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Camelia Popescu
Hajime Kimura
Ozana Murean
Dorin Bofan
&
Aura Popa
7 | Editorial
8 | Events
BUCHAREST PHOTO WEEK 2014
Sebastio Salgado:
Genesis exhibited in New York
SONY WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY
AWARDS 2015 now opened
12 | Photo Books
AFRICA
ASHES & SNOW: THE FILM - DVD
From Uncertain to Blue
Winterly Haiku
18 | Portfolio
Hajime Kimura
PROJECT PI
DOMINATRIX
62 | Advice 4all
Photographing Solar Eclipses
70 | Photo populis
82 | Project4all
96 | Journey = Photography
Isle of Skye
110 | Street Core Photography
114 | PhoneCam Project
118 | Guy Tal on photography
Senior Editor: Cristina int
(cristina.tinta@foto4all.ro)
Editors: Cristian Bassa, Andrei Baciu,
Emilian Chiril, Dorin Bofan
Contributors: Bence Makkai, Guy Tal,
Michail Moscholios
Translators: Irina Dinescu
Graphic concept: studio seven (www.studioseven.ro)
DTP: Ilie Popa (ilie.popa@gmail.com)
Cover photo: Hajime Kimura
Marketing: Cristina int
Online editor: Ionu Dorneanu
Legal owner: S.C. SALES EXPRESS NETWORK S.R.L.,
VAT no. 28241939
Suporters: ANZI SOFT SRL, Andrei Zincenco
The authors of each article shall be liable for the
content they provide. Any copyright infringement,
whether it is total or partial, shall be punished
according to the applicable law. The property of
each image and article published by our magazine
belongs to the authors and to FOTO4all.ro.
e-mail: publish@foto4all.ro
FOTO4ALL.ro 20122014
Summary
38-39 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
foto4all.ro 7 foto4all.ro 7
There are times when nothing goes quite the way
youve planned. There are times when the more
you force things, the greater the damage or the
disappointment. Or both.
There are times when, for me, writing this editorial
is one of the hardest things to do. Different ideas
come to mind but nothing sticks on the piece of
paper or on the screen of the laptop. And then, in
the end, something happens. Like a short talk with
a good friend, about writing, about photography and
about giving time and space for things to unravel.
Photography was not made to be rushed. It is a state
of mind and, most of all, a state of being, a state
fltered by our soul. If you force things, you will end
your projects but the feeling you share/send wont
be the same. Let everything fall into place just how
it should, on its own. In any type of photography, I
believe the magic really begins when you stay put
and give yourself enough time to gain insight and
understanding. And to be authentic, as well as to
trust your instincts.
Our personal growth can fuel our photography and
our photography can fuel our personal growth,
Brooks Jensen once said. So give yourself room to
grow, dont rush. Wait for things, wait for your true
shots. Be patient. Observe things. And re-learn to
enjoy your moments.
Like one late August day, when what might have
been the last summer rain was pouring down from
the sky and people started to rush, and even run.
Why run? The rain feels so alive. But we forget more
and more to enjoy the small things, the true things.
In our lives and in photography as well.
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Cristina int
Editor-in-Chief
The devil is not
in all the details...
foto4all.ro 8 foto4all.ro 9 foto4all.ro 8 foto4all.ro 9
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Events Events
BUCHAREST PHOTO WEEK 2014
The First International Photography Festival in Bucharest
September brought to the photography passionate people in Bucharest their
frst festival.
Romania has two other well known
photography festivals, VSLO-Vama
sub Lumini de Oscar and Photo
Romania, but neither of them have
been held in the capital.
Organized between the 5th and 14th
of September, by the FILOS Group,
Bucharest Photo Week in numbers
meant: 16 exhibitions, 15 workshops
and portfolio presentations, 2
photography contests and also a
documentary flm projection and a
concert in the last day of the event.
An important part of the festival
was the project called Fotografa
n focus Ediia I, Limbajul non-
verbal n fotografie, organized
with the support of ARCUB and the
City Hall. The project focused on
the importance of the non-vebal
language, the gestures, the mimicry
and how all these apply to portrait
photography.
Also, Poland was the special guest
country for this edition of the
festival, represented by artists like
Jacek Konieczny, Michal Solarski and
Marcin Sobas.
Other special guests: Fred Fogherty
(France), Natala Ciobanu (Republique
of Moldavia), Marie Laigneau (USA).
Besides portraiture, photographic
genres like landscape, conceptual
or nude photography were also
represented.
Another special event was the
exhibition of images from the Costic
Acsinte Collection. The collection
disappeared from public view after
Acsintes death in 1984, until Cezar
Popescu discovered it was sitting
in a back room of Ialomita County
Museum exposed to the elements
and convinced the museum to let him
preserve and digitalize the plates.
The images are a portrait of
the Romanian people through
a tumultuous century, featuring
images of children playing in the
snow, men drinking together, families
at work, as well as weddings, lavish
funerals, market scenes, and dances,
offering a glimpse of the Romanian
life during a period when the nation
was closed off from the world.
The festival received good feedback
and it seems that everybody is
looking forward for the second
edition, the autumn to come.
Events Events
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INTERNATIONAL
The competitions are, as it follows:
The Professional Competition
- for serious photographers.
The Open Competition
- for amateurs and enthusiasts.
The Student Focus Competition
- for those studying photography.
The Youth Award
- for anyone aged 19 and under.
Sony World Photography Awards is
widely recognised as the leading global
photographic awards programme in
existence today.
Launched in 2008, the awards are
dedicated to supporting and cultivating
photographic culture. Through a
range of annual competitions, we hope
to discover new talent in the world
of photography and moving image.
Whether you are just starting out or
a fully-fedged professional you can
enter whichever competition you
believe suit your level and experience.
The annual awards gala and ceremony
takes place in London, welcoming an
international attendance of industry
leaders to celebrate the recognition of
the best in contemporary photography
and each year also pays tribute to one
of our masters with the Outstanding
Contribution to Photography Award.
Supporting the celebration, is a
month-long exhibition of the winners
and fnalists, comprising of hundreds
of photographs expertly curated
inside the historic London landmark,
Somerset House.
You can get all the information you
need here: www.worldphoto.org
Sebastio Salgado:
Genesis exhibited in New York
The International Center of Photography (ICP) is proud to be the frst venue in the U.S. to
present the momentous exhibition Genesis, a project by world renowned photographer
Sebastio Salgado. On view from September 19, 2014, through January 11, 2015, the
exhibition, curated and designed by Llia Wanick
SONY WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY
AWARDS 2015 now opened
Opened to photographers of all ages and skill levels, the Awards have welcomed
over 700,000 entries from more than 230 countries since theirlaunch.
Salgado, is the result of a multi-year
survey and draws together more than 200
spectacular black-and-white photographs
of wildlife, landscapes, seascapes, and
indigenous peoplesraising public
awareness about the pressing issues of
environmental and climate change.
Genesis is a quest for the world as it
was, as it was formed, as it evolved, as it
existed for millennia before modern life
accelerated and began distancing us from
the very essence of our being, said Llia
Wanick Salgado. It is testimony that our
planet still harbors vast and remote regions
where nature reigns in silent and pristine
majesty.
