Priveşte România

I love images

2009-10-05T10:05:00.000-07:00

Ciao

2007-08-06T18:12:00.001-07:00

I'm ending this blog. I've really enjoyed posting the photos I took while in Romania and have really appreciated all the comments I've received. However now I need to shift my focus and start concentrating on those things that are most important to me.

The only thing we have in life is opportunities. What separates us is what we do with the opportunities that come our way.

Me, well I'm gonna go get'er. =)

Ciao

Mini Vacation

2007-07-31T08:06:00.000-07:00

I'll be back in a week. =)

Ciao

Câtre Stînga

2007-07-28T08:25:00.000-07:00

Umbra Lui Fyurien

2007-07-26T16:09:00.000-07:00

Not a tripod to be found. =)

Piaţa Mare

2007-07-26T16:05:00.000-07:00

I hope to be able to write a bit more about this photo, but at the very least I can let you know that this is the main square in the heart of Sibiu. While it may not be entirely obvious, the architecture and over all feel of this square and the town as a whole is very German.

Anyone care to elaborate why? =)

Strada Principala

2007-07-24T17:27:00.001-07:00

Sibiu

2007-07-22T14:28:00.001-07:00

This was the view of Sibiu downtown from my hotel room.

Sibiu is one of the bigger cities in Romania outside of Bucharest, but despite that its still quite small. Thats good because it makes it a very walkable city. If you do have an opportunity to stop in Romania and have the time, I really recommend visiting Sibiu. It is truly a jewel and an absolutely pretty city to visit. Without going into too much history, it has a very German past and is highly influenced by German culture. You can see it in the architecture and the general atmosphere of the people.

I wish I could write a bit more, but for now I leave you with this photo.

Reflectie

2007-07-21T10:43:00.000-07:00

Riding in a train alone is a really interesting experience. Its not that I didnt have anyone there to talk to, there really wasnt anyone else on the train. At the very least there wasnt anyone in my section. There were no distractions, nothing to take my eyes off of the landscape. What a beautiful landscape it is.

Catre Alb si Negru

2007-07-19T19:06:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry I'm not leaving any comments. I could write a chapter about each photo, but time just doesnt seem to be on my side. =(

Sub Cer Albastru

2007-07-17T17:38:00.001-07:00

On the train to Sibiu.

Priveste Romania

2007-07-16T20:37:00.000-07:00

Simply beautiful.

Inconsistant

2007-07-16T07:52:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the inconsistent posting. I'm trying to do too many things at once, and as usual forget to do some things.

Baieţel

2007-07-12T16:53:00.000-07:00

This little guy had waaaayyy too much energy. He must have been so excited about riding in a train that he couldn't even manage to sit down for a minute. After a while the conductor invited him to sit up front with him at the helm. Very cool!

60 Hours

2007-07-12T16:52:00.000-07:00

The only way I can describe working sixty hours a week is..."Sucks!"

Foc

2007-07-10T17:39:00.000-07:00

Buna Dimineata

2007-07-09T16:32:00.001-07:00

As I was settling in for my four hour train ride, I took my camera out, aimed it towards the back of the train and took this shot. I really like this photo.

Pe Tren

2007-07-08T11:47:00.000-07:00

My trip throughout the country started with a very cool surprise. I was given an absolutely awesome gift by my very generous FRIENDS. What you see here is the first class section on a very modern train. This particular train took me from Bucharest to Sibiu. It was very cool! =)

Leaving Bucharest

2007-07-07T09:58:00.001-07:00

I had been in Bucharest for roughly one week. My stay there was great and because of that I hope to come back and visit later this year. However, while in Romania I had planned on traveling across country for several days.

So, my first stop was to be in Sibiu, the European cultural capital of well... Europe. So the next morning after "Paşte" I got up and got ready for the day's train ride. As usual my grandma woke up with me, had coffee ready and we sat and talked for a bit. There really wasn't much time to spare as my train was heading out quite early that morning. So as I got ready, my grandfather called for a taxi. After a few minutes, the taxi came, we got in and drove off.

I should say that this was really the first time I saw Bucharest at night. What an absolute beautiful city it is. The lights, the boulevards and all the different stores and buildings. It was so peaceful and serene. I was so taken aback by how amazing the city seemed at night that I forgot to take a photo. =(

We finally managed to get to the train station and after a bit of waiting I boarded and was on my way to Sibiu.

What follows are some photos I took from my trip across Romania.

Cozonac - Mmmmmm!! =)

2007-07-07T09:27:00.001-07:00

A perfect morning. Everyone has a perfect morning.

For me it was Saturday morning in southern California. I would wake up rather early and while everyone was still asleep go and make coffee. Once the coffee was finished I would sit in front of my computer reading up on the latest news. Or catching up on all the new tech thats come out in the past week. =)

For me, this was the perfect morning. Quiet and relaxing. So as you can imagine, it would be pretty hard for that rather great way to start a day to be replaced by a new more perfect morning. Well it has. My new perfect morning is waking up in Bucharest at around 6am. My grandma would already be up and as she had done for me the days before, have coffee ready. This time however she also had cozonac prepared and waiting. So my new perfect morning is sitting with my grandma talking over a coffee and eating cozonac. How cool is that? =)

Spart

2007-07-06T20:59:00.000-07:00

Ciment spart.

It seems as though there is always some sort of construction going on in Bucharest. Every neighborhood seem to have an overbearing crane that seem to just sit there. So for all the construction that seems to be going on, I never actually saw any actual construction.

The other odd part is that it seems like they are just working to catch up. As though Bucharest was forgotten and left to degrade and only now they are starting to work on it again. Nothing wrong with that, but it does take away from its beauty when all you really seem to see is construction. Hopefully for the better.

Prin Bucuresti

2007-07-05T21:11:00.000-07:00

Verde

2007-07-02T19:43:00.001-07:00

At "Parcu Tineretului".

Doar Umbra Lui Fyurien

2007-07-02T19:36:00.000-07:00

This shadow followed me everywhere. =)

Tataie

2007-06-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

Sometimes listening is the only thing you have to do.

