FOTOGRAFIE | ep. 1 - Print versus digital: tu ce alegi?

De ce ne fotografiem? Cand facem asta? Pentru a pastra un moment, o emotie, o persoana, o amintire. Pentru a opri timpul in loc. In momente-cheie colective (botez, nunta, etc) sau individuale (selfie-uri, poze de vacanta, poze cu cei pe care ii iubim sau cu lucruri care ne sunt dragi).

FOTOGRAFIA ESTE EMOTIE

Fotografia exprima emotie. Ne "facem poze" atunci cand vrem sa tinem minte, sa ne amintim acea emotie, acea stare de spirit. Si aici exemplele sunt aproape infinite:

• ne-am facut o noua tunsoare si vrem sa o aratam,
• ne place un fel de mancare spectaculos seara,
• iesim in oras si vrem sa stie si altii unde suntem si ce facem,
• avem cel mai frumos copil din lume si trebuie sa facem acest lucru cunoscut,
• o vacanta frumoasa,
• un apus colorat
• si asa mai departe.

Mai nimeni nu face poze la inmormantari (doar cei din Anglia, in epoca victoriana, dar de morti numai de bine!). Noi, cei vii, preferam momentele fericite si in care ne simtim impliniti, incantati. In epoca in care traim, fotografia a devenit ceva de rutina, ceva executat rapid, stocat in memoria telefonului (eventual postat) si apoi repede uitat la urmatoarea intamplare demna de imortalizare. Totul pe repede inainte.

Pozam tot si nimic. Multe cadre cu acelasi lucru din unghiuri diferite. Franturi de viata derulate cu o viteza fabuloasa.

"Hei, am auzit ca la botezul fetitei tale a fost foarte frumos! Pacat ca n-am putut sa vin. Cum a aratat totul?"

"Intra la mine pe Facebook si vezi ca am facut un album cu pozele de la botez."

"Trimite-mi link-ul, te rog".

Si aici se termina comunicarea reala. Cel curios se va uita la cateva imagini, poate chiar la toate daca are rabdarea suficienta sa click-uiasca prin zeci de poze, va da doua-trei like-uri si viata va merge mai departe. Totul e mediat in ziua de azi. Cateva click-uri si ai vazut botezul micutei. Dar povestea o stii? Intamplarile hazlii si emotionante care i-au determinat pe cei prezenti sa spuna ca "a fost foarte frumos!"? Fotografiile fara interactiune, fara poveste, sunt goale de continut. Pot fi niste imagini foarte frumoase, dar cel mai bine sunt traite, povestite, atinse si indragite.

DE CE SA ALEGI FOTOGRAFII PRINTATE?

Adu-ti aminte cand rasfoiai albumul cu poze de familie si aflai de la mama, bunica sau altii, cine e fotografiat, cate ceva despre fiecare persoana si despre cum era pe-atunci. Acesta e farmecul fotografiei de familie. Cand eram mica, ma uitam la poze cu mine bebelus si ma emotionam. Radeam de cum aratam in cristelnita sau in bratele bunicii. Toti avem fotografii tiparite pe care le iubim. Sunt mult mai de pret decat cele digitale. Calitate versus cantitate.

De acord ca digitalul este mai putin degradabil, dar stiu ca ai prin casa macar 2-3 fotografii tiparite. Cel mai sigur ai ales cateva imagini preferate din folderele care zac in memoria device-urilor tale. Motivul e simplu: acele imagini sunt tangibile, sunt mai aproape de tine, le poti vedea oricand, mai repede decat ar dura sa deschizi laptop-ul, sa cauti un anumit folder, sa derulezi printre "n" imagini si sa iti gasesti preferata. O imagine printata ofera contact instant. Stii unde e si o poti vedea ori de cate ori vrei.

Eu, spre exemplu. Acum doi ani am petrecut Revelionul la Praid cu mai multi prieteni. Bineinteles ca din 3-4 aparate foto a iesit un... munte de poze. Cate au contat cu adevarat pentru mine? Doar trei.