Salgados quest to capture nature in its
original state began in 2004. During his
travels across the globe, he documented
arctic and desert landscapes, tropical
rainforests, marine and other wildlife,
and communities still living according
to ancestral traditions. The exhibition is
divided into five geographical regions:
Sanctuaries, Planet South, Africa, Amazonia
and Pantanal, and Northern Spaces.
Together, the images form a stunning
mosaic of nature in unspoiled grandeur.
Through these photographs, Salgado pays
homage to a fragile planet he believes we
must all protect.
Genesis, Salgados third long-term series, can
be viewed as a response to its predecessors
Workers(1993) and Migrations (2000),
which explored displaced populations and
the relentless working conditions endured
by men and women around the world. In
Genesis, Salgado has chosen to focus on
the pristine beauty of the earth and those
living in harmony with it. ICP exhibited both
of Salgados previous long-term projects,
along with several smaller shows, and is
pleased to again bring the work of this
infuential photographer to New York.
Photo book Photo book
AFRICA
SEBASTIO SALGADO
ASHES & SNOW: THE FILM - DVD
An homage to Africas people
and wildlife
Sebastio Salgado began
his career as a professional
photographer in Paris in
1973 and subsequently
worked with the photo
agencies Sygma, Gamma, and
Magnum Photos. In 1994 he
and his wife Llia created
Amazonas Images, an agency
that handles exclusively his
work. Salgados photographic
projects have been featured
in many exhibitions as well
as books, including Other
Americas (1986), Sahel:
lhomme en dtresse (1986),
Workers (1993), Terra (1997),
Migrations (2000), and The
Children (2000).
Although he has photographed
around the globe, his work
most heavily concentrates on
Africa, where he has shot more
than 40 reportage works over
a period of 30 years. From
the Dinka tribes in Sudan
and the Himba in Namibia
to gorillas and volcanoes in
the lakes region to displaced
peoples throughout the
continent, Salgado shows us
all facets of African life today.
He knows exactly how to grab
the essence of a moment and
his images artfully teach us
the disastrous effects of war,
poverty, disease, and hostile
climatic conditions. This
stunning book brings together
Salgados photos in three
parts: the frst concentrates
on the southern part of the
Produced and starring Gregory Colbert (among
others) Ashes and Snow: The Film is a full
compilation DVD encompassing the cinematic
journeys of Gregory Colbert, and shows the
various segments of the Exhibition, like
Elephants, Monkeys, Whales, etc. The running
time of the show is 60 minutes, and is divided
into Chapters depicting cinematic scenes of
Colberts journeys. The DVD is produced as
UNIVERSAL/Region restriction free, so it will
play on all DVD players. The Film is In stock
and available for immediate shipping, and
makes a TERRIFIC GIFT for those who fnd
Colberts work memorizing. In exploring the
shared language and poetic sensibilities of all
animals, I am working towards rediscovering
the common ground that once existed
when people lived in harmony with animals.
The images depict a world that is without
beginning or end, here or there, past or present.
-Gregory Colbert, Creator of Ashes and Snow.
continent (Mozambique, Malawi,
Angola, Zimbabwe, South Africa,
Namibia), the second on the Great
Lakes region (Congo, Rwanda,
Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania,
Kenya), and the third on the
Sub-Saharan region (Burkina
Faso, Mali, Sudan, Somalia,
Chad, Mauritania, Senegal,
Ethiopia). Texts are provided by
renowned Mozambique novelist
Mia Couto, who describes how
todays Africa refects the effects
of colonization as well as the
consequences of economic,
social, and environmental crises.
Photo book Photo book
Keith Carter is known to be an international art
photographer and professor at Lamar University. He
was born in a small town in Wisconsin. He became
interested in photography at age 21, when he saw
one of his mothers portraits which inspired him.
(his mother was a child portrait photographer). He
started off photographing anything from people to
animals, objects or landscapes. The wide majority
of his images are in black and white. He also plays
a lot with natural light, blurring many backgrounds
and foregrounds, focusing strictly on his main
subjects. His images are all about connecting with
the viewer and bringing up memories to which one
may relate at different levels.
Book description:
(credits: amazon.com)
In the beginning, there was no real plan, just a
road trip that became a journey. In the years 1986
and 1987, Keith Carter and his wife, Patricia, visited
one hundred small Texas towns with intriguing
names like Diddy Waw Diddy, Elysian Fields, and
Poetry. He says, I tried to make my working method
simple and practical: one town, one photograph. I
would take several rolls of flm but select only one
image to represent that dot on my now-tattered
map. The titles of the photographs are the actual
names of the small towns. . . . Carter created a body
of work that evoked the essence of small-town life
for many people, including renowned playwright
and fellow Texan, Horton Foote. In 1988, Carter
published his one town/one picture collection
in From Uncertain to Blue, a landmark book that
won acclaim both nationally and internationally
for the artistry, timelessness, and universal appeal
of its images--and established Carter as one of
Americas most promising fne art photographers.
Now a quarter century after the books publication,
From Uncertain to Blue has been completely re-
envisioned and includes a new essay in which
Carter describes how the search for photographic
subjects in small towns gradually evolved into
his frst signifcant work as an artist. He also
offers additional insight into his creative process
by including some of his original contact sheets.
And Patricia Carter gives her own perspective on
their journey in her amplifed notes about many
of the places they visited as they discovered the
world of possibilities from Uncertain to Blue.
From Uncertain to Blue
KEITH CARTER
Winterly Haiku
BY ANDREI BACIU
A photographic essay remembering us that
sometimes it is wiser to just listen, observe,
watch things around us and be grateful. A
photographic essay on that fruitful quietness
we all need, at least from time to time, in
order to stay connected to this world, to our
true selves, to God. A tribute to simplicity
and silence. You will love the book, even if
it is available here (http://editura.liternet.
ro/carte/307/Andrei-Baciu/Hibernal-haiku.
html) only in Romanian. You dont need the
words. Just watch the images and enjoy the
silence. . .
FREE E-book!
Portfolio Portfolio Portfolio
Hajime Kimura
-an interview by Cristian Bassa
Hajime Kimura is a Japanese photographer born in
1982. He was raised in Chiba prefecture just outside
Tokyo. Having studied architecture and anthropology
at University, he began his career in 2006.
As main awards, he was selected Kyushu Sangyo
university prize, Fukuoka(2012), World press photo
Joop swart masterclass, Amsterdam(2012), the
special prize of Konica photo-premio, Tokyo(2013),
Vattenfall photo award, Berlin(2013) and Arte
laguna prize, Venice(2014).
His frst long-term project KODAMA focused on
Japanese ancient tribe in Nigata prefecture for 5
years was published in 2012 got the 1st prize of IPA
Photobook Asia award 2013 in Singapore. His on-
going dummy books Changjiang was shortlisted
at Unseen book award 2013 andscrap book won
the 3rd prize at Kassel photo book dummy award
2014. Moreover, he has also worked with a number
of magazines including TIME, The New York Times,
Le Monde magazine, Newsweek, The Boston globe
and Esquire.
C.B.: How did you start and why? What made you choose
photography as another way to express yourself?
