Vlad Dodan – weblog
18Jan/100

Leica 24 (nov.-dec. 2009)

I mixed some of the films and I`m to lazy to fix that now. This roll was supposed to go before the one with Cosmin.
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Teach me tonight - Roots

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This concert took place at the Romanian Cultural Institute and was part of Harry Tavitian`s Teach me Tonight series, and had the sole purpose of enlightening the audience with a little bit of jazz and blues history.
Although Harry talked about the roots of blues for about 15-20min at the beginning, I`m glad he did `cause I learned some new things. Some got bored pretty fast and even shouted "Let`s get on with the music..." but clearly the concert was not for them.

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Harry had two guest players Vali "Sir Blues" Racila (slide guitar, delta blues) and Marcian Petrescu (harmonica) and they were both amazing.

I actually know Vali Racila for almost 11 years now. He used to come to my home town (Bacau) collaborating with the FSC (a non-profit organization created to support the people in need). And through common friends he got to know my father, who later brought me to Vali`s "friends-only" 1h concerts at a cup of tea. I remember one day he brought me two CD`s. The first one was an Emerson, Lake and Palmer album (can`t remember precisely the name) and the other one was Buddy Guy and Junior Well Live in Chicago (1993). I listened to them both and I chose to follow the Buddy Guy way. Since then I`m a blues fan, and in 2007 when I was in Chicago, I met him at his bar. I ran and bought the exact album (The 1993 Chicago concert) and had him sign it. Only God knows were`s that album now, but I sure have the pictures to remember about it.
But I digress. Since then I tried to be at all of Vali`s concerts. Missed a few.

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Marcian Petrescu is one of the best Romanian harmonica players. I actually wanted to start studying harmonica with him but I never found the time. He is the lead singer of "Trenul de Noapte" (Midnight Train) band and had the pleasure of opening  Sugar Blue`s Romanian tour concerts, last year.

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The whole performance ended just under 2.5h and it was brilliant. The only spice missing from all these ingredients was "more Harry at the piano", I mean, it was great, but you just can`t have enough piano.

More info about the event @ Harry Tavitian`s Blog -> Here and here
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Alex Galmeanu`s "Contact Lenses" Photography Exhibition

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I don`t want to say bad things about the expo `cause he might kick my ass, but I just can`t resist:

  • the space was to small thus overcrowded.
  • most of the pictures were wonderful, but a few of them ... "what was he thinkin` showing these next to the really good ones?"  (this is my opinion and does not reflect a majority)

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Late ride home

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I snapped this one waiting for the metro one night. Dristor station 11:00 PM.
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http://www.icr.ro/bucuresti/

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17Jan/100

Help Portrait – Cosmin (dec.2009)

I dedicated 12/12/2009  to the Help Portrait movement.

-basically you take your camera and use it to put a smile on someones face. Take their picture, print it and deliver it. No strings attached.

Out of everybody Cosmin moved me the most.

  • He`s a single child.
  • He thinks he can play basketball.
  • He said he played in his high-school`s team as a pivot.
  • He said he had an accident and can`t play anymore.
  • When the cellphone dropped from his jacket, he almost freaked out. I asked him why and he replayed "This phone was my mom`s and she game it to me as a present for my 18th birthday. I must not break it"
  • He doesn`t really understand the concept of guarding an opponent or dribbling. He just likes to shoot hoops.
  • His friends call him "Smecheru`" (I`m having a hard time translating this in English) or "Sageata" (as in Arrow).

These ar just quick facts. I played some basketball with him (mostly as his ball retriever). Stayed there on the court for about 1h. after 25min a kid came by with his grand`ma to play football at the other end of the playground. Boy, that kid missed the goal from 3ft away, but when he hit the ball in our direction, he struck Cosmin in the back of the head from more than 20ft. That very moment I wanted to be Kyle and score a home-run with that kid.

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When I got there I just wanted to shoot some hoops. When I left, I had a story and a new friend.

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4Dec/099

Leica – 22 (The one with the fashion show…)

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Kodak TRI-X
ASA 400 @ 1600
Processed in Rodinal 1:25 / 12min
Scan: Canon CanoScan 4400f

The one with the fashion show...

The winter ski collection by Stephan Pelger (first picture) for Vuarnet.

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And the bus-stop...

This bus-stop is point A in my A-B trip from the University to the warmth of the couch. And yes, that`s everyday Bucharest traffic at his best, right there!

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And my friends...

Three of my colleagues and in the next picture you can see that night`s game party.

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And the recording studio.

(left to right) Smiley and two of his friends in his recording studio.Leica_22-037

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3Dec/094

Leica 20-21 (Jo`s Birthday)

First roll - Kodak TRI-X

27th of September

Chez Marie

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Oktoberfest

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Second Roll - Rollei Retro 400s @ ASA3200

27-28th of September

El Comandante

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The Studio

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City Grill

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5th of October

Back at the Crib

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1Dec/092

Leica – 17 (Alexunu and the Daydreamers Project)

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Rollei Retro
ASA 400
6 out of 36 frames
Processed in Rodinal 1:50 / 12min
Scan: Canon CanoScan 4400f

This is one of those films that stays in the camera for weeks and you can`t really make it a "one subject roll". So I chose 6 pictures 5 of them taken in the studio where Alexandra Sandu is taking photos for the Daydreamers project and the first one is taken in the old part of Bucharest (on the way to the studio).

The guy in the 2nd and 5th picture is the photographer Alexandru Matusciac.

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26Nov/093

Leica 15-16 (Andreea and Coen)

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Kodak TRI-X
ASA 400
Processed in Ilfosol 12min (@mini-lab) - and they did a terrible job
Scan: Canon CanoScan 4400f

2009.08.23 - The (Romanian) Wedding Day

I wrote (Romanian) `cause they got married in The Netherlands prior to this event. Coen is Dutch and Andreea ... well you guessed - Romanian.
They decided that a wedding done by our customs will be a good thing.

The day before the wedding Coen got baptized - Ioan so that the holly matrimony could take place in one of our churches.

There are many things to tell but I`m hoping the pictures will cover that.

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And a few from our D90... (shot either by me or by Ioana)
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I hope you liked the pictures and enjoyed the song. (yes, there`s a song at the beginning of this entry)

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