1989

2007-06-26T19:17:00.001-07:00

This photo lacks something. I can be certain what exactly. It's a though it should be better, or more dramatic. It should in a way represent its meaning. Unfortunately, its just a simple photo of a memorial.

Alb şi Negru

2007-06-25T22:01:00.000-07:00

O Doamnâ

2007-06-25T17:57:00.000-07:00

None all the more subtle. This photo was taken in the most discreet way with the most unmatched timing. No photo has ever been as well developed as one that is of true candid honesty.

So what is the business of the day for this elderly woman. What preoccupies her mind as she so vigorously walks onward to her next "to do".

This is another of my favorite photos. Romanian women are some of the most energetic, direct and self motivated women I have ever met. Though potentially obnoxious at times, they are always to be admired and respected.

Puţin Curaj

2007-06-24T10:59:00.000-07:00

I love this photo.

Why does courage get so often forgotten. Its as though anger, hatred, spite, jelousy and fear are the only things that actually exit in our day to day lives. But principle, heroism, persistance, determination, love and courage are things left only for horribly over priced movies. Its a shame really. We forget that while we may suffer from fear, courage can save us during trying times.

Contrast Frumos

2007-06-23T09:53:00.000-07:00

At the entrance of Mogoşoaia castle there is small monastery just off to the left. Small, simple and beautiful.

What I cant be certain of is how old it is. That is, was it built during the time the castle was built, before or after. One visiting this church may notice that, from a distance, it looks of a very old style. A sort of style you would expect to find outside an old castle and certainly a style keeping in line with older orthodox churches. However, upon closer approach, it becomes very apparent that either this church is not all that old, and simply designed to look so, or very very well maintained.

In a sense, it doesnt really matter. Either way its still very beautiful.

Doar Temporar

2007-06-22T23:31:00.001-07:00

This is just some experimentation with Photoshop and will only be posted temporarily. These are the waters at Mogoşoaia castle.

Un Moment Pierdut

2007-06-22T23:08:00.000-07:00

At Mogoşoaia. What a beautiful moment. All mine to lose.

Sub Nori

2007-06-22T06:22:00.000-07:00

The central courtyard at the castle. The garden is not very big, but it is quite beautiful.

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: +5 Contrast +15 Vibrance, Added Lens Vignetting
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/640s f/5 at 17.0mm iso100

Un Drum Placut

2007-06-21T16:50:00.000-07:00

Weee...I'm back. Sorry for the long vacation. I was actually busy working on a secret project that unfortunatly is still not done. Its comming along great, and when its done I will shamlesly post about it here. =)

But till then...

This is the road leading up to "Mogoşoaia" castle. The day I went was pratically perfect. Those are the days that its impossible to take a bad photo. In a way its sort of a waste to have a very expensive camera, since any regular digital point and shoot will capture stunning photos. I suppose a big fancy camera is really there just to make you look big and fancy. =)

Hope you like the photo.

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: +5 Contrast +15 Vibrance, Added Lens Vignetting
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/640s f/5 at 17.0mm iso100

Atheneul Roman

2007-06-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania

Doar Adevâr

2007-06-10T11:18:00.000-07:00

Who's fault is it?

Maybe its society. Maybe its because the government doesn't care about people of his status. He is not important enough, he doesn't earn enough, he doesn't bring in enough profits to care about.

Maybe its his fault. Maybe he spent his whole life drinking and never put a real effort to earn at least a modest living. How much blame can you put on a system that cannot support people who just throw their life away.

Maybe its everyone elses fault around him. Maybe because they don't seem to notice him, or care enough to notice. Those people that could stand up for him, stand up to the government and speak where his voice wont hold audience. Maybe if the system taught him from a young age to work hard and not throw his life away.

Maybe it was my fault for photographing him. Maybe if I just kept walking, he wouldn't even exist. Why should I judge him and capture his indignity in digital format.

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania

Arhitectură sau Artă

2007-06-09T12:01:00.000-07:00

Here is a small collection of photos of several very beautiful churches found throughout Bucharest.

If you'd like to know where these are located, just visit my Flickr album and click on the 'map' link for each photo and it will take you there.

Ciao

Ma Prins Doamna

2007-06-06T21:04:00.000-07:00

Not sure if this color scheme works. Just wanted to experiment a bit.

Doar O Biserica La Mogoşoaia

2007-06-05T14:47:00.000-07:00

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania

La Mogoşoaia

2007-06-04T18:02:00.001-07:00

Remember THIS very cool couple? True to form and always cool, they invited me to visit a rather interesting palace located just on the outskirts Bucharest. The place is called "Mogoşoaia"

The part that I'm confused about is if the city is named "Mogoşoaia" or if it's just the name of the palace "Palatul Mogoşoaia". Anyone that knows for certain is more than welcome to comment.

So here we are at the entrance to the palace. The walkway up to the palace is about 300m long and is flanked by several old houses and lots of beautiful green grass. The day we spent there was perfect. Great weather, great location and awesome friends.

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: +10 Contrast +15 Vibrance
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/640s f/5 at 17.0mm iso100

PS: The more savvy amongst you may notice that I actually started getting the ISO setting in order. Learn by doing, I suppose. =)

Muzeul Satului IX

2007-06-03T20:49:00.000-07:00

Done Moving

2007-06-02T21:28:00.000-07:00

I am writing this post from my new home. I now live with a very cool European couple in a city where I once lived not too long ago. My moving went smoothly, and I can say I've learned a few things about myself.

First. I am really really out of shape. I was once, not too long ago, able to ride a bicycle for 80 miles with no problem. I was having a hard time today just running up and down stairs. Albeit I was carrying rather heavy stuff. Which bring me to the next thing I've learned.

Second. Dont keep anything you dont want to take with you when you move. I didnt have a lot of junk, but I did have some. I will now make a conscious effort to toss stuff I dont need out. No need to keep so much junk around.

