Interview with photographer Emilian Avrămescu
by Editor Wicher Bos 
Published: 19th of March 2020

Emilian, thank you for your willingness to answer a few questions about this mysterious image, it seems a bit surreal. At least that is what caught my eye in the first place. The title “Another Mask” strengthens this feeling, making it even more mysterious.

'Another Mask' by Emilian Avrămescu

Can you please share what triggered you to create this image?
It was not something that I prepared in advance.  The composition of this photograph is the result of my vision at that particular moment.  I created this picture as a result of an emotion I felt back than.

Your profile says: “I try to extract from the context what I see. Only that.” What is this context that inspired you? About what do you want people to think?
I think photographic art is the most fascinating story about time meeting space. As a photographer, I always ask myself: how much and what can fit in a moment? How much time, how much space, how many events and how many worlds can fit in a moment? In that second in which, from tens of stories that are taking place around him, the photographer extracts only one of them: the one that will become a photograph. When you are passionate about photography, you are forced to see the world in photographical frames. This always happens to me.

How did you prepare for this photo? What came first the idea or the situation?
The figure in the background seems important to the story. Where was this intriguing photo taken?
As I was saying, I didn’t prepare for this photograph. I was on a beach, with some friends passionate about photography. They were experiencing a series of photographic frames, using a model and a mask. All of a sudden, one of them asked me to keep the mask for several minutes. I had my phone in my right hand, so I immediately decided to use it and try to take some photos myself. I saw that silhouette from afar and I composed the picture, using the mask that I had in my left hand. The passing of my fingers through the “eyes” of the mask is not a hazard – it was my choice. I saw a metaphor about the human isolation and alienation, about the fact that we are forced to wear social masks, to play certain roles that are not suitable for us. Therefore, I extracted from the context. I wasn’t comfortable, but I did my best. I took two or three photos. Finally, I chose this one.     

How does your post processing workflow for this picture look like?
I considered the photo to be suggestive enough in its initial phase. The post processing was easy and it was performed with an application installed on my phone (Snap seed).  Afterwards, for small improvements, I used Photo Scape on a computer. Nothing special or complicated.  Lately, I have been using my phone to take pictures very often.  Moreover, some photographs taken with my phone were accepted on 1x.com as well.

Short Biography  
I was born in 1974. I live in the city of ConstanÈ›a (Romania) on the Black Sea shore. I work as a counsellor (law adviser). I started practising photography more seriously in 2012, when I took up a course of photographic art. At the same time or afterwards I took part in other photo courses and workshops. I consider that he pictures I saw published  on 1x.com helped me improve my vision to a considerable extent. I don’t consider myself to be a real photographer and even less an artist. But I would like to become one, one day.

Thank you so much Emilian!
I thank you too! It was an honour for me to talk to you.