H.K.: When I was in university, I majored architecture.
In the last grade, I have investigated a Japanese
village in the rural area for my graduation thesis.
During the stay there I found a book about an
ancient tribe living in mounting area of north Japan.
The book looked like oId but their photographs in
it taken only a decade ago. I was just surprised and
I have thought their existence to visit to see them
indeed.
After a year I got decided to be their village to
photograph which was to be my frst ling term
project, MATAGI.
C.B.: What drives you in your projects? What is the
motivation? How do you choose your projects?
H.K.: To choose subject, most of all come from
my background and daily life. Even I can get a
photogenic subject, I cant attach it unless I dont
have a sort of sympathy to connect the subject.
C.B.: Do you get inspiration from music, paintings,
movies or literature? If so can you mention a few of
your favorites?
H.K.: Yes, I do. Some of my favourite authors are Wang
Bing (movie), Jacob Laurence (painter), Philippe
Weisbecker (illustrator) etc. .
C.B.: After looking at your photos even the most non-
technical photographers are wondering a little about
the gear you use and the type of editing. Is it flm? Is it
dodge and burn? Printing technique?
H.K.: Basically i use flm, but the printing process is
through both in dark room and digital.
Portfolio
C.B.: Between 2007 and 2011 youve spent quite a few
years living with a tribe, the MATAGI, producing a 56-
page photobook called KODAMA. Can you please tell
us more about this interesting subject?
H.K.: This book, you can see a sort of sacred images
without their living in-feel. But as you might know,
most of part of them are actually ordinary life we
do. Through the edit I only choose the image which
I can feel the ancient part of the life.
C.B.: Your recent photobook was a success - awards and
features from important organizations and publications.
Congratulations on that! Tell us about some photobooks
you bought and liked? How do you feel about the
decreasing number of printed photos versus the
increasing number of uploaded photos everywhere? Is
printing important to you?
H.K.: In my life there are couple of books I have. First
of all Id like to introduce a book Soul and Soul by
Kiyoshi Suzuki who is Japanese photographer, also
unknown well till recent time. This book is about of
his memories or fragments through his lifetime. The
looks of the book is like handmade the publisher
tried to re-create his dummy book which is great
one. Secondly I can say its amazing book which is
Rasen Kaigan by Rieko Shiga. This book is packed
her strong color work about a special convention
in a small community, which locates by a coast in
Tohoku region struck by Tsunami on 3.11. The last
one is Peter Beard by Peter Beard. This book is
separating in the two parts of the stories, the one
is like photo collage in social issues especially to
the genocide of African elephant. The other is his
daily, which has a lot of his painting and his photo
collage as well. This book is my very 1st book I have
had infuence for my images.
Portfolio
Regarding printed images and website images, Im
thinking its depends of what photographer want to
do. I mean there are many choices since internet
stuffs has spread. For me more important is printing
work than web by now, but I also need web to pitch
myself, I guess. So I hope I could keep my balance
between both of them in my future as long as print
equipments can be available.
C.B.: The project called Tracksis a favorite of mine with
stunning aesthetics combined with powerful emotions
alongside an elegance rarely seen in photography these
days. What was the public reaction to this project? Is
feedback important to you regarding your work? To
whom do you turn for an opinion about your work?
H.K.: In my career as photographer this story is a
kind of the challenging work, because I made it more
artsy looks. So the reaction from some documentary
departments, it seemed they were not keen on it as
documentary work. So from now on I have to think
to make my work more sophisticate as documentary
work keeping with its artsy looks.
C.B.: There are some exceptional photos and master
photographers coming from Japan. Do you have someone
close to your heart that inspired you somehow? What
contemporary photographers from Japan you admire?
H.K.: As you let me now, in recent Japanese
photographer is getting famous even more than
before due to everybody can know easy through
internet. Before getting to photographer I have
respected the photographer Peter Beard as I said
previously. His attitude which is mixing by paint,
drawing, collage and photo is so close to me, also his
story contents is great. I think its hard to describe,
but I can remember the frst time that I saw his book
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The end of the game I was so shocked and moved.
Regarding contemporary photographer, I admire
Rieko Shiga. Her soulful and emotional storytelling
is stunning for me. Most of color works in Japan are
a kind of quiet. I like them, but her works are more
touching for me.
C.B.: Your photo stories are full of emotion so you must
have had experienced some interesting moments. Can
you share one that happened while shooting for one
of this series?
H.K.: Thanks. One story I have experienced there
was that I couldnt attend the birth of horse baby
because horse is originally sensitive and elevate its
vigilance when the time of childbirth comes. When
I took a nap at mid night only for 20 minutes, the
baby has come already.
I told the farmer about it and he answered that if I
wake up all over the night the baby wont come till
you disappear.
C.B.: What is your current project that you can share
with us?
H.K.:Now Im shooting a story about a kind of
wrestlers, who have something handicapped.
Originally I have been a fan of handicapped
wrestling getting known in Tokyo in these few years.
The beginning that I could do this project was when a
old man I have shoot suffering physical handicapped
died. The old guy didnt have any family so I needed
to clean his room up after his decease. and then I
found a book about handicapped wrestler. Since then
I have watched the game and getting into what was
totally different from normal one.
Portfolio Portfolio
C..: How did the idea came about to you and Aura? Was
it an older dream, the desire to test your strength, or?
D.B.: It came from wanting to know ourselves better
and to inspire people using their muscles on a daily
basis. Nowadays, were dependant on technology
and a high standard of comfort. What that basically
means is that we kind of stop living in the real world.
Humans are built to move more than anything and
thats what we wanted to do. Besides, physical effort
makes you happy.
After I quit my job, I told myself I need an adventure,
something Ive been craving all my life, to go in a
place in my mind where I no longer feel safe. Aura
quickly agreed and that was it. Although the whole
thing was pretty safe, it was one of the most intense
life experiences weve ever had. We didnt want to
prove anything to nobody, not even ourselves. Just
to have fun and learn a thing or two along the way.
Weve never been together for so long, so you can
imagine the biggest challenge for me was coming
out clean after the everyday disputes over the
meanigless stuff. She still loves me.
C..: About 1500km pedaling around, between August
5th and September 16th. How hard was it?
D.B.: It wasnt that hard actually, because something
really cool happened. Our minds and bodies started to
adapt to a completely new life style. And thats because
we had no other way but to keep pedaling, because all
the happiness involved made us more determined to
go forward. After each physical threshold, like facing
the strong winds or the big climbs, our minds gained
more experience and our bodies became stronger. We
both had pains in the knees and muscles in the frst
two weeks, but at the end, we felt much stronger.
PROJECT PI
By Dorin Bofan And Aura Popa
-an interview with Dorin Bofan by Cristina int
A project about 2 brave people, who are curious about the
world around them and reaching their own limits, who believe
that the human spirit is capable of great achievements and
proof that themselves.
In Africa they have a saying, If you want to go fast, go alone.
If you want to go far, go together. It goes for Iceland too. . .
Portfolio
C..: Your biggest fear during the trip?
D.B.: I knew my biggest responsibilty was taking care
of Aura. Still, she managed to fall twice. So those
were the moments when I got really scared. Also,
she left home with a serious cold, that she managed
to beat only in the second week of pedaling. I was
a bit worried, but the clean air and being optimistic
about it cured it in the end.