The third thing I've learned is that a laptop with wireless internet is absolute bliss for someone as addicted to technology as I am. This post is in fact being written from said laptop with said wireless internet. I'm likely giving myself one of a number of cancers from all this radiation. But who cares, if I die, I at least die a happy nerd. =)

Ciao

La Alt Muzeu

2007-06-01T21:50:00.001-07:00

I have several more photos from Muzeul Satului, but I thought a break would be nice. Part of the problem is that theme is pretty consistent. Which is good when wanting to see the essenence of the museums presentation. The bad part is that it can seem a bit repetitive. Anyhow, here is a photo taken outsite another museum. The name of the museum and the location where this was taken slips my memory, but once I remember, I'll come back and update this post.

Muzeul Satului VIII

2007-05-31T19:46:00.000-07:00

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania

AboutRomania.com

2007-05-30T20:22:00.000-07:00

Here is website recommendation that is very easy to make. This website AboutRomania.com hosts an immense amount of information and photos about Romania with a great list of links to other very good sites. Anyone interested in Romania should definitely bookmark this site.

Muzeul Satului VII

2007-05-30T20:15:00.001-07:00

This was actually a very hard photo to take. Framing this right took me at least five tries. The problem I had was a rather ugly modern building just to the top right of the photo. I thought this was a really interesting house that was built into the ground, but didnt want it and the modern building in the same photo. This is the final composition.

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania

Muzeul Satului VI

2007-05-29T21:53:00.000-07:00

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania

My New Love

2007-05-28T19:28:00.000-07:00

A little knowledge

2007-05-28T17:04:00.001-07:00

A pretty interesting video about world economy. You can find it HERE. Careful, its about 3:30 hours long

Muzeul Satului V

2007-05-28T08:36:00.000-07:00

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania

Muzeul Satului IV

2007-05-27T09:22:00.000-07:00

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania

Muzeul Satului III

2007-05-26T16:05:00.000-07:00

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania

Muzeul Satului II

2007-05-25T18:20:00.001-07:00

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania

Muzeul Satului I

2007-05-25T17:58:00.001-07:00

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania

Umbra A Lui Un Baiat

2007-05-24T20:01:00.001-07:00

A photo of me, in a sense.

La Sat

2007-05-24T19:58:00.000-07:00

The entrance to "Muzeul National Al Satului". Which I think loosely translates to the National Museum of Small Towns (or something like that). =)

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania

icarus VISIONS

2007-05-24T19:46:00.000-07:00

Ok, this is lame self advertisement, but here is a link to a new site I'm working on. I've only been able to do a couple of hours of work, so there really isn't much to speak of. Just the front page and a song.

Comments are welcome =)

http://www.icarusvisions.com/

Arc

2007-05-24T11:13:00.000-07:00

This is just outside Herastrau park.

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania

Albastru

2007-05-22T22:23:00.001-07:00

Beautiful blue sky over Bucharest.

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania

Boooyahhhh!!! New Place

2007-05-21T21:47:00.000-07:00

Woohoooo, I've got a new place. Funny enough, I'll be living with a cool european couple. More details to come. Anyway, since life is getting back to normal, I'll be able to start posting again.

Weee!! =)

Foc Peste Bucuresti

2007-05-09T09:27:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post a photo for some time. I really like and I have a funny story to go along with it.

On what I think must have been my 5-6th day in Bucharest, I had, as usual, been walking around Bucharest visiting museums, churches, land marks and trying out all the different foods this city has to offer. I should say that the food is actually quite good and is sold at a reasonable price. Its not a bargain, but still quite cheap compared to other places. Well towards the afternoon I had been walking back home but decided to stop and get something to eat. The restaurant I found was located on Unirii and served a mostly Italian menu. Having walked so much I was quite thirsty, so the first thing I did was order a beer. Just to be clear about this, I ordered an Ursus beer. Quite popular in Romania seeing how its made there.

Now I should mention the difference between the beer in Romania from that in America. This is important and goes right along into the rest of the story. So, American beer usually comes in small bottles, is very lite (low on alcohol) and does not have much in the way of taste. Really the worst thing that will happen from drinking too much American beer is you'll become quite familiar with toilet, but not much more. Well after a couple of beers, you certainly dont run the risk of getting tipsy and can practically drink to your hearts content without worry of becoming drunk. Now, Romanian beer is notably different. It is sold in a larger bottle (0.5L), its noticibly more alocholic and of course has more flavor. All in all, Ursus is a very good beer. So good in fact that I even brought some home with me. But anyhow, the whole point here is that beer is very different between the two countries. Make note of this all you American tourists. =)

So I sit down and order up a beer thinking I could drink plenty with no problem. Good, noooo problem so far. Being thirsty I drink it up and am actually feeling pretty good. As you know I had been walking all day, really hadn't eaten and was pretty tired. Any regular drinker will know that having an empty stomach makes a difference. Well the food shows up and of course I certainly cant eat without something to drink. "Another beer please!!" What can it hurt? Here is the problem with drinking. If your are just sitting down and not moving around much, its hard to gauge how much is "enough". So I finish eating and take care of the second beer. I pay the bill and .... I stand up!

Wooooaaaaa.... whhat the heck? Ohh great, not one week into my vacation and I'm drunk. Wait a minute! This is isnt bad, this is awesome. Man I love this city. Good food, great beer and no worries.

I love Bucharest!! =)

Well while walking home I pulled out my camera and took the photo above. Proof that you dont need talent, skill or good equillibrium to take a decent photo. You just need luck and about a liter of beer.

Ciao,

I should be back in a bit. In the mean time if you'd like to contact me for any reason, my email address is fyurien@gmail.com.

Obor - Catre Gara De Est

2007-05-08T19:33:00.001-07:00

A young mother and her child. Near where I once lived.

This was my world, my life and my existence. I rarely, if ever, wondered past these streets to the near by neighborhoods. This is where my friends were, where we played and where laughed. This is where I scraped my knees, bruised my elbows and bumped my head. This is where I loved the summers, was surprised by fall, mesmerized by winter and infatuated with spring.

This was my home. =)

La Centru Sub Cer Albastru

2007-05-08T13:25:00.000-07:00

Yet another example how beautiful this park is.

