As I wanted to create a magazine about culture and psychology, I thought that it's not enough and very representative to make photos only in Romania. Although, here, I have friends from different cultures, as I study at an international school, the experience itself wouldn't be the same and the connotation of the massage that I want to transmit wouldn't be that strong. So, in order to expend my vision, and to see the world as I wanted to, at a large scale, I organised a journey in 4 continents, and I gent involved in projects, to have the opportunity to experience the life and the culture in different countries. I traveled in 3 Continents: the first one was North America - where I was involved in the Honeywell Leadership Challenge Academy, then, I was in Australia- a very interesting culture, where the indigenous population: the Aboriginals, are trying hard to conservator the old traditions and to make the culture to last longer. The last destination was the most special and unique for me: South Africa. As I wanted to go in a exchange, I had many options, but I choose South Africa based on a simple term elaborated by Nelson Mandela : the Rainbow Nation. It's called like this because there, you can meet all the nations from all over the world. That's why I was really motivated to explore this country, so I wrote an application in order for the school from South Africa to accept me. That's how my school collaboration with St. Stithians college gave me the opportunity to explore in depth the African culture and experience a new life stile.
I traveled in those 3 Continents always with an extension of my body, my Nikon 5300 camera. Wherever I was going, I "attached" my extension. As I planned to go with my camera on the streets and to find interesting people from different nationalities, it hits me unexpected situations. The hole process with the models was more difficult then I expected, because I didn't had 2 or 3 settled models, therefore anyone from a park or in every place I was going could be my model. I had to be very attent and shrewd because in every place are interesting and different peoples, and I couldn't miss them. The hardest part was the interaction with them: as I sow a proper model, I was going around them to explain and to tell them about my media project and if they are willing to appear in my magazine it will be very helpful. They had to give their consent in order to take them some photos, and then to public them in my magazine. I was aware that not all of them will accept it, as I was a foreigner for them and a lot of people don't fell comfortable in the front of a camera, and I had to be prepared also for refusals ( and not only the friendly ones).
At the beginning I was afraid to go and ask them, but as I took more photos and asked more people I get used to it and also I started to like it, of course, nobody likes to be refused, but I had to learn how to be refused and how to cope with it and, still remain very polite and diplomatic with the models.
AFRICAN PHOTO-SHOTS
As Africa was the last destination, where I staid one month, I started to be more experienced in how to approached different people and I become more opened to refuses, therefore, here, I took significantly more pictures then in the others destinations. Also, here I was involved in a lot of events, where my colleges and teachers from St. Stithians school asked me to take them photos in the time of the event.
~Celebrating women photo-shot
One event where I was planning one of the photo-shots was The celebrating of women .
Here I wasn't expected that the girls from the event ( at the event were only girls) to be so excited by taking photos of them, at the end of the event a lot of them stayed in a row and wait to take photos of them . I wasn't plane a lot this photo-shooting because I didn't know what to expect from the people from this event. Of course all my photo-shots depended and were influenced at the first impact by the peoples around me and how opened were them. My aim for this photo session was to capture them in a more natural setting where they come as their are in their real life and I think I reach my scope successfully.
After the event was done, a lot of girls asked me to send them the photos, and moreover, the organizer of the event asked me if i can upload the photos on their site, thing which I was really excited to do it.
~School photo-shoot: - the Rainbow nation-
One of the last days spent in Africa at St. Stithians College, I planned to do a photo-shoot at school because there were students from all the nationalities, but especially Africans, on which I direction my focus on. I also wanted to transmit the idea of Rainbow nation and to surprise a lot of cultures in the same building.
In order to plan this photo-shoot I had to ask the headmaster of the school and the Round Square director if they give me the permission to do it. They told me that they have to think a bit about it, but they accepted with a smile on their faces. After that, I also had to ask the students of which I wanted to take photos of. I focused more on portraits in order to capture their face expressions and feasters in order to transmit each ones uniqueness.
Below you can see a few representative photos:
I also asked a student to take me some pictures with girls from different cultures in order to be more visually present and integrate myself in my project.