Celelalte erau si ele frumoase, imi aduceau aminte de momentele petrecute. Dar cu adevarat importante au fost doar trei. Din care am tiparit doar una. Mai am rabdare sa rasfoiesc prin acel folder in ziua de azi? Nu. Si nici tu n-ai avea in locul meu.

CE SA FACI MAI DEPARTE?

Ca si consumator de fotografie, pun accent pe calitate, emotie si poveste. Ca si fotograf, vreau sa te ajut sa ai cele mai frumoase imagini, pline de emotie, tangibile cu poveste.

Da-mi un mail la shapes.photodesign @ gmail.com  sau completeaza informatiile din formularul de Contact si hai sa punem in scena momente frumoase din viata ta si a familiei tale.

Multumesc de vizita si ne revedem in urmatorul post!

(sursa imaginii aici)

Punct si de la capat

Stii sentimentul acela de liniste interioara atunci cand faci ceea ce simti ca e corect, cand faci ceea ce crezi tu ca este bine pentru tine? Atunci cu siguranta il stii si pe acela cand trebuie sa te lasi pe tine la o parte si sa faci ceea ce asteapta societatea de la tine. E cel putin frustrant sa simti ca vrei ceva si sa faci altceva. Te blazeaza, iti taie din motivatie si te imbraca in haina gri a sabloanelor.

Toti cei care au rupt pattern-ul si si-au urmat pasiunea interioara sunt oameni care desi lucreaza pe branci, nu simt ca muncesc, nu intra in rutina si nu se plictisesc de propria activitate. Mereu descopera ceva nou, se exprima prin produsul muncii lor si sunt fericiti. Evolueaza continuu.

Pentru mine 2014 e anul in care mi-am facut cu adevarat curaj sa imi urmez pasiunea. Sa pun in practica ceea ce pana acum mi-a umplut literalmente zeci de agende si zeci de ganduri. Ma simt cel mai bine cand scriu, cand creez imagini, cand desenez, cand spun povestile oamenilor din jurul meu. Nu simt oboseala, nu stiu cand trece timpul, ma entuziasmez si am un sentiment de implinire.

Cu toate astea, nu vreau sa fiu ipocrita: n-ai cum sa faci ce-ti place fara bani. Din pacate asta e societatea in care traim. Asa ca voi face din pasiunea mea un business.

Si stiu ca totul va fi bine, stiu si ca va fi greu, dar merita. De mult simt asta.

Asculta-ti vocea interioara. Ea stie intotdeauna ce vrei sa fii, ce trebuie sa faci.

The 3C's rule

It's all about creativity, chalenges & changes.

• Create what your gutt asks you to.
• Chalenge yourself to be the best you can be.
• Change! Because that is what makes you evolve.

Don't be a copy-cat. You already know what you want to build, make, be.
Put yourself up to do something new, get over your limits and out of your comfort zone.
With every new experience, you are transformed. Embrace change, 'cause that what brought you where you are now.

And last but not least: don't follow the herd. Don't settle for what's good for others. Make your own choices and you'll be able to enrich everybody else with an unique human being.

Trust me, it works! ;)

So... why Shapes?

I often get faced with this simple question: "Why Shapes? Why did you name your project like that?". The answer is just as simple.

All around us is a shape of some sort. Trees, cars, animals, houses. All inside us has a metaphorical shape: our dreams, our plans, our memories, and even our feelings. We imagine and make plans following a pattern, a model, a scheme. Their visual expression on paper is a shape, a structure.

Given the fact that i chose to express myself via images and stories through images, the term "shapes" came naturally to me. Even since I was in primary school, I found myself very attracted to geometry, and what is geometry but the science of mathematical shapes!? I translated this concept in the way I would like to compose my images: with the use of shapes and forms.

In photography, the composition rules follow patterns, lines... geometry. Every image, if it is constructed via those rules, has a shape, an internal pattern that guides the eye through it (i.e. the rule of thirds, the Fibonacci number, etc).

In graphic design, geometry is self explanatory: vectors are grouped into groups that form objects, prints and so on. Ad a pinch of color and a whole world of shapes is born.

Last but not least, our whole world is made of shapes. I'm made of shapes, you're made of shapes. Thus my artistical concept is... a shape. A shape of my universe, of the way I create, of the way I represent the reality outside myself.