I would like to say something deep and meaningful here. Something that may help represent this park better, help show how beautiful it really is beyond just the photo shown above. Problem is I'm not qualified, nor would I really want to have my words take away from its essence. I suppose all I can say is that this park is a place worth visiting, not because its a marvel to see, but because its simple and beautiful.

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: Photoshop - Contrast +15
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/8000s f/5 at 22.0mm iso1000

Domnu şi Doamna

2007-05-08T08:06:00.000-07:00

This photo shows an older couple walking through "Parcul Herăstrău". I managed some well balanced composition, but once again this is no technical achievement. The original version was quite washed over and actually seemed very desaturated. It would be just too easy to blame the weather, but I think in this case I could have taken a better photo had I known to use the camera better.

To help augment the composition I did some touchup with Photoshop. What may not be immediately obvious is that everything but the grass and bush are desaturated.

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: Photoshop - Desaturation, Brightness -10, Contrast +15
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/640s f/5.6 at 70.0mm iso320

The Rifleman's Creed (slightly modified)

2007-05-07T10:27:00.001-07:00

This is my version of "The Rifleman's Creed", which you can find HERE. Sorry, I know this isn't really about Romania. =D And yes, I recite this every morning as I get ready for war... I mean work. =P

The Cameraman's Creed

"This is my camera. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
My camera is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life.
My camera, without me, is useless. Without my camera, I am useless. I must shoot with my camera true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy who is trying to photograph me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will...

My camera and myself know that what counts in this war is not the number of photos we shoot, the noise of our SLR shutter, nor the resolution we produce. We know that it is the quality of photos that count. We will photograph...
My camera is human, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its ISO settings. I will ever guard it against the ravages of weather and damage as I will ever guard my legs, my arms, my eyes and my heart against damage. I will keep my camera clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will...

Before Photoshop, I swear this creed. My camera and myself are the defenders of beautiful landscapes. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my blog...

So be it, until victory is Our's and there is no enemy, but printouts!"

I love my camera =P

La Parc Cu Bunicu

2007-05-06T08:20:00.000-07:00

I love this picture for a very personal reason.

This was a chance photo taken without much time to prepare. Just inside the entrance to "Parcul Herăstrău" the paths split to the right and to the left. I decided to go left and this is what I saw. As I started walking in this direction the old man and his grandchild happened to walk in front of me. Not wanting to be obvious I pulled out my camera and from my side aimed it to get auto focus. I held the auto focus and just as they were about the walk past me I pulled up the camera and quickly took this photo. Not much for a technical achievement, but I love the composition and placement of the subjects.

Well I guess I wasnt too subtle, since the little girl saw me. =)

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: Photoshop - Desaturation, Brightness -10, Contrast +15
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/6400s f/5 at 17.0mm iso1000

La Herăstrău

2007-05-06T07:52:00.000-07:00

In my opinion "Parcul Herăstrău", is probably the nicest park in Bucharest. Throughout my tireless wondering around the city I visited many parks. This to me seems to be the largest and most well maintained. At the entrance is a rather odd looking statue of a man, but as you move down towards the middle, the art style varies to a more classical look. As show on the right, the row of statues are almost Roman like.

This is a very beautiful park indeed.

The photo shown here is at near native resolution. I didnt compose it very well to begin with, so I had to do a considerable crop to get this final orientation.

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: Photoshop - Considerable Crop 1/2, Contrast +20, Saturation +15, Added Vignetting
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/5000s f/5 at 17.0mm iso1000

Vis-à-Vis De Herăstrău

2007-05-05T08:57:00.000-07:00

An interesting building just across the street from "Parcul Herăstrău". I really like this photo.

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: Brightness -20, Contrast +15, Gradient Quick Mask (Top to Bottom) - Saturation +50 (Top Part), Lighting Effect: Spotlight, then more Brightness and Contrast work. I screwed up the ISO on this whole series of photos. =(
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/6400s f/5 at 22.0mm iso1000

La O Cafea

2007-05-04T08:25:00.000-07:00

Let us be clear about something before I start this post. The coffee cup pictured above is, what can only be described as some very potent form of bio-diesel. Its like a thermonuclear byproduct that you can drink in the morning or use it to power half the state of California.

I had told this story enough times since I've come back that I thought it was worth posting.

So it goes like this. It was just a bit after midday on about my fourth day in Bucharest. I had been walking around for about 3 hours up until that point and had been slowly getting more and more tired. Wanting to walk around the city more and not call it quits, I decided it was time for me to take a break. So I decided a coffee and a small snack were in order. I didn't want to fill up, seeing as I still wanted to do some more walking, but I did need to eat something. Of course, drinking coffee is usually certain to give you some energy, so this was just as good a time as any to get a cup.

After asking around a bit, I was recommended to a very stylish coffee shop very close to downtown Bucharest. I walked inside, went up the waitress and asked her for a coffee. I made sure to tell her that "I would like a regular coffee please." Having lived in the Starbucks capital of the world (Orange County, CA), I know all too well the 10,000 variations of coffee available. So I wanted to keep things simple. I sat down and not more than a few moments later the girl brings me my coffee. So there it was, a small white cup no larger than a tennis ball. This was a bit confusing for me and I'll explain why in a moment. So I look at the cup (confused of course), look at the waitress, then look back at the cup of coffee. My first thought was, maybe this is the coffee appetizer. You know, a sort of snack if you will. I thought maybe the real coffee is being prepared and this was just to warm me up for the coffee main course.

Nope, this was it.

So I paid my 6 Ron (pretty expensive actually) and started drinking. To say this coffee was bitter is not quite describing it. So of course at this point it hit me... Espresso!! Yup, that's their 'regular' coffee. There isn't much coffee to speak up, but good lord did this thing have a ton of caffeine in it. Americans are used to larger cups and milder coffee.

So after that, I WAS GOOOOOD TO GO BABY!! BRING IT ON BUCHAREST!! =P

On a side note: "Romanian Coffee - Drink at your own risk silly American"

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: Contrast +20, Saturation +15
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/13s f/5 at 33.0mm iso500

Posts of Note - "Brasov"

2007-05-04T08:13:00.000-07:00

Back in April Mig put up a short post about the city of Brasov on her blog Romania My Love. I visited the city no more than 3 weeks ago, but only stayed for two days. In truth, a city like this requires at least a week to truly experience. Not because its a very large city, but rather because of all the things that are worth seeing. Also, there are so many other interesting cities in the periphery worth visiting, that you may come to think that even a week is not time enough.

