imaginary game of hide and seek

Nikon D80 | 1/1000 seconds | f 5.3 | ISO 100 | 58 mm

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...hiding my thoughts behind an umbrella, in plain summer, it's what i do best.

damaged DNA

Nikon D80 | 1/80 seconds | f 4 | ISO 100 | 26 mm

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"A man's memory may almost become the art of continually varying and misrepresenting his past, according to his interest in the present."

George Santayana [1863 – 1952. philosopher, essayist, poet and novelist]

reed's riot

Nikon D80 | 1/10 seconds | f 3.5 | ISO 100 | 50 mm

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"There is no abstract art. You must always start with something. Afterward you can remove all traces of reality."

Pablo Picasso [25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973. spanish painter and sculptor. one of the most recognized figures in 20th-century art, he is best known for co-founding the Cubist movement and for the wide variety of styles embodied in his work]

almost barefoot

Laced moccasins are a common element of the Romanian traditional wardrobe, which is only natural if we think that we are a nation with profound rural reminiscence. Even nowadays one can find laced moccasin in remotes parts of the country used in every day labor. The moccasins are made manually, from pig, cattle or donkey leather. You can buy a pair with less than 10 euros. Wear it or just expose it as a local keepsake.

p.s. at first, i intended to make a post with the woman in the image. i wanted to tell you all about the short but intens interaction i had with her. i changed my mind, realizing that it will be too poor in comparison with the reality.

“When you find yourself beginning to feel a bond between yourself and the people you photograph, when you laugh and cry with their laughter and tears, you will know you are on the right track.”

Arthur Fellig - American Photographer

ethnographical networking

Nikon D80 | 1/40 seconds | f 3.5 | ISO 100 | 50 mm

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I began yesterday a series of pictures taken last Saturday at the Romanian Village Museum (Muzeul Satului). I’ve spent some great couple of hours there and I decided to post, separately, some of my favorites shots, with a short comment regarding some cultural Romanian habits.

But first, I thought it would be nice to gather for you a short description of the Village Museum. So enjoy reading and maybe, someday, visiting this fantastic place.

The Village Museum was a very nice idea of some Romanian sociologists, started in 1925 by Professor Dimitrie Gusti. The idea was to create a museum demonstrating the sociological structure of the Romanian village. During the time, more and more objects have been moved from their original place to Bucharest. You will have to remember that the ample works for hydro-amelioration in the northern part of Bucharest (the capital of Romania) began only in 1932, when Herastrau Park was being born. 4,5 hectares were allocated to the project. Gradually, the area was filled by houses and the Village Museum was inaugurated on May 10th 1936 together with the Herastrau Park.

The exhibition has a total of 322 constructions (47 dwellings, household dependencies, 3 wooden churches, 3 windmills, technical installations that use the force of the water etc.)

The best thing is that they are organized in Romania's ethnographical regions: Transylvania, Moldova, Dobrogea, etc. It really takes you on a tour of the country's rich tradition of folk architecture and art. Plus, it's a nice relaxing walk that makes you forget you are actually in a city, and the nice view of the lake in the neighboring Herastrau Park adds to the "summer holidays" feeling!

Entrance to the park is free, while entrance to the Village Museum costs 6 Lei (1.20 GBP) per adult and 3 Lei (0.60 GBP) per child/student.

For more information you can go here. You can find also more pictures, with larger perspectives, and reviews from real travelers.

I used the following sources of information:

http://www.muzeul-satului.ro/

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Romania/Municipiul_Bucuresti/Bucharest-520545/Things_To_Do-Bucharest-Village_Museum-BR-1.html

how to grow old with grace

Nikon D80 | 1/400 seconds | f 3.5 | ISO 100 | 50 mm
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seven reason why I like best old structures over new people:

*they don't invent stories to seem more interesting
*they know how to keep a secret
*they are proud about their age
*they know how to suffer in silence
*they know how to make you feel like home
*they have personality
*they aren't ashamed to see you naked all the time

brides parade

Nikon D80 | 1/640 seconds | f 5.6 | ISO 100 | 135 mm
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sunday. 17th may 2009. Bucharest. 11.00 a.m. and almost 30 degrees Celsius. first edition of Bride Parade. what's the catch? any women that has more than eighteen years old, married or with plans, or anyone that has a bride dress and wet dreams to become a wife, can participate to the march on one of the most famous bulevards - Calea Victoriei (that means something like the way of the victory. huh, what can i say.. a predestinated name). and from grace I will not make any coment about their dresses, afterall, tastes are subjective.