Once upon a December

On a quiet, foggy evening of December, dreams woke up from their slumber. One at a time, flapping their etherical eyelashes, showed up and asked to be fullfilled.

That asked for a plan. A daily task manager ment to set them free, and make them take shape... shapes... Shapes Studio!

So, as this year is going to end soon, a new action plan materializes on this very blog.
Watch closely as it unfolds. Christmas is nearly here. Wishes do come true.

December, make my wishes come true!

Reasons why I'm SHAPEing Reality & other few curiosities

Let me tell you a story. A story about strenght, creativity, challenges and most of all passion.

It all happened one blizzardy Sunday, on the 22nd of December of 1985. The day I got into this world in the first place. 

Since I can remember I simply loved making up stories and characters. Normal stuff for a kid my age you would say. But this instinct never left me. I began by listening to my grandmother's childhood recollections, her stories about times that I had never experienced, and people I would never meet, and yet I found them fascinating. When my gran wasn't around, I had my mom filling up her role and reading me stories every night, as we layed in bed. I listened to her tales of Mahabharata, The Nibelunges, Tristan and Isolda, romanian fairytales, Grimm fairytales and many others. I remember she used to sing to me 'till I fell asleep, and went away into a world of fantasy and imagination as my dreams were magically created following so many stories. 

My school years followed the same pattern, just that I now followed my own stories that I developed in my mind after reading most of my grandmother's library. It was my escape from homework and other boring stuff you might hate being a kid. I found myself free whenever I played all the stories in my head and each time we had to do a composition or an essay for school. Playing around with my cousin imagining we were the best of all the superheroes that ever existed took its toll, and after years and years it still brings up nostalgic memories. 

All this urge to make up stories and give them back to the world found its match when I decided to study movie directing after finishing higschool. Unfortunatelly, given the circumstances, I never got to do that, and I'm now a licensed sociologist, with a major in Communication and Public Opinion. 

Since I graduated from University, the story bug never left me, and for a few years now it found it's expression in the form of photography and graphic design. These are the things I most enjoy doing, and although my daytime job doesn't allow me to do this full time, I am absolutely sure that I found my place in this world and that this is my path in life. Thus, on the 5th of November 2010, Shapes Photography was born.

A place in which all my ideas and stories could come to life, day by day, bit by bit... through image. Nonetheless, I never abandoned my writting skills, and since the begining of 2012, Shapes was added the "storytelling" part. The whole project is now named Shapes Studio - Photography, Graphic Design and Storytelling. As 2013 came up, I began making lots of plans to put Shapes "to business", and hoping that this dear project to my soul will catch its wings and become what I want it to become: a place where imagination and stories come alive, a place where art shines bright and where people's life stories get to influence others. 

I'm not making a schedule of my posts or of what and when I'm going to post here, but I do promise that this year it's gonna be all about Shapes and it's will to create. My will to create beautiful images that tell interesting stories, my will to give the world a part of the beauty it has raised me up in... My will to make my late grandmother proud of me, and thus make her live again through my work and actions.

This April 10th comemorates one year since she has left this world. She was a powerfull woman, that inspired my creativity from an early age. She had challenges and I'll have mine. I'll follow her example and follow my passion. I will never settle untill I reach my goal. I'll make her proud. 

Kids Stories (ep. 5) - "Walk me around"

Kids Stories (ep. 4) - "The little boy that could"

Kids Stories (ep. 3) - "Don't ignore me"

Kids Stories (ep. 2) - "Look what I found dad!"

The Rose Garden

(copyright 2011 - Denisa Paslaru - Shapes Photography)

See it on Tumblr also

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Veanlo también en Tumblr

Kids Stories: A boy and a girl on the playground

1.

2.

3.

