who dreams of better days

 - Ozzy O

day after day

I knew that this picture will be the next in my blog since I pressed the shutter.

In Brasov, in Piata Sfatului, after a rainy day I was strolling with our friends. In one of the buildings around the place, I saw this old lady looking out on the window. She had this sad look look in her eyes that is saying everything about being old. The glass of the window was so uneven, you can tell that it is there for few tens of years...

I stared few seconds not knowing what to do. I was afraid to move, not to disturb her. I asked Marius to stand still, while I was preparing the camera behind him.

I clicked 3 times, in 45 seconds. This is the best one. The signs of time are all over this picture.

 
f4, 1/100, 200mm

Karol, a good friend!

Friday afternoon at the office. Karol, our coleague and friend for the last 3 years prepares to return to his country, Poland, in few weeks. He asks me to take a picture of him.

I take the camera with Tamron 28-75, the external blitz with almost depleted batteries. We search for a good place somewhere in the office. Sitting in the chair Karol could not find his place... At some point he raises the hand to reply to me for something and ... we frozed time!

I cannot tell you as much things about Karol as `this picture does...

It is so... Karol!

f2,8, 1/125, 75mm

in saint agnes

september 2006, we were visiting the Alpes-Maritimes. this little village, called Saint Agnes, realy beautiful. Up in the mountain, like a little stronghold has no place for cars. Alleys are narrow and curved, houses old with parched walls.

Adriana was few steps before me and leaning against a wall trying to see furhter ahead. The emotion from my heart helped me taking this picture.

why now? now it is the perfect time to share with you all this emotion!

f9, 1/100, 27mm

floral design

Adriana has a passion for flowers and floral design. From time to time she is creating floral arrangements like this one. It was evening, no sun, so I had to improvise a little with the light. The result is quite fresh...

f11, 1/8, 85mm - f22, 1/1, 175mm

small in a big world

small in a big world
 

this little fellow is my nephew! Even if he is not yet able to speak, you can definitely see what he is thinking from the look of his face.

We were in Brasov, last weekend (october 2009) and I was taking some pictures of him, on the street, while he was playing. I was lucky to catch this one while a group of young guys were passing by.

f5.6 , 1/125, 100mm

The plate is painted by Carmina&Peter Brancoveanu. I bought it from a handmade fair. The work, the colors are absolutely awesome, so I couldn’t resist in taking few pictures and sharing with you.

f9,1/3,65mm

I've seen that through a wire fence, inside a barn while I was looking back at the sun. I felt that I found something but I didn't realized right at that moment. I continued walking and thinking about this frame. Only when I was coming back I understand that I really must try this picture. I would call it:

"forgoten window"

f11,1/250,135mm

A small village close to Piatra Craiului. I was inspired by the window surrounded by very old but colorful wooden walls with the outer frame barely hanging. I took several shoots looking for the best frame.

f11, 1/200, 70mm

Still inside the Turnul Chindiei, after climbing carefully the spiraled stairs, I have reached one of the intermediary levels. I saw this window and I was totally amazed and fascinated by the geometry and the borders between inside and outside, light and shadows. Fortunately, the light was perfect so, I found a good spot a little bit up on the stairs, and I have let myself feel the right frame.





f8,1/125,22mm

It was my first time inside the Turnul Chindiei (Chindiei Tower). There was this stair, going up very steep, a dizzying two faces spiral. Very low, next to the door, keeping it open in order to get some light, I managed to catch in frame a part of the stair before become dizzy myself.

f3,5, 1/100, 10mm

The girl in the picture is Adina and I must thank her for this beautiful genuine moment which I was so lucky to catch. Thanks also to Mugur for helping me processing the picture.

f2,8,1/1600,66mm

Summer and very very warm. It was so warm that I could feel the moist of the grass evaporating. I was walking on the road, passing next to the villagers. Despite of the heat, they were very energic. We said hello, exchanged few words. When I arrived on the other side of the hill, I stopped to rest, to drink some water. I had a new lens and the view was great.

f5,6,1/1600, 75mm

Strained



I shot this some years ago, I was in my car driving on the streets of my home town. I stopped in the line at the traffic light, I turned my head and I saw this old men. It was not raining, he wasn't begging, he was just ... staying there. I had a point-and-shoot camera with me, I took the picture while the cars were honking me to get moving.
I'm wondering even now what was behind his eyes, behind his look. How was his life, what were his joys and sadness’s..... I guess I'll never know.
point-and-shoot

I was hiking on the mountains in Piatra Craiului, some time ago in the fall of 2006 with some friends. We saw the clouds coming over the ridge, and we rushed down, hoping that the rain will not catch us. While descending the clouds were growing menacingly, bigger and blacker killing slowly the sun, few rays were still escaping.

f10,1/200, 55mm

I shoot this picture in 2006 in Menton, France. This is a small town on the French Riviera very close to Italy. It was the begining of tha fall and it was so quiet and peaceful. I thought I could catch a little bit of the atmosphere of the old, provincial town from that day by shooting this scene.

f11, 1/320, 18mm