at first glance it seems to be more photographers than brides. to complete the mockery, lots and lots of police men and casual audience. not really my type of event, but still i've given it a shot. the outcome: 900 shots. it remained 360 after a harsh sorting. did I mentioned that I had zero expectation? and there I was with 360 shot quite nice.. how can one not make a post in this circumstances? So, I selected 40, processed 14, picked 7 and.. then crashed under the "to post or not to post"dilemma.

finally I decided to put this one. seem more elegant and in line with this place. the woman in the picture is Loredana Groza, a well known romanian singer. she lead the parade and she was a real lady.

if you are curiouse about her, you can have a taste here. you will hear her sing a famous traditional romanian song.

p.s who knows.. maybe I'll do a sequel about this event..

choosing the right mug for a good friend

Nikon D80 | 1/200 seconds | f 5.6 | ISO 320 | 80 mm
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today i "stumbled", at someone's recommendation, into a text called "life's little instructions". the author wasn't mentioned, but i enjoy it, although, i must confess, i do just about 40% of the things. i decided to sent it further to others, after adding to the list one of my own: "choosing the right mug for a good friend"

so there it goes..

"life's little instructions"
* sing in the shower
* treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated
* watch a sunrise at least once a year
* leave the toilet seat in the down position
* never refuse homemade brownies
* strive for excellence, not perfection
* plant a tree on your birthday
* learn three clean jokes
* return borrowed vehicles with the gas tank full
* compliment three people every day
* never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them
* leave everything a little better than you found it
* keep it simple
* think big thoughts but relish small pleasures
* become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know
* floss your teeth
* ask for a raise when you feel you’ve earned it
* be forgiving of yourself and others* say “thank you” a lot
* say please a lot
* avoid negative people
* buy whatever kids are selling on card tables in their front yards
* wear polished shoes
* remember other people’s birthday
* commit yourself to constant improvement
* carry jumper cables in your trunk
* have a firm handshake
* send lots of Valentine cards. Sign them “someone who thinks you’re terrific”
* look people in the eye
* be the first to say “hello”
* return all the things you barrow
* make new friends and cherish the old ones
* keep secrets
* sing in a choir
* plant flowers every spring
* always accept an outstretched hand
* stop blaming others
* take responsibility for every area of your life
* wave at kids on the buses
* be there when people need you
* don’t expect life to be fair
* never underestimate the power of love
* drink champagne for no reason at all
* don’t be afraid to say, “I made a mistake”
* don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know”
* compliment even small improvements
* keep your promises no matter what
* marry only for love
* rekindle old friendships
* count your blessings
* call your mother

the lemon tango

Nikon D80 | 1/4 seconds | f 3.8 | ISO 100 | 20 mm
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"The female nude – magical, erotic, aesthetic – has been modeled and painted since prehistory. Appearing rarely and awkwardly in the earliest art, she attained fulfillment and glory in ancient Greece. In their idealized treatment of the nude, The Greeks established a standard that only the asceticism of the Middle Ages ignored. The artists of the Renaissance and their successors of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries revived the nude, and by the 1930’s she was again a conventional form. It was inevitable that she should become a favorite subject of photography."
Peter Lacey [Introduction. History of the Nude in Photography by Peter Lacey and Anthony La Rotonda]

beyond appearances

Nikon D80 | 1/250 seconds | f o | ISO 100 | 0 mm [Lensbaby]
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"Photography deals exquisitely with appearances, but nothing is what it appears to be."
Duane Michals [american photographer. 1932 - present]

giving birth to rocks

Nikon D80 | 1/200 seconds | f 5.6 | ISO 100 | 48 mm
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“A pile of rocks ceases to be a rock when somebody contemplates it with the idea of a cathedral in mind.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery [french writer and aviator. 1900 - 1944]