C..: Your biggest accomplishment?
D.B.: We came back in good health and we had
tons of fun. Were not really interested in numbers
or beating records. Not even the images were an
objective. I shot how I felt at the moment, without
thinking too much. At some point I told myself
that I might have a story and continued on that
line. Besides, if you like nature and happen to be in
Iceland, its tough to go wrong.
C..: I suppose there are plenty of interesting and
worthy to mention memories, but tell us a happening
you will never forget, something that you lived during
this trip and will stick with you forever.
D.B.: There were many moments when we felt really
tired. Powerful wind and steep hills can do that to
you. And sometimes, when that happened, I didnt
enjoy it anymore. But to my surprise, Aura was still
laughing. You wont fnd a bigger inspiration than
someone laughing about the whole thing.
One evening, in the East Fjords, we decided to
continue pedaling. Night came, but we pedaled
further. The road was on a thin stretch of land
between a steep mountain and the ocean. Looking
at the endless waters on the left you could see
faint light at the horizon. I knew then this journey is
something special to us.
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C..: How would you describe Iceland from the
photographic point of view? What about the ecological
and geographical variety?
D.B.: Nature is raw and unforgiving here. Being
close to a glacier, you can actually feel the force of
the planet. Same goes for the volcanoes, although
we didnt manage to fy over erupting Bardarbunga
this time. So its great for making images. But also
over photographed. Every one seems to go there for
the drama. But theres also quietness, intimacy, even
a kind of shyness of the landscapes. We might have
missed that in our images, but we surely felt it.
The land is somewhat barren, but you can fnd a lot
of moss and small plants. There are trees of course,
but nothing compared to what we have back home.
Unique features like the Hverfjall Crater, Jkulsrln
or Landmannalaugar are something to experience
for sure. I could go on and on about it, but its better
to go and see it for yourself.
C..: We know something about a partnership with
WWF-Romania. Did you manage to work for that
research as well? Tell us more about it.
D.B.: It wasnt exactly a research. They have a
project called Climate Witness and we decided to
do something in that direction. Basically, we met
Icelanders along our journey and talked to them
about changes they observed in the climate, due
to the global warming thats taking place right
now. Aura recorded their observations, while I took
their portraits. We found out many interesting and
alarming things and it also was the best ice-breaker
into knowing the people of Iceland better.
Due to an increase in temperatures, new species of
animals are slowly, but surely, populating the area.
Like the mackerel, for example, which now feeds off
the coasts of Iceland. And they are eating the food
of other species. The puffns are one of them and in
the last years, the puffn population in Iceland has
Portfolio
decreased from 10 million to 7 million. Icelanders
want to harvest the mackerel thats feeding in their
waters, but the EU doesnt allow that, saying its
their fsh. As you can see, the climate change is a
complicated issue and the people of the north are
among the frst, along with the ones hit by stronger
than ever hurricanes, to be affected by this.
C..: What about sponsorship and partners for this
adventure? Did they embrace the idea right away or
its been pretty hard to convince them?
D.B.: We were so lucky to get help with the
fnance. We bought the tickets somewhere at the
beginning of the year, not knowing from where
were going to get the rest of the money. Im a
nature photographer, so you can imagine the
kind of luxurious cars I drive. Sell one of them
and were ready to go, right? Im kidding, I only
own a bike, a camera and a backpack. We decided
to make a sponsorship proposal and send it to
some people we already knew. And the reaction
left us speechless. We got calls saying they liked
the project and they already approved a certain
amount as sponsorship. So that was surprising for
us. And then there were friends and people just
like us who wanted to help. A big thank you to all
of them. It all worked out in the end.
C..: Do you think your trip inspired other people as
well to follow their dreams and to fnd answers for their
own questions?
D.B.: I hope so. But I dont expect anyone giving up
their car for a bike or anything like that. We had
people ask us details about this kind of trip and
looking at them, Im pretty sure theyre going to
embark in something thats worth watching.
Portfolio
You know, this was actually a purpose of what we
did. But in the end, adventures are selfsh, there no
denying in that. So, to compensate for that, Im trying
to help anyone with advice, to give all the
information we gathered and encourage people to
hit the road as soon as possible. Other things can be
done, of course, but my mind needs a break from it
all at the moment.
C..: Which was the hardest battle you fought with
yourself?
D.B.: Not losing my temper when Aura did stupid
things. I know this was a great battle for her too
when I took dumb decisions, like pedaling over a
mountain pass in horrible weather, when we could
rest that day.
C..: Did Iceland changed you in some way?
D.B.: I might be a calmer person. There was a rush
inside of me that settled down after biking one
month and a half. But the spark for venturing into this
amazing planet is now bigger than ever. All in all, we
got to know each other better, to agree more with
one another, to get along without talking too much
about it. There were many times when, for no apparent
reason, we didnt talk for hours. And it was comforting
for both. More than changing us, this trip allowed us
to fnd out about ourselves things we simply couldnt
have realized other way. We thought we knew a lot,
but reaching certain limits proves you wrong.
C..: Some advice for people who dream about this kind
of adventures?
D.B.: If youre in good health, a bike trip is not
the hardest thing in the world. As with any new
experience, there are a lot of fears and doubts. This
is the number one reason why many people dont do
it. But once you go past that, it becomes a journey of
self discovery like no other.
Portfolio
DOMINATRIX
The photographic journey from an idea to an exhibition
By Camelia Popescu
I was running. I was running for a long time, ever since I was entrusted with
this already aging body and being told: become a man! What that means - I was
not told. I looked around me to understand and I have seen all of them running,
from or towards something: hurried, occupied, important, scared, terrifed, and
useless. Then I started myself to run, to become a man. Until I catched a glimpse
of my grotesque and shallow refection.
Now I dont run anymore.
Portfolio
This is not a story about technique, composition,
chromatics or all kind of photographic rules. This is a
story about prejudice and lack of, about thinking outside
the box, about patience, perseverance, communication,
friendship, trust, involvement, courage, about working,
dreaming and working some more.
Dominatrix story started with a single photography
a man, a place, an image which was already in my
mind. Almost without noticing it slowly evolved into
a concept. I dont even know when, it might have been
the third or fourth photography, I realized this is a
message that I needed to express and that it would
require a lot of work. I started to research, trying to
fnd the best ways to translate my mind and soul into
images. Theres no photography class or tutorial on
how to do exactly that, how to walk the path from one
photography to an essay and eventually an exhibition.
To move along with this project I had to frst renounce
my prejudice. The Dominatrix concept was, as I soon
realized, too unusual to be easily understood and
accepted. Nude male photography tends to be driven
by fashion and glamour, presenting racourci images
of strong, well shaped male bodies. The Dominatrix
photographs are nothing like that: the models are
presented vulnerable, disoriented, trapped, crushed by
walls and threatened by dark spaces. While not denying
the mans strength, they underline his weaknesses. In
opposition there are two female models presented in
strong, dominating postures, challenging the dogma
on how man-female relationship is conventionally
portrayed and giving the name of the entire exhibition.