As you see this photo connotes connection and communion, although we are all from different places and cultures we become good friends and we find out that we have a lot of things in common, but we are still unique in our manner of being:
Included in this theme of the Rainbow nation, I also did a photo-shoot with the teachers. I asked them first, and I was surprised that all of them accepted and were opened to my project idea:
~ "On the streets" photo-shoot:
It was the most elaborate and difficult photo-shoot to plan and to do it. I planned to visit different places and to allocate time to make photos to people around an hour in each place. Of course, I couldn't follow this plan very strict because I was observing different cultures everywhere, for example, I was in a Uber and I was going to visit the Maropeng Museum and, outside, I sow a lady which was selling traditional souvenir and she was looking so interesting and she was in communion with the background, so I tel the Uber driver to stop and to turn the car in order to make a photo to that lady:
Also, traveling and visiting I meet a lot of wonderful people in their usual routine, making their usual and traditional preoccupations:
~ Volunteer Photo-shot
I asked the Round Square director to let me know when I can go in a volunteer activity and she told me that I can go in a day to take care of children at a school from a poor region, and this was the great opportunity to plan a photo-shoot. I asked her if I can do a photo-shoot with the kids and she agreed with it. I also told to the teacher's kids about my project and she was very opened to let me organizing a photo-shoot. It was the most unique experience that I lived in Africa . All of the kids were very excited that I have a real camera and they were all very happy to see themselves in photos. They were very nervous and hectic and at a point, I almost break my camera because all of them wanted to be in the photos and they pulled my camera. I had to be very patient with them.
AUSTRALIAN PHOTO-SHOOTS
~ " On the streets photo-shoots"
Here, I did a lot of photos on the streets and different places, such as cafeterias or festivals .
I had to be very shrewd to don't miss a chance of a great photo and I also had to be fast because people come and live. In Australia I was refuse a lot of times, and at the beginning, I felt bad and sad, but then, I realized that it's their own choice and I have to respect this and to move forward in order to rich my objectives.
I was planning to stay in a park a hole day to make only photos and to find a model who it will be willing to stay longer for a photo-shoot and to tell me more about the Aboriginals culture. First I wrote a text and I learned it to know exactly what to tell to the models and how to cope with difficult situations. It last very long till I found a lady how was willing and able to help me, because others were in a hurry. My model name was Marney, she become a mother 2 years ago and
she was 35. Marney was born in Australia, and also their both parents were original from Australia. She accepted to be my model for one hour and to tell me more about the original culture.
I still keep the relationship with Marney and she is excited to see her on my blog.
~AMERICAN PHOTO-SHOOTS
Being my first destination, I didn't manage to follow my plan as I wanted to . I was fearful and anxious about asking peoples and get in contact with them. Although I planned to do 2 photo-shoots here, one in a cafeteria and another one in a museum, i did manage to do only one, at the cafeteria. However, after this trip, I leaned to stand out and to I gain courage and perseverance for the trips in Australia and Africa, where I managed to complete my objectives.
~ROMANIAN PHOTO-SHOOTS
Those was my last photo-shoots and they were closing the process of planning and making photos for this project.
Here I planned 2 photo-shoots:
1. Brazilian photo-shoot
I planned this photo-shoot by choosing a Brazilian girl, which lives in Romania at the moment. Her name is Kanzi Edna and she is my dance teacher: she teach us Afro-american dance. I asked her to be my model and she was very happy about it. I planned the photo-shoot to happen in 2 hours, at the dance club . I told to Kanzi to be as natural as she can and to dance meanwhile I take photos to her.
2. Albino photo-shoot
In my hometown : Timisoara, I used to see on the streets sometimes a very special and beautiful girl, she is an albino. I didn't know her, but from the moment I saw her, I had a plan in my mind. So, I find asked a lot of people that I know if they knew her, and finally a friend of mine put me in contact with her. I explain her my project and that I want to emphasize her uniqueness and she agreed to be my model. I planned 3 hours for this photo-shoot. I was focusing manly on her eyes because that was what I was needed for my double spread for my magazine.
Her name is Cristina and she is 17 years old, and she love the way she looks like, although, in some situations it's hard for her to be that different and special. For example, she can't stayed with her eyes very opened and it was hard for her to stay with her eyes opened that much, for this photo-shoot. However, she succeed and I also helped and support her.
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