In her post she says,

"Brasov, the capital of the county with the same name, is one of the most beautiful towns in Romania. By chance, this is also one of Transylvania’s most famous tourist attractions, due to stunning “places of interest”, the vicinity to popular mountain resorts like Predeal, Busteni and Sinaia, its festivals and the nearness to the Rucar-Bran Pass, guarded by what the Western culture knows as the “Dracula Castle” - in reality a simple Gothic construction which happened to host Vlad Tepes inside its walls for one night."

That last part is really interesting and something I did not know. Having heard of "Dracula's Castle", I really thought this is where he had lived all his life. Nope, as Mig said, he just happened to have stopped by for one night. What is really interesting about this castle is the fact that it overlooks a mountain passage that runs parallel to a small river. Apparently this was a pretty important trade route, and the Bran castle served as the customs for the local Brasov county.

You can find the entire post here Romania My Love - Brasov

Introducing "Posts of Note"

2007-05-04T07:42:00.000-07:00

Yup I know, the name is not very original. Listen its early in the morning and I have barely touched my first cup of coffee. So, inspiring creativity must wait till at least the third cup. =) In the mean time, let me tell you about this "Posts of Note" thing.

Somewhere in the process of trying to learn more about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) I, by some coincidence, ran across Migs blog eWritings - Online Public Relations a pretty good resource of info on all things SEO. The best part about her blog is you can ask her questions and get some pretty good suggestions in return, should you want to learn more about SEO. Well after some heavy detective work (mostly just looked around her blog) I found a link to this site Romania My Love another very good blog (also by Mig) about Romania. I wrote a whole bit about it here, so follow the link to learn more. Well after reading through some of her posts, I thought it would be a good idea to link to them from my blog. I figured, anyone interested in visiting my blog, would really like to visit hers as well.

Now it just so happens that Mig's blog is the first to be part of this "Posts of Note" bit. However as I find more and more cool blogs having to do with Romania, I will include them as well. So for anyone interested, please leave me a comment and a link to your site, and I'll be happy to include it. Ideally it would be themed around either Romania or even Photography.

Da La 2:15 Pîna La 3:30

2007-05-03T08:37:00.000-07:00

Its 2:10 in the morning and you are comfortably sleeping, blissfully unaware of what is about to happen just outside your window.

Its 2:15 and you awake at what seems to be an odd noise. You are very groggy and as you move around, you notice that the noise is not going away. Slowly you come to your senses and immediately recognize the noise. We've all heard it before, its the "Uhhh, uhhh, uhhh" of a dilapidated motor thats barely hanging on to life being repeatedly resuscitated by an equally weak ignition switch.

Its 2:30 and as you try to fall asleep you realize the noise is really not gonna go away.

I would like to present to you the most persistent man in "Zona Vitan". He in a way is a great example of Romanian resolve. I can say with certainty that Romanians are persistent and not the type to quit easily. This is good for such things as, ummm.., lets see; Work, Sporting Competitions, Mathematical Problem Solving, Getting a Date From a Really Cute Romanian Girl and so on. What its not good for is trying to start a car in the dead of night, in between several large sound reverberating blocs. I love this guy for trying and admire his persistence.

Its 3:30 and I no longer love this guy. ITS NOT GOING TO START.... GIVE IT UP MAN!!!

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: None
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/2s f/5.6 at 59.0mm iso1600

Intersecţie De Reclame

2007-05-03T08:17:00.000-07:00

I'm almost certain this photo was taken just outside the mall located at "Unirii".

Walking through Bucharest is like meeting a really interesting person. The first day you spend time with them you invariably make your first impression. As the days go by, you begin to notice more and more things about them. What seems to happen is that as you get to know someone, they seem to almost change. This is true also for meeting someone you really like. At first you may have an infatuation from a distance, then as you get closer and closer they reveal themselves more and more. Sometimes for the better, other times for the worse.

What I began to notice in Bucharest is all the advertising spread across this city, and there is a lot of it and its everywhere. I remember watching a show on TV about Tokyo, Japan and thinking, "Wow, they put ads up on piratically everything." It seems that Bucharest is right on its way there. As I said, there are advertisements everywhere and unless you stand back and look at them, its actually easy to overlook them.

I had for the better part of this day been walking around downtown. In the morning I was fresh and enthusiastic about finding interesting and old architecture. Towards the end of the day, I was tired and was really just interested in getting home. But I think partly because I was so tired I started to notice different aspects of the city, such as all the ads. Anyway, once I got home I had a chance to talk to a The Dr. (see below), and I told him how surprised I was to notice all the posters and banners up on the buildings. He said that it gets worse than I first suspected. He told me there are people that are more than happy to accept a monthly stipend to have corporations use their house for ad space. I'm serious, and while I don't have a photo of it, I can confirm this.

Well, yet another thing I wasn't expecting.

A quick comment about the photo. The color tone was added somewhat unintentionally, but I think it ads a certain sad feel to the scene.

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: Photoshop - Brightness -35, Contrast +15, Color (Off Orange)
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/100s f/22 at 17.0mm iso640

Roma

2007-05-02T09:20:00.000-07:00

I took this picture while on my way back home from walking around downtown Bucharest. I believe its very close to the mall located at "Unirii".

I had been walking down this street for some way when I came up on this little gypsy boy. Of course he caught my attention since he had been sitting alone with this back against this building. I think he realized I was looking at him and decided to ask me for some money. He exact words were "10,000 de lei va rog", or about 1Ron, which comes out to about $0.40. Not a lot of money, but I hadn't realized it at the time. I, like most of Romania, was still struggling with the conversion between the old lei and the new. Anyway, as was walking by I told him I didn't have any and kept going.

