Hassle

Shaorma

Decat O Revista is an independent magazine that I contribute to. For their second issue, they came up with this crazy idea of a fashion shoot that combined expensive designer clothing with shaorma, a Middle Eastern sandwich wrap, a type of fast-food that tends to be very popular in Romania, especially within the working class. I guess this was my first fashion shoot. Weird as it may seem, it was a lot of fun. And very tasty.

Freelance Conundrums

I've recently quit my steady job at Mediafax, after working for them for about four years. It's been great for what it was, I am grateful for the confidence they have always shown me and I am positive that it still is the best place to be in, for a news photographer, in this country.

Nevertheless, I felt it was time to move on. I hope to stray a little bit from news photography and devote more time to working on stories and perhaps improving the way I make portraits. This freedom I now enjoy does not come without a price, of course. Freelancing - some down-to-earth friends call it unemployment - brings up a challenging conundrum: how do you shoot what you like and at the same time keep paying your bills on time? Hopefully the answer to this question will not prove to be too painful.

Strongly Recommended: Carry Me Ohio

This is a lovely book by a great photographer, Matt Eich. Here's how you can get one of these limited edition books. Keep in mind that a way to promote great photography is to support each other's work.

Cobain

Each year on May 1st, a lot of rockers, punkers and basically everyone else in Bucharest who's got nothing better to do heads for Vama Veche, a small village/hip resort on the Black Sea coast. I went there to photograph the crowds for DOR magazine. Shit hit the fan when people started a bonfire competition. It's the first time I have seen a bar floor pulled apart and set on fire.

A Moment in Time. My Contribution.

Here's my contribution to NYT's project called "A Moment in Time". Mircea Mitran, 77 year-old, plays with two of the kids in his herd, in the village of Limanu, approximately 260 km SE of Bucharest, Romania.

Floral

Happy Easter!

The Easter lamb in Romania is pretty much like the Thanksgiving turkey in the US. Except that around here there's no Presidential pardon for any of these guys.

Ode to Brandon

and anyone else who's been using this particular reflection technique. Businessman Bobby Paunescu poses for a portrait. One of Paunescu's companies has recently bought Evenimentul Zilei, one of the most prominent Romanian newspapers.

People walk slowy on an icy street downtown Bucharest.

Miruna

Ceausescu

Emil Barbulescu, nephew of Romania's former communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu, poses for a portrait in Ceausescu's childhood house in Scornicesti (photo 1). A mere 150 kilometers from Bucharest, the quiet town of Scornicesti is attracting foreign tourists interested in the house where Nicolae Ceausescu was born.

Protester

Wrap up of a rally.

Frozen

Sunday to Monday night was the coldest night of the year in Romania so far. Thermometers recorded -34 degrees Celsius (-29Fahrenheit). Dozens of people have died of hypothermia. All of these people were homeless. Authorities are trying to put them in shelters. However, there are a few that either do not know about these shelters, or simply refuse to go. I've started documenting the work of an NGO that's helping people in this situation. Below, Danut Cretu reaches out for a cup of hot soup delivered by social workers. Cretu lives on the streets and sleeps underneath heating pipes at night.

iPhone Alps Apps

The phone went skiing as well.

If There's a Heaven

I hope it looks like the Austrian Alps and they'd better have Atomic skis there.

iPhone: Snowfall

iPhone Portraits

I shot some of my friends. With an iPhone. They survived.

Snowed In

Platon for The New Yorker

This past September, when nearly all the world’s leaders were in New York for a meeting of the United Nations, Platon, a staff photographer for this magazine, set up a tiny studio off the floor of the General Assembly, and tried to hustle as many of them in front of his lens as possible.

Here's the link: http://www.newyorker.com/online/multimedia/2009/12/07/091207_audioslideshow_platon

Bookfest Backstage

Yet Another Rally

National Day Parade

Soldiers in a packed bus, heading back to their base after Romania's National Day parade.

Paper Bag Smile

Scenes from a Mall

Gorillaz Sound System

Political Prisoner

Mr. Dionisie Darau pauses for a few seconds, while speaking about the time he has spent in prison. "When one of us died, we kept it a secret as long as possible, so that we could all share his food ration. I weighed 29 kilograms (63 lbs.) when I left this place." I photographed him during a group visit to Jilava, a former detention site for political prisoners after the start of Communist rule in Romania.

Mr. Biden

On assignment for Mediafax, I had to cover Joe Biden's one-day visit in Bucharest.

House of Hope

It's been a while since I last posted. I recently did a little story on palliative care. I spent a week in a hospice in Brasov, where an amazing staff takes really good care of terminally ill patients. I also met some great people among the patients, whose strength and optimism were incredible.

Since I last posted, I've updated my website, so if you've got nothing better to do go to andreipungovschi.com and tell me what you think. You'll also find more images from the hospice on the website. Thanks for looking! Feedback's welcome, as usual.

Skates