I was born in 1983 in the western Romanian city of Timisoara. In the eighth grade I started taking pictures with a film camera, developed in my mom’s bathroom. I don’t know if I had any talent or a special calling, but having a hobby gave me self-confidence and an optimistic attitude (for an introvert). However, I didn’t follow through with it right away, as I was still dreaming I could change the world.
I spent the next few years going back and forth between studying abroad and coming back home to work in journalism and public administration. Looking back introspectively, my choices don’t seem that random and it seems to me I was always drawn to the observer-reformer role (as someone who notices unfairness in society when very young can hardly stay indifferent to the urge to change things). Perhaps it’s the same thing that drives my passion for photography.
Fortunately, throughout these years, I kept my camera close. When I was studying in the US, I worked as a photographer and photo editor for the college newspaper. I then returned to Timisoara where I photographed football hooligans, street fights and small time local crooks. It was fun, but you can’t live with your parents and chase your dreams forever. Being a photojournalist in a one horse town was becoming an expensive hobby. In 2009 when I was in London studying for a postgrad in public administration, I had the chance to take photos at the G20 summit.
I came back home once again to find more and more of my friends getting married. Of course, I took my camera at their weddings, just for fun. But they were so pleased with my photos that they encouraged me to do this professionally. I started the business in 2012. For the next 3 years I also had a “day job” delivering training courses, recruiting other trainers and coordinating the IT systems for a language school. And during the weekends I photographed weddings. It was a time when we thought we wouldn’t make it, but we did. I began shooting more and more weddings, at first in Romania, then in Italy, France, England, Switzerland or Greece. I’m still grateful to all those who trusted me.
Now I collect vibes. I look for photo projects that enrich the soul and have the potential to make the viewer resonate with the images and subjects.