Anne’s question for this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge is “What’s your photographic groove?”. Well, that’s a question I’ve been asking myself quite a lot lately. And there’s a gap between the kind of photography that I’m currently doing (and feeling comfortable doing) and the kind of photography that would speak to me the most.
What I do right now is mostly landscape and street photography, with some touches of abstract. This is a legacy of how I got into photography:
as a way of capturing moments that stood out
of trying to make sense of my experiences outside the borders of the known and the familiar
of trying to tell the story of something that I couldn’t shake off, that would just stay with me
All this still makes sense, of course. But I’m not completely there anymore.
I want to work on long-term projects. I want to work directly with people. People that know about my project and agree to be part of it, not stolen snapshots on the street. I want to build on topics that speak to me, topics that I just know would keep me motivated. I don’t want to simply tell my stories. I want to be a witness and a voice for the stories of others and for our collective stories, those that hurt as well as those that heal.
I don’t know what genre/style of photography would best describe this approach and I don’t care too much. Some of the photographers I admire do documentary work. Some others do mostly portraits. Some others work with colors, layers, and textures across genres.
What I know is that I want to go beyond that self-centered approach to photography that is basically a reflection of that author’s dreams, wishes, interests, emotions, and ideas. I want to let the dreams and stories of others come to the surface in my work.
And it seems to me that our dreams and stories are interlinked like the roots of trees in a primary forest.
florinpopa.blog 
Florin, with your talent, you can do anything. You’ll find your path, just start a journey. If you reach a fork in the road or want to turn back it’s okay. The only requirement is to enjoy it. Good luck and take care.
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Thank you for the kind words, Anne! What a nice way to start the day :).
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Picking up on Anne’s wise words, personally I think you’ve started your journey already. Your tree photos are not just photos, they are inspirational. Just enjoy your ride.
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Thanks so much, Sofia! 🙂
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You did an amazing job at describing your vision. Personally, I don’t see you as a portrait photography. I see you walking through a city capturing people in their space and yet I know what you mean about stolen snapshots. Maybe missionary work. Wherever you land, your words need to travel as a part of your story. It is a gift, and… I loved the way you used the trees as an analogy for your vision too. Thumbs up! Donna
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Happy to have you visiting my blog, Donna! Thank you for the thoughtful comment!
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You are welcome.
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I love the hair shot. Different!
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I must agree with the others, Florin – you are on your way. Those trees captured my heart instantly…And you are so good with words as well. Keep going!
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I’m happy you liked those b/w photos, thanks a lot!
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Thank you for sending them!
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