(copyright 2011 - Denisa Paslaru - Shapes Photography)

See it on Tumblr also

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Veanlo también en Tumblr

The Aristocats 2011

Everybody wants to be a cat,
because a cat's the only cat
who knows where it's at.
Everybody's pickin' up on that feline beat,
'cause everything else is obsolete.
Now a square with a horn,
can make you wish you weren't born,
ever'time he plays;
and with a square in the act,
he can set music back
to the caveman days.
I've heard some corny birds who tried to sing,
but a cat's the only cat
who knows how to swing.
Who wants to dig
a long-haired gig
or stuff like that?
When everybody wants to be a cat.
A square with that horn,
makes you wish you weren't born,
ever'time he plays;
and with a square in the act,
he's gonna set this music back
to the Stone Age days.
Everybody wants to be a cat,
because a cat's the only cat
who knows where it's at;
while playin' jazz you always has a Welcome mat,
'cause everybody digs a swingin' cat.
Everybody digs a swingin' cat.

The aristocats had a photoshoot this weekend. In boiling weather they put up with the pursue of my Nikon and we came up with these fun portraits. Now everybody wants to be a cat! A Shapes cat ;)

~

Los aristogatos tuvieron una sesión de fotos este fin de semana. En un calor agobiante, ellos soportaron la caza de mí Nikon y en final resultaron estos retratos tan divertidos. Ahora todo el mundo quiere ser un gato! Un gato Shapes ;)

~

Copyright photos @ Shapes Photography, Denisa PaslaruCopyright soundtrack @ EMI Music

This video has no commercial use. It's created just for displaying my new set of photographs

"The Aristocats 2011"

(pictures taken @ Buftea city, between 15-17th of july 2011)

Let me out! ("Somnul ratiunii naste monstrii" - Francisco Goya)

Let me out! ("The sleep of reason brings forth monsters" - Francisco Goya)
~
Dejame salir! ("El sueño de la razon produce monstruos" - Francisco Goya)

Dupa ce am vazut cateva comentarii de pe Facebook legate de aceste imagini, mi-am dat seama ca ar putea fi necesare cateva explicatii cu privire la tema aleasa (subiectul ales) pentru aceste fotografii. In mintea mea a fost asa: somn = ochi inchisi = intuneric = vis = subconstient = lipsa ratiunii = orice e posibil, inclusiv nasterea unui sentiment de frica, de nesiguranta. Cu toate ca fotografiile in general trebuie sa vorbeasca pentru ele insele datorita faptului ca sunt imagini, asadar mai mult decat necesare pentru a-si face inteles sensul, imi dau seama ca trebuie sa invat sa imi exprim ideile mult mai eficient data viitoare cand imi voi alege un concept precum "ratiunea".

~

After having seen a few comments on these images on Facebook, I realised that it might be necessary to give a few explanations concerning the theme I chose (the subject) for my photos. Let's see: what was "happening in my head" at the time - sleep = shut eyes = darkness = dreams = lack of reason = all is now possible, including the appearance of emotions like fear or uncertainty. Although photos in general should speak for themselves as they are images, though self-explanatory, I realise that I must learn to express my ideas more efficiently next time I choose a concept like "reason"

~

Viendo algunos comentarios sobre estas imágenes en Facebook, me di cuenta que estaría necesario dar algunas explicaciones sobre el tema (subjeto) que escogí para mis fotos. Vamos a ver: en mi mente pasaba lo siguente - sueño = ojos cerrados = obscuridad = sueños = falta de razón = todo termina siendo posible, incluso la aparición de sentimientos como el temor o el incertidumbre. Aunque las fotos en general deben hablar por sí mismas, dando el hecho que son imagenes y por eso se explican por sí mismas, he realizado que debo aprender como expresar mis ideas de una forma más eficiente la proxima véz que escoge un concepto como "la razon".

Garbage Kings - From raggs to... being happy

Ger, zapada, gunoaie. Contextul nu e unul tocmai potrivit pentru "o zi in parc". Totusi o raza de soare ii scoate din amorteala si sunt gata de joaca.

S-au bucurat de caldura, improvizandu-si jucarii din gunoaie si, pentru 45 de minute they were Kings. Garbage Kings, dar chiar si lucrurile simple te pot face fericit, indiferent daca esti om sau animal.

Morala: Chiar si in cele mai rele conditii, conteaza sa vezi frumusetea acolo unde aparent sunt numai lucruri urate ;) Smile and move on :)

Puppets

Fresh start 2011