For some reason I immediately thought that this kid is wayyy too young to be out begging for money. So as I passed by I pulled out my camera, took the lens cap off, then held it down to my side, quickly turned it around and took this picture. I didn't want to be obvious that I was photographing him, but still wanted the photo. But here is cool part, the composition of the photo came out really well considering it was a no look shot from the hip, backwards. I guess if you not lucky enough to be good, then at least its good to be lucky enough.

But the story continues. So I get home, have dinner and as I am sitting with my grandparents I tell them about this little kid. I told them I thought it was odd that a kid so young would be begging for money. They told me that his parents probably put him out there. Hmm... wasnt expecting that one.

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: None
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/125s f/22 at 17.0mm iso640

Doar Un Spital

2007-05-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not this is a hospital. It really is kind of surprising that such a beautiful building is nothing more than a hospital. So while that seems unusual, the oddest thing about this hospital is that I wasn't allowed to go near it. The story goes like this. It was midday and I was walking through downtown Bucharest when I saw this building. My first thoughts is that it was either a museum or a government building. As I start to walk through the main entrance a guard stops and tells me I cant go further. I'm told that without proper identification, I really cant go much further. Now he was kind enough to let me step in to take this photo, but I was not about to be allowed further in. On my way home, I got to thinking. What sort of clearance should I need to go into a hospital? Its possible that this was more of a clinic rather than a public hospital.

Either way, its still a very pretty building.

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: Photoshop - Desaturate, Brightness -20, Contrast +15
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/125s f/25 at 28.0mm iso640

Lîngă Centru

2007-05-01T08:48:00.000-07:00

A small and beautiful church located across the street from "Palatul Suţu" right in downtown Bucharest.

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: None
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/125s f/25 at 28.0mm iso640

Blog Recomendation

2007-04-30T22:17:00.000-07:00

This is just a quick post to recommend a blog I just found. Oddly enough I knew the blog author well enough, she goes by the name of Mig. Shes a cool girl who helped me better design my blog and gave me plenty of tips to get my site out onto the www. Anyway, like I said the blog is written by Mig, but I just now found it.

So here it is, its called Romania My Love. This is an easy blog to read and in fact saves me a great deal of work. I'll get to why it saves me work in a bit, but first the reason I want to recommend this blog. Its easy to tell just by the title that she is quite passionate about the country. This is reason enough to recommend any blog, be it about Romania or any other beloved subject. The other reason I recommend it is because it is well written. Its great to be passionate about a subject, but it doesn't hurt to express said passion well.

As I said Mig's blog saves me a lot of work, simply because its something I had wanted to incorporate into my blog. I had wanted to focus on Romania and Photography, but more and more wanted to empahsize Romanian culture. In this case I am quite happy I don't have this task, as I'm sure I wouldn't have done it as well as Mig. So anyhow if you are interested, have a look at her site, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Ciao

PS: Check out her music player in the sidebar to the right. =)

De Dimineaţâ!

2007-04-30T11:24:00.000-07:00

From DUSK to dawn.

It was obvious by now that there are benefits and drawbacks to living in Bucharest. The best part is that you can pretty much walk to get anything. In the mood for a really small but insanely strong coffee? No problem, there are coffee shops practically everywhere. Even Starbucks would be impressed. Food, clothes, electronics and entertainment? Literally across the street, should you have the courage ot actually cross the street =P. So all in all, this is a pretty convenient city for anyone not interested in driving too much.

But there are drawbacks of course, such as.

Getting a decent nights sleep without much noise from the neighbors in Bucharest? Not friggin likely. Its not really the neighbors that are to blame, but rather the insomniac teenagers that stay out till 2 in the morning. Unfortunately I was staying in a neighborhood that is flanked by blocs on all sides. Acoustically this really doesn't help much since all they do is reflect sound perfectly. It makes for quite the auditorium for even the most subtle of conversations. Its so bad you can practically hear a mouse fart. Unfortunately you really cant sleep with the windows closed since blocs tend to absorb heat like nothing else. So the only solution is leaving the windows open and listening to the enlightening conversations of semi awake Romanian teens. =)

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: None
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/6400s f/5.6 at 81.0mm iso1000

Alt Adevâr

2007-04-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

A poor old man standing in a corner.

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: Photoshop - Color Balance (+15 Yellow), Contrast +19
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/125s f/22 at 22.0mm iso640

Palatul C.E.C.

2007-04-30T10:10:00.000-07:00

I am almost certain this is the C.E.C. Palace and is probably one of the most interesting buildings in Bucharest. It is not very big, in that it only has two stories and takes up a rather small lot of land. It located near the streets of "Mihai Voda" and "Stavropoleos". Yup, Stavropoleos is really hard to pronounce.

Certainly from the outside it has its merit as being very artistic and complex in design. But to really see this buildings beauty you have to step inside. And while I don't have any photos of the interior, as I was not allowed, you can be certain that its truly breathtaking. I must have spent half an hour just looking at all the detail in main lobby.

This building is physically located quite close to THIS other building and oddly enough, the two photos look pretty similar. Either way, there are a lot of interesting buildings here so the area is really worth visiting.

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: None
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/800s f/5 at 17.0mm iso640

Modern şi Albastru

2007-04-29T10:55:00.000-07:00

A modern building with a blue façade on a cold and overcast day. I'm actually starting to really like the modern architecture in Bucharest.

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: Photoshop - Brightness -20, Contrast +15
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/125s f/22 at 17.0mm iso640

Lîngă Strada Mihai Voda

2007-04-29T10:45:00.000-07:00

A very interesting composition showing a modern building flanked by two buildings of older architecture.

On a personal note, I would advise any tourist photographer to follow at least these two rules.

Rule One: Always photograph the signs, otherwise you may not remember what the photo was of when you get back home. For example, the photo shown above. I have no clue what these buildings are, thus the translated name "Near The Street Mihai Voda" =P
Rule Two: Beware of rain. =)

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: None
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/640s f/5 at 17.0mm iso640

Bisericâ Ascunsâ

2007-04-29T10:36:00.000-07:00

The title of this post translates to Hidden Church, which is actually very appropriate considering that this church was literally down a small alley and between two buildings. I had been walking on the street called "Independenţei" and just happened to look to my right and saw the tip of this church.