The project lasted two years and developed step-
by-step, overcoming all sort of obstacles: limited
experience, constant questioning of my own abilities,
prejudice of those to whom I turned for help and lack
of resources. It was not easy but it was a very fulflling
experience. I was lucky enough to have around me a
few who understood my manifesto, who trusted and
supported me in this.
My male models are all extraordinary beautiful
human beings. Im not talking now about physical
features, in this aspect they are all ordinary man
with all kind of imperfections, but about their self
confdence, their ability to unveil their sensitivity and
their strength to undress in front of a camera.
I learned a lot during this project. I first had to
overcome my own personal prejudices, like how to ask
a colleague, a man with whom I have a professional
relationship, to get naked in front of me and pose on
a vulnerable position in a dangerous surrounding. I
worked with many people, of all sorts and I think this
experience helped us to grow together and discover
ourselves. For ten of the fourteen models, this was
their frst opportunity to pose for nude photography.
The process itself was often more important than the
result. While it is fattering to have a few dozen of your
photographs exposed on a wall, everything leading to
this point is the real gain of such an endeavor.
I found ten very stimulating locations in Bucharest, full
of potential but totally deserted: dismantled factories,
demolished hospitals, decayed historical monuments
and an abandoned movie studio. I chose such locations
to underline the photographic concept and to enhance
the overall visual impact. I went shooting at those
locations being constantly afraid of an attack, keeping
the gear close to me and the pepper spray even
closer. I photographed at -5 and 35 degrees, with the
models soaking wet, climbing, crawling and hanging
in unusual and uncomfortable sets. It was physically
challenging for me also, as after each session I was
completely drained of energy, yet happy. I have put my
soul into each photography, but in the end Dominatrix
exhibits not just a little bit of me, but also a little bit
of the modes and of you, the viewer.
It took me a year to capture the images, but then I
had to select and process them, manipulating shades
and contrasts so that the chromatics would underline
the concept. Yet the work hasnt end here, as an
exhibition is a new stage, in many aspects different
to the photographic work. An exhibition must support
a story and theres more to it than just images. An
exhibition is read from left to right, it has a rhythm of
stronger and more relaxing points. How can I tell the
story and maximize its impact on the viewer? How
can I integrate the exhibition space into the story?
Portfolio
Does a musical background help? Those are all
questions that I had to answer each time I exposed
the Dominatrix series - at Cluj-Napoca in an industrial
hall, at Bucharest in an art gallery and at Timisoara in
a coffee house. I had to learn to be fexible, to keep the
concept unaltered while adapting to different spaces
and surroundings. I also had to learn to overcome
all obstacles - failed prints, organizational slips,
insuffcient promotion and malicious comments. But
from all the things I learned during this project, I value
mostly the ability to embrace and enjoy everything
that happens. As a friend of mine said - youll only have
the frst exhibition once, this will never happen again.
I dont think you need years of experience behind
you in order to fulfll such a project, what you need
is an idea, the courage to make it real and the ability
to motivate people to participate to your vision. And
you need to be willing to push your own boundaries,
to constantly try to express the images from the back
of your mind into photographic images and to blend
them in a coherent and meaningful story.
This is not how I imagined it would be. I imagined I
would caress the grass, I would chase the seas and
I would upset the skies with my greatness. I dont
even remember how I got here. I might have thought
it would be just a halt, maybe I was astray, maybe
I didnt pay attention or maybe I was looking for
shelter when the skies upset me with their greatness.
When I fnally realized that all that grows around me
is a pile of shattered dreams, I felt the emptiness
growing inside me and I started trembling.
You can see the entire project on the website
www.cameliapopescu.ro
Advice 4all Advice 4all
Photographing Solar Eclipses
There are few those who watch
an eclipse without trying to
photograph it. But it takes more
than just the camera to do that.
And tripods, cable releases,
lenses etc are only the beginning.
Still cameras
The best choice for most eclipse photographs are
of course the SLRs and the DSLRs, as you will need
a camera that is manually adjustable, that is, one in
which both aperture and shutter speed can be set
by the photographer.
Lenses
Many websi tes, bl ogs or even books on
astrophotography might tell you that because of their
small size in the sky, the Sun and the Moon are hard
to photograph without a long focal-length lens. That
is not quite so. All lenses are capable of capturing
Needed equipment
Alex Conu
Alex Conu
Advice 4all
unique aspects of an eclipse, but you should know
what and when to use, depending on the fnal result
that you want to obtain.
The right choice of lens depends on what facet of an
eclipse interests you. Lets take a short look at them.
Wide Angle(20 to 40mm) and
Fish-Eye (less than 20mm)
Those lenses offer the possibility for capturing
wonderfully artistic shots, showing both the eclipsed
Sun as well as the earthly scenes, such as monuments
or buildings, cityscapes, the ocean, a distant horizon
etc. (Bare in mind that in the partial solar eclipse
case, you will need to use a sun flter to reduce the
light to a safe, manageable level.)
Wide-angle lenses are also ideal for taking a
sequence shot that records the entire event on one
frame of flm. By taking an image once every 5 or
10 minutes, the Sun will appear to form a chain
of images across the frame. Then, photograph the
cityscape or the horizon along the bottom of the
frame and you will obtain a more than great eclipse
image. It helps owning a camera designed to take
multiple exposures, otherwise you can only get it by
making a collage.
Normal Lenses (45 to 50mm)
These lenses usually come standard with the cameras
but are more limited because of their narrow feld
of view. With a 50mm lens you have to be more
careful when planning the shot. However, they are
ideal for example for photographing the image of a
Alex Conu
Ctlin Beldea
Advice 4all Advice 4all
partial solar eclipse projected onto something (paper,
screen etc.). Also, dont forget to look under nearby
trees when an eclipse takes place, as the leaves and
branches will act as some sort of a pinhole camera,
projecting tiny suns onto the ground.
Telephoto Lens (100 to 1000mm)
This might be the most popular way of photographing
an eclipse. Moderate telephoto lens are great for
taking single exposures that record the progress of
an eclipse, while longer telephotos will successfully
help you to capture the Suns middle and outer
corona, the Baileys Beads or the diamond-ring effect.
Also, long telephoto lenses are likely the shortest
focal lengths capable of recording surface details
such as sunspots.
What about telescopes?, you will say. Well, a telescope
is also great in photographing eclipses, especially
if you are shooting at the inner corona, the solar
prominences or the chromosphere . In any of the
cases, do not forget about solar flters!
When using a telescope, the mount is also critical.
Preferably, one should use an equatorial mount.
Another important aspect, that we only mentioned
in the beginning, is the use of cable releases. This
aspect is very important as every time you depress
the shutter release button, you chance moving
the camera and blurring the photograph. That is
why, especially for long focal-length shots or long
exposure, it is strongly recommended to use a cable
release.
In order to determine the right exposure, you can either
test it yourself, before the eclipse, or use a shutter
speed calculator or the exposure charts available
almost everywhere on the web. If your camera has
a built-in meter you can measure on the Suns disk
through your solar filter and use that exposure
throughout the partial phases. However, you will have
to pay more attention when it comes to exposing for
totality. The brightness of the solar corona changes
while you move out from the edge of the Suns disk.
