Tell me you’re a photographer without telling me you’re a photographer.
There are times when I see something that’s absolutely stunning. I’d like to “write” or “tell” about what I’m seeing, but on some occasions there’s a barrier. That picture wants to tell its own story. And I give it this freedom. I take a step back and let it carry me in the story it tells… Sometimes I am the witness that can “bring proof”, some other times I am the one who can’t. When I have the tool that allows me to bring the proof, one click is just what I need to capture a change of the lighting or of the subject, of the composition or of the perspective. I do capture the shape but I will never forget the perspective of the “flight”. The tool might capture the image, but “the music and the poetry” come from deep down within us. Therefore I extract something from a place so that I can talk with it and about it.
You started to take photos in 2008. How has your photography evolved in the meantime? And how do you perceive nature after these 15 years?
I have always “taken photos” with my eyes and my soul. Since forever. And I’ve known myself for quite some time 😁 Photography grew alongside me. Well, I hope not in this order 😁 I perceive nature the same way I did 15 years ago, with my own eyes! However, growing up I better understood that one has to work hard with the camera in their hand and that a photo means technique but also emotion, honesty, genuineness and a lot of involvement. For example, a nature photo that you like is, at the same time, a photo that shows how much nature loved you. What you look for will look for you. Go to any Poșta Română office, take a look at the postcards they sell there and you will probably find some technique (not much, though) but zero involvement or emotion.
Is photography your job or do you earn a living from something else?
Yes.😁
What is your favourite story featuring wildlife?
The lucky fox and the not-so-lucky hunter!
It was one sunny day in November. A fox was trying to hunt at the edge of a field. The silence was cut only by my busy shooter. And then I heard a car stop nearby. I noticed, in awe, how a guy in camouflage took a rifle through the window of his Dacia 1310 and aimed at the fox.
When I saw the fox was about to be shot, I honked my car, hoping I’ll make the fox run away untouched by the bullet. Then I stepped on the gas, stopped by the guy’s car (who had already hidden the gun) and asked him:
“Whenever you see a wild animal, you feel the urge to kill it? Why?”
“I only wanted to scare the fox away so that others don’t shoot it” was his flabbergasting answer.
How did you manage to get closer to the snakes? How close is safe enough?
Slowly. It took time. I now know how they react, I know when they are about to attack, when they are afraid and when they are tring to defend themselves. They might look intimidating in the photos, but you should know that all species endemic to Romania are afraid of humans and therefore avoid them. Even venomous species are apprehensive and would only attack if they feel threatened. Our brains, however, are conditioned to fear snakes or anything resembling their shape. It makes sense, of course, but I have overcome this fear or maybe I was never afraid in the first place. Anyway, I would never venture irresponsibly into their world just for the sake of a good shot.
What has the wildlife taught you so far?
It has taught me to tame the animal within. Long ago I had this revelation that there is more to learn from them than about them.
Have you ever felt there was emotion in the eyes of a snake?
Yes, I did, when they reflected my emotion.
What is the most frequently-asked question you get?
“What is your phone number?” 😁 Or “How did you get such a good shot of X species?”
What is your absolute best shot?
It’s impossible to tell, I can’t choose one.
Which animal do you dream of capturing on camera?
The lynx. No joke.
How do you look after nature?
First of all, nature looks after me. It has been a wonderful teacher and it has given me great “lessons”. It made me sit on a “stool” made of dried leaves and a stump and it gave me a silent lesson on the subject of what makes it happy and what it needs. It drove me crazy, but I could see a direction, a way. Nothing unknown to me, just a reminder. Since then I have always felt I have a responsibility and it’s how I can keep myself healthy so I can “look after it” in return; I respect its limits, I treat it with all due respect. Nature is not taken for granted anymore, it means a lot. I am not a careless consumer, but a conscious partner who is kind and also curious. I like the wild, the “untamed”, therefore I believe this “untamed” feature has to be the purpose, not the consequence.
And now, to wrap up, please fill the gaps:
If you were an animal, you would be a...
I am already busy trying to tame the animal within, so…
Your favourite quote is...
“What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly” – Lao Tzu.
“You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean, in a drop” – Rumi.
Your other hobbies are...
Cross-stitching. That is after I have learnt everything about crochetting. Collecting stories, not objects. Movies that teach me something.
Books that make me think. Going and returning to and from a walk with HER, Miss Nature. It’s nice to wander freely and “shoot” with or without a camera and like what you’ve captured.
I noticed that you listed Depeche Mode as one of your favourite bands (mine, too). One of their songs that could describe your photos is...?
It hasn’t been written yet.