Well get this, apparently there is a lot of this in Bucharest. That is, interesting architecture or locales just around the corner. By the third day I decided to just go walking. I had an idea of where I sort of wanted to go, but for the most part I just went exploring. I found a lot of cool places in the city this way.

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: None
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/1250s f/5 at 30.0mm iso640

Palatul Justiţiei

2007-04-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

A very large and very attractive building by the rivers edge very close to "Piaţa Unirii".

Photo taken on a cold, cloudy and damp day. Not much in the way of rain, but more like a light sprinkle with a promise of a downpour at any moment. Makes for some seriously colorless photography. So rather than fight the facts, I decided to completely desaturate this picture and add a faint blue filter, faded in from top to bottom. I think it gives it a nice cool, cloudy and damp effect. =) All keeping with the theme of the morning really.

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: Photoshop - Desaturate, Brightness -20, Contrast +15, Blue Filter
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/1250s f/5 at 17.0mm iso640

Un Bloc Frumos

2007-04-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

The first thing I really noticed in Bucharest were all the "Bloc" buildings. There are a lot of them, they are everywhere and they seem to all look the same. The odd thing that happened to me is that after a few days I was no longer seeing 'all' the blocs, but started to see the details in each bloc. And here is the really odd thing. Some of these blocs have some pretty nice architectural design to them. I think the reason I didn't see it in the first place is because they are pretty dirty. So really, what this city needs is just a thorough cleaning. I think then the beauty of the architecture can be seen more clearly.

The above picture was a pain to work with. I had to Photoshop it to death. The overcast day did nothing to help of course. =)

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: Photoshop - Sky (Saturation +25, Gaussian Blur 10.0), Building (Brightness +15, Contast +20, Saturation +20)
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/2000s f/5 at 26.0mm iso640

Fuarte Cool

2007-04-28T09:46:00.000-07:00

The very attractive and charming girl pictured above is one of the most fun people to be around. Now I wont give her name out, but rather call her...umm... Cora. =P

You will be certain of two things when you talk to her. First you will never get bored around her, since she is very charming yet equally intelligent. I say that only because it really is hard to find people that are good to talk to, that can be relaxed and hold a casual conversation or at anytime talk of politics, economics and other such things. The other thing you are certain of when talking to her, is that you will inevitably feel good about yourself. I know this may sound a bit odd, but she has a presence or aura about her that inspires confidence. Talking to her is almost addictive. She smiles at you, encourages you and then you feel like you can do just about anything.

Shes simply awesome. =)

Mulţumesc, Mulţumesc, Mulţumesc!!!

2007-04-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

I would like to say with complete confidence that the best thing about Romania are Romanians. And I say this without doubt and most certainly without difficulty.

I can only tell stories of my experiences in Romania and through them begin to build a picture of Romanians and their culture. I can tell you of a taxi driver who became my guide, a monastery watchman became a historian and others who in one way or another did more than expected. All for no other reason than to be friendly. As Romanians tend to be, they are a very friendly bunch. =)

The two pictured above, who shall remain nameless, but I will call them The Dr. and Shorty (you can figure out who's who), =P are two of the most superb people I have ever met. They treated more like family and cared for me like my own parents would. Shorty =P, made sure that my itinerary was in order, printed it and made 100% sure I was well prepared. She (I guess that gives it away) gifted me train tickets through the entire country, first class on the best trains Romania offers. She kept in touch daily to ensure all is well and even gave me advice on what to see and where. As for The Dr. Well he is a man after my own passons, fond of photography and all things tech. He made sure I had a cell phone, helped transfer the almost 2,500 photos via his lap top and kept in regular contact to make sure all is well.

They are two of the coolest people I've ever met. They are our friends, but they could just as well be family, since they treated my as their own son. I was quite spoiled while in their care, but its something I can definitely get used to. =P

Thank you "Mulţumesc!"

Lîngă Poşta Vitan

2007-04-27T07:29:00.000-07:00

By the third day of my vacation I was really starting to notice the surrounding architecture. And while I am not generally fond of modern buildings, there are a few in Bucharest I really liked. The first was THIS one. The one pictured here is located practically across the street from the postal office in the Vitan zone, or "Lîngă Poşta Vitan".

I really like this picture, it has a very soft appearance. And while I dont normally like to place the subject square in the middle of the photo, I think in this worked out pretty well.

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: None
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/2000s f/5 at 17.0mm iso320

Bună dimineaţa!

2007-04-27T07:22:00.000-07:00

One of the best things in the world is waking up in the morning and not having anything to worry about. Not having to get ready for work, not having to bother with schedules, chores, errands. Nothing!

My biggest concern this morning was whether I should have "clătite", "gogoşi" or "cozonac" for breakfast. The perfect morning really.

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: None
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/1000s f/5 at 17.0mm iso500

La Zona Vitan

2007-04-26T08:06:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken just a few moments after the one posted below.

Bucharest is a really a really funny city. You can spend all day finding things to dislike about it, such as all the run down buildings or the poor condition of the roads. Yet every once in a while this city manages to surprise with a beautiful sunset like this one. I suppose that's Bucharest, a city of high contrast. A place where its practically impossible to completely love it or completely hate it. So no matter how much you may want to hate it, you will inevitably find things to love about it.

Of course I can tell you right now, no matter how much I want to love it, I still cant get over crappy roads. =P

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: None
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/1000s f/5 at 26.0mm iso400

O Seară In Roz

2007-04-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

A beautiful dusk in Bucharest.

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: None
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/1000s f/5 at 26.0mm iso400

Small Apology

2007-04-26T07:55:00.000-07:00

This blog seems to be getting a bit overweight as a result of all the under-optimized graphics and the rather hefty three galleries located in the sidebar. The result is unfortunately slow load times even for people with decent high-speed connections. I will try and put the blog on a diet as soon as possible, but in the mean time, sorry for the slow loading.

Ciao

Către Casă

2007-04-25T21:48:00.000-07:00

I took this photo while walking (more like hobbling) back home from my first day in Bucharest.