The outer corona will be over a hundred times fainter
than the inner corona and this variation of brightness
is impossible to catch in any one exposure, as the flm
or sensors just dont have the dynamic range of the
human eye.
Also, pay a great deal of attention to capturing the
diamond ring, which is perhaps the most spectacular
part of a total solar eclipse. You will need dexterity,
speed, being zen and some amount of luck. You will
have to remove the protective flter just before the very
beginning of totality-too soon, and the Sun will food
the cameras sensitive interior, too late and you will
miss the show. In what concerns post-processing, you
might for sure want to adjust the image later, but that
is another story which maybe well deal with in another
issue of the magazine.
However, keep in mind that no matter how you choose
to photograph an eclipse, never forsake seeing it, as
not even the greatest photographic equipment can
capture the emotion, the wonder and the magic of an
eclipse. Moreover, your eyes are still the best optical
instruments. Take advantage of that!
foto4all.ro 68
Advice 4all
Cristina int
Cristina int
foto4all.ro 70 foto4all.ro 71 foto4all.ro 71
Photo populis
in ours
We are publishing your photos. We are eager to
publish what you photograph. If you want to see your
own photos inside our magazine, you can either send
them to this section or to Under the magnifying
glass column. One other way of having your images
published is to participate in the thematic photo
contest or challenge we put up every month.The idea
is simple: keep sending your photographs to us at
publish@foto4all.ro.
Every month we will select and publish 5 images in
color and 5 in black and white.
The photographs you send should
meet the following specifcations:
JPEG fle, 1600px on their long side,
150 dpi, no frame attached. They
can be in color, black and white,
edited or not, its up to you. Please
send them without watermark.
1
Together with your images (not
more than 3) please add to the
email: your name, your age, some
details about the camera you are
using and a few words or a title
for your photographs.
2
There is no special theme. We are
looking for photographs that tell
stories.
Only your talent counts.
3
publish shoot
in your world
My portraits are more about me than they
are about the people I photograph.
(Richard Avedon)
Goodtoknow
Photo populis
Black & White
Photography is an art of observation. It has little to do with the
things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.
(Elliott Erwitt)
Ctlin Blan
Ana Maria Marinescu
Photo populis Photo populis
Black & White
A portrait is not made in the camera but on either side of it.
(Edward Steichen)
Ovi D. Pop
Diana Chiriac
Photo populis
Color
A good photographer must love life more
than he does photography.
(Joel Strasser)
A true photograph need not be explained, nor can it be contained in words.
(Ansel Adams)
Ctlin Blan
Ctlin Blan
Y
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Send yor work at:
publish@foto4all.ro
Photo populis Photo populis
The eye should learn to listen before it looks.
(Robert Frank)
Color
Adela Rusu
Radu Ptracu
Project4all
Mare Vento
by Ozana Murean
My darling, your obsession for the sea exists. You
have it since you were little. I can remember the frst
time when I took you to the sea and you saw that
immensity of water. I dont know what was going on
in that little head of yours, but it was like you saw
God standing there with you. You were breathless.
You were frozen. -said Ozanas mother
By exploring the concept of landscape in a nostalgic
and more silent way, Ozana tries to capture the charm
of the marine nature, its unseen side, and also wants
to mentally involve the viewer.
Apparently, the majority of her work is of a more
spontaneous touch, but it is carefully planned
and realized, waiting for the perfect moment of
light, action and landscape. With an approach that
strives for a subtle minimalism, she investigates
the landscapes dynamic, the human expressiveness
in correlation with the landscape. She also tries to
study the dance between light and shadow, being
fascinated by the way they manage to intertwine.
Generally, she avoids excessive editing, looking for a
more faithful presentation of the reality, looking for
an elegant contrast between the elements that get
to compose the photograph.
I threw myself at you. . . and took you in my arms
asking myself if I am. . . to you, your Sea.
Ozana Murean
Journey = Photography Journey = Photography
Isle of Skye
Photographs and text: Carmen and Drago Ioneanu
While landscape, at least in the traditional way, is not
one of the most common subjects in our work, we have
always been attracted by the the amazing locations
that our mother nature put together in places like
Iceland, Scotland, Norway or New Zealand (and many
others) and by the well crafted photographies that
depict those beautiful subjects. This year we pulled
the trigger and decided to dive into exploring one of
the most charming islands in the world: Isle of Skye.
The beautiful Isle of Skye is the largest and most
northerly island in the Inner Hebrides. And a heaven
for the landscape photographers due to its dramatic
mountain scenery, rocky coasts, charming lakes and
moody misty days. It is quite easy to get there while
you are in Scotland. We went by bus from Inverness
in a 3.5 hours journey (a bus trip between Inverness
and Portree costs 24 pounds), having arrived to the
gate of the Highlands the previous day from Glasgow.
The frst part of the journey was rather boring along
the shores of the famous Loch Ness, but after the road
left the lake and continued through the mountains
the view became much more entertaining. On the way
back, we decided to take train from Kyle of Localsh,
an alternative a bit more comfortable and maybe a
bit faster, as we had to end the day in Edinburgh.
During our 6 nights in Skye, we stayed in a very basic
bed and breakfast. Nothing fancy, just a roof on top
of our head, a shower after a tiring day and a full
Scottish breakfast with lots of fried eggs and bacon.
There are plenty of such B&Bs in Portree and in other
places of the island. Skye can offer both the feeling
of a touristic place, with crowds of people doing the
regular stuff like boat trips, enjoying the good fsh
in the restaurants and buying souvenirs, but can also
offer a very isolated break in the middle of nature
for the ones who prefer a more quite vacation; you
can fnd accommodations secluded from the rest of
inhabited touristic areas. Its just a question of choice.
Since we do not have a driving license, we opted for
the most known city of the island and obviously the
most crowded one: Portree.
Portree is the major settlement on Skye with a bit
more than 2000 inhabitants. From here, there are
bus services running to most parts of the island
(Trotternish peninsula being pretty well covered),
however the timing of the buses is not the best. They
dont run early in the morning or late in the evening.
So if you are willing, to capture the morning and
evening light in great locations, you have to either
rent a car or use the services of a local photographer
that provides photo guidance; the service involves
driving you to various spots at the right time
Journey = Photography
for sunrise or sunset for a quite decent fee. The frst
impression about the island, looking at maps, was
that it is rather small. We were even thinking to walk
quite a lot in areas not covered by bus. But it is not
like this. Its length of about 60 miles and the presence
of Cuillin mountains and so many lakes, make even
the car journeys quite long, most times over one hour
from one side to the other of the island.
The landmarks of Skye are Old Man of Storr, probably
the most photographed rock pillar on Skye and
Quiraing, a spectacular series of pinnacles that offer
many photographic choices. For an experienced
mountaineer, the Cuillin mountains can be a very
rewarding challenge. The Black Cuillins, made of
basalt and gabbro, feature twelve Munros (tops
with height over 3,000 ft - 914.4 m) and are the
most demanding mountain hikes in Scotland. The
main ridge of the Black Cuillin is one of the most
sought-after and entertaining prizes in the world of
mountaineers, stretching 10 km from Garsbhein to
Sgurr nan Gillean.
