Claudia Curici Photography
Exploring my passion for photography
Snippets of city life. Dubai and Bucharest
Every single details we see around us is a small part of the DNA of that city. Can you guess which ones are Dubai and which ones are Bucharest?
Hidden treasures
If there is one thing I am really bad at, it’s organising my pictures. So far I only have one system: I mark my best photos with 5 stars, save them in a folder on my computer called Best pictures, then copy them in another folder on my desktop where I resize them for online use. That’s all. One thing I don’t do though, I don’t delete old pictures unless they are really no good. Every time I go through the old folders I find one, two pics that I like, like these two below. They were taken in October in Romania, both with Fuji x100s. The first one was a jpg straight out of the camera (ISO 5000, f11), the second one just slightly edited (ISO 200, f2.8). I have no idea why I didn’t choose them at first, but I’m glad I found them now.
Vertical structures and skies
The reason I put these two pictures together is because they were taken in the same day (2-Dec, the national day of the UAE, hence the flag), with the same camera and lens; first one in the morning, the second one late afternoon. First, seems to be the biggest crane in the world (at least that’s what I heard), second one the tallest building in the world (that’s for sure).
Sunset portraits series: Cristina
When you are a beginner photographer, not many people are interested to pose for you, so naturally we all start with family and friends. Well, it took my sister one year to consider it (true, she is not the self obsessed type and she doesn’t like to pose); I patiently waited because I knew it’s worth it :). And I think she did pretty well for a first time. All the pics are taken with my Nikon D5300 and my 40mm lens.
A little human bonds with his mom
This weekend I had my first impromptu photoshoot with a little human (and his mom). Although at the time of the photoshoot the room didn’t have enough light, and we didn’t have any fancy and fluffy props, the little human has such an adorable face that both me and the parents were happy with the result. My focus was to capture some interaction with the mom and one of my favourite photo is the one below. I converted most of the pictures to black and white to eliminate some of the distraction, but the few ones I managed to get in colour I’m very happy with – the skin is pinkish and soft, and I could obtain that mainly by lowering a little bit the contrast and adjusting the temperature. And no matter how much I would like to show his adorable face to the world, I think the little human has the right to some privacy before he can decide to make or not his own FB account 🙂
Eyes are blind, you have to look with the heart
“People where you live,” the little prince said, “grow five thousand roses in one garden… yet they don’t find what they’re looking for…
“They don’t find it,” I answered.
“And yet what they’re looking for could be found in a single rose, or a little water…”
“Of course,” I answered.
And the little prince added, “But eyes are blind. You have to look with the heart.”
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince
PS – This pic was taken a while ago, is a rose in my mom’s garden; I call it the floating rose.
‘White balance’
First time I discovered ‘white balance’ when I was doing a research before photographing my first sunset. Someone was saying is better to use cloudy white balance as it will give the sunset that warm and dramatic look. That someone was right. About a month ago I attended a workshop by Bryan Peterson, and one of the things he mentioned is how much he loves to play with white balance settings, straight in the camera, especially for blue hour photography. This is my first attempt, and the below is the second one. These photos didn’t need much editing, each of them is very close to how they came out of the camera (I used different white balance settings).
The pictures are taken in Dubai Marina, from a bridge, after sunset.
Peace
“Christian, Jew, Muslim, shaman, Zoroastrian, stone, ground, mountain, river, each has a secret way of being with the mystery, unique and not to be judged” – Rumi
This is another photo from my walk in Jumeirah last night. I saw a glimpse of this beautiful mosque while on the beach and I adventured to find the best location to shoot it. If one day I’ll leave Dubai, there are two things I will most miss: the safety (where else I could walk with expensive photo equipment, at night, on small streets, and feeling safe?) and the fact that people of so many nationalities and so many different religions live together peacefully.
Blue on blue
“The sky grew darker, painted blue on blue, one stroke at a time, into deeper and deeper shades of night.” H. Murakami, Dance Dance Dance
My plan today was to go to the beach and take some sunset pictures but skies were pretty bland (it seems like all the spectacular sunsets happen when I am at work…). The blue hour, a tripod and some interesting white balance made for some nice pics in the end.
I am Earth, I am Water, I am Fire, I am Wind, I am Sky
It’s easy to forget what we really are and where we are coming from when we are surrounded by skyscrapers, fireworks, cars and the kind. I don’t have any special wishes or resolutions for 2015, except harmony and balance. I wish I don’t get lost in the hustle and bustle of the modern life and I remind myself everyday who I really am (not what I have). I am Earth, I am Water, I am Fire, I am Wind, I am Sky.
I wish you all a beautiful, peaceful and harmonious life.
The five elements through my lenses (I don’t know if this is a coincidence or not, but all the pictures below are taken in Romania):
EARTH – Chi (sometimes ji) or tsuchi, meaning “Earth”, represents the hard, solid objects of the earth. The most basic example of chi is in a stone. Stones are highly resistant to movement or change, as is anything heavily influenced by chi. In people, the bones, muscles and tissues are represented by chi. Emotionally, chi is predominantly associated with stubbornness, collectiveness, stability, physicality, and gravity. It is a desire to have things remain as they are; a resistance to change. In the mind, it is confidence. When under the influence of this chi mode or “mood”, we are aware of our own physicality and sureness of action. (Wikipedia)
WATER – Sui or mizu, meaning “Water”, represents the fluid, flowing, formless things in the world. Outside of the obvious example of rivers and the lake, plants are also categorized under sui, as they adapt to their environment, growing and changing according to the direction of the sun and the changing seasons. Blood and other bodily fluids are represented by sui, as are mental or emotional tendencies towards adaptation and change. Sui can be associated with emotion, defensiveness, adaptability, flexibility, suppleness, and magnetism. (Wikipedia)
FIRE – Ka or hi, meaning “Fire”, represents the energetic, forceful, moving things in the world. Animals, capable of movement and full of forceful energy, are primary examples of ka objects. Bodily, ka represents our metabolism and body heat, and in the mental and emotional realms, it represents drive and passion. ka can be associated with security, motivation, desire, intention, and an outgoing spirit. (Wikipedia)
WIND – Fū or kaze, meaning “Wind”, represents things that grow, expand, and enjoy freedom of movement. Aside from air, smoke, and the like, fū can in some ways be best represented by the human mind. As we grow physically, we learn and expand mentally as well, in terms of our knowledge, our experiences, and our personalities. Fū represents breathing, and the internal processes associated with respiration. Mentally and emotionally, it represents an “open-minded” attitude and carefree feeling. It can be associated with will, elusiveness, evasiveness, benevolence, compassion, and wisdom. (Wikipedia)
SKY / VOID – Kū or sora, most often translated as “Void”, but also meaning “sky” or “Heaven”, represents those things beyond our everyday experience, particularly those things composed of pure energy. Bodily, kū represents spirit, thought, and creative energy. It represents our ability to think and to communicate, as well as our creativity. It can also be associated with power, creativity, spontaneity, and inventiveness. Kū is of particular importance as the highest of the elements. In martial arts, particularly in fictional tales where the fighting discipline is blended with magic or the occult, one often invokes the power of the Void to connect to the quintessential creative energy of the world. A warrior properly attuned to the Void can sense their surroundings and act without thinking, and without using their physical senses. (Wikipedia)
Claudia Curici Photography 