Warning, the rest of what you are about to read is slightly graphic. So of course I'll try and be as descriptive as possible. =P

Let me first start by saying Bucharest is a very walkable city. While it is very very very populated, only 16km (or about 12 miles) span the length of this city. So anyone with some endurance can just as well manage a brisk walk or in my case a day long marathon. If you do visit Bucharest I strongly recommend you get out and see it. Walk as much as possible to as many places as possible. But, and this is where the graphic part starts, get some decent shoes and cut your toe nails. So the story goes like this. I had just bought a pair of Pumas. So, good pair of shoes? Check! Now I was ready to set off on my Tour De Bucharest (just doesn't sound as good as Tour De France). Hmmm...it almost seems like I've forgotten something. Ehh, cant be anything important.

So off I was and some 4 hour into my meandering about the city I start to get some serious pain in my right foot. At first I thought I was just sore or was possibly developing a cramp. No worries, I am sure it will be fine. More walking and more pain. Well by the time I manage to get home and capture this photo on the way I am hobbling like person who's been shot in the foot. Ha! Funny thing is that its not too far from the truth. What had happened is my fancy new shoes had bunched my toes up. No problem there, except that one toe nail had dug into the adjacent toe. So about 5 hours of walking and a bunch of pain later, I had a partially bloody foot. All because I hadn't bothered to take care of my feet. Sadly I have no pictures as proof. How ironic.

So, to recap. Get good shoes and take care of your feet. Now off you go! =)

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: None
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/1000s f/5 at 26.0mm iso200

In Roşu La Palat

2007-04-25T09:55:00.000-07:00

A little old lady waiting just outside "Palatul Parlamentului". I really like this picture, unfortunately because of the crop, the resolution is close to native, so some detail is lost.

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: Considerable Crop, Desaturate (except lady), Lighting Effect: Spotlight, Brightness -15, Contrast +15
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/2000s f/5 at 35.0mm iso200

Palatul Parlamentului

2007-04-25T07:59:00.000-07:00

Wow, was this picture difficult to work with. I suppose thats fitting considering what this building represents.

The brief history of this rather large building (third largest in the world) is that it was constructed by the communists just prior to the revolution in 1989 as a show piece. The story goes like this. Back around 1984 Nicolae Ceauşescu's, the then communist dictator decided he needed a palace befitting his swollen ego. So what does he do? He tears down a whole city block known as Uranus and begins to build. Apparently the block that he destroyed was quite nice and had several old and beautiful villas. Though I don't suppose that crossed their mind when they were doing the building. From what I've been told a great deal of people lost their lives during the construction, which must have cost an immeasurable amount of money. And finally to add insult to injury, the decided to call it "Casa Poporului" or The House of the People. Their reasoning is that it was built exclusively with material from all over Romania and thus everyone in the country contributed. Though I doubt Ceauşescu invited the people to "their house" to thank them.

So now it is known as "Palatul Parlamentului", or Palace of the Parliament. Its worth seeing for historical value, but otherwise its a testament to malevolence and loss.

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: High Pass Filter, Brightness -20, Contrast +15, Color Gradient Black (Top to Bottom)
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/3200s f/5 at 20.0mm iso500

Soare In Bucuresti

2007-04-24T08:33:00.000-07:00

I've told people that the sun does come out in Bucharest, but none believed me. To that I say "Voila!"

I should add that I apparently cannot spell the word 'sun' in Romanian. Its pronounced "Sua-re" but written "Soare". Not a big deal unless Romanians are reading your blog.

Sorry! =)

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: None
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/1250s f/5 at 17.0mm iso100

La Unirii Si Libertatii

2007-04-24T07:32:00.000-07:00

While using a Digital SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera I ran into what has to be the stupidest problem a photographer can have. My pictures at times are slightly tilted to the right. That is the left side of the picture is higher than the right as a result of not holding the camera correctly. What I then have to do is go into Photoshop and Rotate Canvas between 0.5 to 1.0 degrees counter clockwise. This is all the more apparent on any photo that has a distinct horizon, like the photo above.

So why does this happen? Well this being my first DSLR, I was not used to the sheer size of the camera. Also, most DSLR's do not show a live view of the photo you are about to take on the LCD monitor affixed to the back. This is actually a good thing, since it's better to look through the eyepiece. Plus its a more traditional way of taking photos and I would still use it even if there was an LCD view option. The problem comes up when I am using the eye piece. It is set pretty flush with the back of the camera, so as a result you have to tilt your head ever so slightly to see clearly through it. Well rather than make all the effort of tilting my head, I've been accidentally tilting the camera.

Oops!

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: Brightness -15, Contrast +15, Lighting Effect: Omnilight, Canvas Rotate 0.7 CCW
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/2000s f/5 at 20.0mm iso500

Către Palat

2007-04-23T19:32:00.000-07:00

A picture worth 100 Ron.

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: Brightness -15, Contrast +15
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/1000s f/5.6 at 85.0mm iso500

La Joc

2007-04-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

I took this photo twice and it didn't come out very good either time. The first was while going towards "Palatul Parlamentului" and the second while returning from a restaurant. This is the second photo. The problem has to do with Romanian weather. If its not overcast its hazy, neither of which help when trying to take a respectable photo.

So I had to do a lot of Photoshop touch up to get it this far. The photo itself came out alright, but I think the most interesting part is the subject matter. For anyone (Romanians) interested/curious, this photo was taken on "Bulevardul Unirii" between the intersections with "Bulevardul Mircea Voda" and "Strada Traian". Anyway, in front of this very broken down building were some kids playing soccer. What caught my eye was just how ugly and beat up this building(s) was. Then I realized that despite that, the kids were having a great time, completely unaware of it.

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: Too many things too list, anyway its very modified.
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/400s f/5.6 at 72.0mm iso500

Lînga Trotoar

2007-04-23T09:38:00.000-07:00

Taken while walking towards "Palatul Parlamentului".

Photo Location: Bucharest, Romania
Photo Touchup: None
Exif: Canon EOS 30D, 1/2500s f/5 at 41.0mm iso500