The most photogenic lighthouse is located at Neist
point and it can be a special location for a colourful
sunrise. Elgol, a small and nice fsherman village is
considered by the locals as the best place to leave
on the earth. From here you can take a boat trip to
Loch Coruisk, an inland fresh-water lake, lying at the
foot of the Black Cuillin .If you go to Elgol by public
transportation, I would recommend being very careful
about the bus schedule as it can be a bit misleading
in regards to the last service back to Broadford. Loch
Coruisk is so beautiful and can be even more charming
if the day is not a harsh sunny one as we got. Blue-
green water, mountains in the background, a perfect
location to spend couple of hours.
We have also visited the Dunvengan castle which
was a bit disappointing experience: quite boring
interior and gardens; we didnt have too much time
to absorb the historical facts as we visited it in hurry.
A much nicer castle is Eilean Donan , one hour away
from Portree, next to the small village of Dornie. But
both castles can be extremely rewarding for a history
passionate that wants to fnd as much information as
possible about MacLeods and MacDonalds and the
other clans that were dominating this part of Scotland
and fghting so many times for every piece of the land.
The wildlife boat trips are plenty, but they can be hit or
miss in terms of seeing the animals that are marketed;
with a bit of luck you can get close to a sea eagle
or a whale. We were not that lucky unfortunately, so
we spent two hours scanning the horizon through
binoculars in a beautiful sunny day with an experience
skipper telling stories about Skye and Scotland.
Now talking about negative parts, the most annoying
bit were the midges, who are almost everywhere in
the nature; they can be quite a nuisance with their
itchy bites which helped them to win the surname
wings with teeth. Taking a spray against them from
the pharmacy or outdoor store is a very good idea;
also some antiallergic pills can help if you are the
kind of person very sensitive to insect bites.
Overall our Skye trip was a good blend of active holiday
with hiking and photography, a bit of relaxation and
nice culinary treats at the harbour restaurants. As Skye
is a like a Mecca for photographers, we understood
why so many people are coming back to photograph
the beautiful island, and we promised ourselves to
return there, maybe in the winter or early spring time,
to get a different look.
Street Core Photography Street Core Photography
CURATED on Street Core Photography
Summer 2014 Selection
EVALUATION: Some painters would have never
been able to freeze a dogs path in order to paint it.
Some others would have taken away the odd objects
in order to have a clean scene.
The author of this surrealist portrait was thrilled and
grateful for this very presence of unrelated objects.
Try to decompose this picture by subtracting one by
one the intrusive elements. You will see that each
subtraction is reducing the power and the symbolism
of the image.
And there are so many contradictions treated here
through the magical transposition of photography.
The grass which may not be green and not even a
grass. The garbage backyard of a cinematographic
studio or the atrium of an eccentric human being?
The despair of an old lady or the decency of a lost
existence?
A photograph! So easy and simple to create it by just
a click of the shutter, but so diffcult to perceive it
through the inner vision of each artist.
The moment we are leaving the frame, this fragment
of the world as cut by the artist, we have not the
slightest clue of what kind of reasons led him to
recognise the value of a couch, a trolley and some
fipchart stands. We are only glad that the intrigue
continues ad infnitum.
EVALUATION: Mist and rain. The recipe for tension
and suspense. Add some human shapes and a few
endless lines and you might just have created a
perfect marketable kitsch of forced and obvious fear
with no sublimation. But if you have that spark of
insanity and fnd the right balance of elements then
you can create a true painting using the camera as a
paintbrush. And the author did it beautifully.
Two human shapes - a child and a woman - joined
hand by hand but at the same time separated by
the white line. This builds the very symbolism of
this picture: a walk to an unseen place, guidance of
someone with life experience and a white line cut
from time to time by black thin lines - like a walk
through an initiation process, done in rhythmic steps
with the comfort of protection.
The rain drops on the lens - help build the tension of
a frst-person experience, like being a witness to this
event, being focused on those two while the rest of
the background loses its importance. All that matters
are those holding hands, every next step taken and
every black thin line left behind. What will be the
end of this walk? It just keeps going on and on like a
perpetuum mobile, building more and more tension.
Rafael Ianos Chilun Leung
Street Core Photography Street Core Photography
CURATED on Street Core Photography
Winter 2015 Selection
EVALUATION: Waiting. An action that sometimes we
enjoy or other times we hate. It might be painful or
it might be full of happiness. But no matter if we like
waiting or not, it always comes to an end and always
lead to a result.
This woman is waiting. There is no doubt about that.
But waiting for WHAT? For what is coming or for what
is gone? For the future that is moving towards her or for
the past to go further. She seems so calm by the look of
her hands, dark nail-polish revealing a sadness at that
time, but that hair running over her face sends another
message, that she is not asleep. Trapped in the middle,
between light (the white chair) and the darkness (the
black chair) she chooses to look for the best in a calm
manner, standing still as if nothing could change the
inevitable, not even the wind blowing through her hair.
The symbolism of the human loneliness, the surrealism
of the void and the emptiness where the chairs and the
waiting room are lying on, they all go hand by hand with
the abstraction. The waiting room is isolated from its
real nature as a functional part of an urban reality, the
human being is isolated from its quality as a traveller
and becomes a distressful subject in observation. The
photographer is obsessively visiting and revisiting people
found in an introspection (forced by the emptiness of
the waiting time). The whole setup with no background
to distract, a woman not too young but not so old, the
foor pictured by few lines and the chairs giving so much
meaning through their colors, makes me wonder what
Chris Milla felt in those seconds.
Maybe he felt the same calm on the outside,standing still
not to draw attention with an obsessive desire to push
the shutter or maybe none of those. One thing though
is clear: he found himself in the same situation as his
subject -WAITING. Waiting for this moment to happen.

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Octavian Cucolea
EVALUATION: Cars are such a drag in modern art
photography . . . they are everywhere, they are so
bright and coloured (in addition nowadays we have
to obscure their license plates). Try to avoid them
when framing your image and you will see that they
push you up to the skies. All city life is behind, in
front of, or on them.
It is unavoidable that at some moment we had (will
have) to use them creatively. They offer volumes,
refection surfaces, some of them interesting emblems
(horses, thunders, lions, tigers . . . name the beast).
In the present picture they are used as an entry point
and as a stage for the story to take place. A very
original theatrical use where the curved obscure
volumes open up to reveal a bright life scene. The
thunder offers the spark for the intensity to continue
with the energetic posture of the girl.
Indeed, the rest of it, is a summer scene on the beach,
but the superposing of the forms is very singular. An
umbrella in the form of a gigantic bird, odd wooden
structures over the vacationers and an impressive
negative space with a bright sky deprived of any
information. Or is it a huge white veil? Unlike color
pictures where a blue area at the upper part of a
frame is defnitely a sky, in B&W the white part can
be anything. Imagine the possibilities for varying the
impact and the intent of an image.
Finally, wherever our reading of the present image has
lead us, we always come back to the elegant female
portrait. Which even in its secondary placement it
has so many contradictions and it rises so many
questions. Is she nude? Aware of the menacing bird?
Hitting the ball which could be the moon? Is she
coming from 1.000.000 BC?
Car photography at its best!
Street Core Photography
EVALUATION: 3d Best Picture in the Core Photography
workshop (VSLO2014 http://en.vslo.ro/portfolio-view/
core-photography/)
This is a puzzle like the ones with geometric sequences
when you need to fnd the next shape.The human fgure
repeats (upside down) the geometric pattern of the
curtains. And suddenly they all become cloned human
bodies (SciFi has much to do with our vision, for the
best or the worst).
The author intuitively fgured out the position that the
model should take in order to complete an otherwise
graphical image, and give the touch of mystery and
ambiguity needed to stop in front of a photograph.
Geometry is the key in this picture. All elements can be
reduced in simple geometric shapes. We wouldnt be
surprised if the author has been doing drawings as well.
All kinds of lines are represented (curves, diagonals,
jagged, crossing) and used both as form and as content.
A very good picture to start an essay with (because the
approach should be gradual and the subject revisited
from all angles and in all possible settings). We cannot
fail to mention that capturing the departure of the
model from the scene (stepping down from the window,
walking behind the tissue drop), or just a glimpse of
the human presence would have reinforced the doubt
and the impact of the image. Street photography is the
humanity and the absence of it.
We have in the meantime found out that the author has
been through a very unpleasant experience during the
photographic activity. Sacrifce is one of the virtues in
art, and she deserves all our respect.
Cristina Bazar
PhoneCam Project PhoneCam Project
The PhoneCam Project Group is a community that believes that art is
not expensive technology and expensive technology is not art.
Visual arts, and most of all Photography is not about the gear you buy,
its about the image you see and the message you send.
Although the intrinsic message needs no tools to be understood, if you
want to draw, you need at least a pencil and a sheet of paper. Its the
same with Photography. You need at least a camera. Any kind of camera.
Techniques and technology, especially in photography is often mixed up
with arts, and this is why art photography lost in value in digital era.
The most common confusion is: expensive gear = great art.
The PhoneCam Project aims to eliminate this distorted perception about
photograpyh, with a very challenging and very large scaled project: we
can create art even with a 2mpx phone camera.
If you are into arts, if you have a message to share and if you think that the
tool is not an impediment in creating images and messages, feel free to post
here (http://www.facebook.com/groups/ThePhoneCamProject/) your works.
We have only two limitations: phone cameras only and no Instagram, please.
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PhoneCam Project PhoneCam Project
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foto4all.ro 118 foto4all.ro 119 foto4all.ro 119
Guy Tal on photography
It is with some trepidation that I confess to feeling
a little pinch inside each time someone responds to
one of my images with the question where is this?
Its a valid and understandable reaction, one I also
experienced at times in my salad days, before coming
to the recognition that there are far greater rewards to
appreciating photographs independent of what they
are pictures-of. As some readers may know, I urge
fellow artists to transcend the simple mechanics of
making images of things, and instead strive to make
images about things (what I refer to in other places as
a concept something originating from the mind of
the artist, rather than qualities inherent in the subject).
As a general statement, my images, at least of the
past decade or so, are not about any particular place.
The great majority of them were made in (sometimes
anonymous) places not very far from my home places
that have become personally meaningful to me not
only because of what they are, but becauseof the
sensations and emotions they inspire in me as a result
of having known them for so many years.
In a friendly argument about the subject, a fellow
photographer suggested that people may want to
know the identity of places for various reasons. He
speculated that some may simply want to copy my
image in order to impress their own audiences (an
attitude I fnd somewhat disrespectful), but others, he
said, may want to experience these places as I have. I
think that this may be the crux of a greater issue, since
I believe that the personal experience I aim to convey
in my images cannot be had simply by visiting the
same places. For starters, very often these are places
I discover on my own wanderings, and my experience
of them is derived of, and greatly amplifed by, the fact
that I did not know about them in advance. In other
cases, my experience at the time of making an image
has more to do with a my state of mind at the time,
and with the familiarity (dare I say even friendship) I
developed with these places that evolved over many
years and many visits, and that a casual visitor is not
likely to feel.
The importance of understanding the artists intent
Such Things Could Be
had been the subject of much debate in the so-
called art world for far longer than Ive been alive.
Certainly all artists have such intents when making
their work, though many, especially of the Modernist
school, place no importance on whether their intent is
communicated to their audience. Some prefer to leave
it up to the viewer to determine their own impression,
while others (me included) hope to convey something
of the motivation and context for the work through its
visual elements. Moreover, I also believe that visual
elements alone cannot accomplish the richness and
depth of understanding that are possible when the
viewer also knows something about the artist, whether
from their own writing or other personal testimony, or
from biographical information
offered by those who knew them
or researched their legacy.
Novelist and Nobel laureate
Isaac Bashevis Singer mused,
Every creator pai nf ul l y
experiences the chasm between
his inner vision and its ultimate
expression. With writers of such caliber one must
assume a very deliberate choice of words, and Singers
characterization here, to me, suggests exasperation,
although I do wonder if his frustration lies with a
failure on the side of the creator or the consumer of
the work. I must say that at times I experience both,
sometimes simultaneously. How can I not assume
some responsibility for someone not getting my
work? And, just as importantly, should I care? For
better or worse, I do.
Formalism a school of thought in art suggests
that a work should be self-contained and judged
strictly by its visual qualities. In other words, anything
of value about the work should be derived directly
from it, and no knowledge of the artists motivation,
intention, or any other context should be needed in
order to appreciate it. This approach, to put it mildly,
seems alien to me. So much of the joy and fascination
I derive from art is directly linked with my knowledge
of the biography and philosophy of the artist who
created it. Ill go as far as to say that I am far more
interested in sharing something of the artists own
About the Author
Guy Tal is a published author and photographic artist. He
resides in a remote part of Utah, in a high desert region
known as the Colorado Plateau a place that inspired
him deeply for much of his life and that continues to
feature in his images and writing. In his photographic
work, Guy seeks to articulate a reverence for the wild.
He writes about, and teaches, the values of living a
creative life and fnding fulfllment through ones art.
www.guytal.com
life and inner refections through their work than in
conjuring up my own interpretations for it.
It is my wish, perhaps a naive one, that photographic
art some day will be appreciated with the same
mindset as other art forms; that impressions of
such work will primarily be determined by ones
emotional and aesthetic response first, and the
literal subject matter second or none at all; and that
such impressions will ensue not out of admiration
for objective qualities inherent in the things
photographed, but from the sense of kinship, joy and
surprise inspired by imagining that (to borrow from
Dorothea Lang) such things could be.
Like it or not, when hearing from
viewers about their impressions
of a certain image of mine, I can
usually tell whether they also
read my writings and know who
I am, and that such knowledge
factors into their appreciation
of my images. I believe that
those who do gain signifcantly more from viewing
my photographic work than those who do not.
`my experience at the time of making an image has
more to do with a my state of mind at the time, and
with the familiarity (dare I say even friendship) I
developed with these places that evolved over many
years and many visits, and that a casual visitor is not
likely to feel`
The good photograph is not the object,
the consequences of the photograph
are the objects. So that no one would
say, how did you do it, where did you
fnd it, but they would say that such
things could be. Dorothea Lange

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