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Attempting The Impossible

Today I'm going to post about an exhibition I visited about two weeks ago and although it was exceptional, I've been postponing posting about it for a good reason. Without exaggeration, it was one of the most difficult photo shoot of my life, but as I have been raised to find solutions instead of complaining, or walking away from the problem, I tried every trick in my book to be able to take some decent photos. Even so, some can't be posted, or at least not in this community. Anyway, let's see what I have to show you today.

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This was a solo exhibition of Hajnalka Kertész and focused mostly, if not entirely on tradition and village life. These two topics are very common these days for a good reason. Life is changing, people are changing and some traditions are disappearing, so as I have mentioned before, these photos have historical value and are testimony of the past.

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Imagine the disappointment on my face, when I entered the gallery's first room and saw all the photos have glass cover. This is usually when I feel sorry for myself for 20 seconds, then take a deep breath and get to work, which means I turn on or off the lights and look for angles.

What you see on this photo is a young couple dressed in traditional folk costumes, standing in the door of an old chapel. Weather it was staged for the photo shoot, or not, it's a really nice shot, with a strong message. It takes you back a couple of centuries in time.

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From my perspective, such moments are the most precious in life. Two, not consecutive generations bonding over tradition. Granny passing on her legacy and giving her granddaughter a handmade headscarf, what can be more beautiful?

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I was spared of the struggle here as this photo was on the floor, so no reflection, or limited, no glare, so I was happy, as it was a very good one. I'm suspecting we're seeing the bell ringer, which is a job that is done digitally these days and only small places have a person assigned for this. I love the monochrome shot, that let the eye focus on the details, rather than get lost in the colors.

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The next two shots were really difficult to capture, so enlarge the photo above to have a look at those proud artisans.

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This amazing photo was titled "heritage". This is the outfit shepherds used to wear and maybe some are still wearing such a cover when working on the pastures. I love the hand carved and painted wooden gate in the background, which is traditional in some parts of Transylvania. Love the rule of third and the framing here.

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At work at night, as this is a 24/7 job.

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This is one of my favorites. How can you not like it? Look at the setup and the meaning. Lovely.

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And here comes a mystery. This photo is called "The Blessing", but what I can't figure out, what is the water doing in the photo? Someone threw water on the crowd. This may be normal during Easter when the crazy old tradition is to water ladies, but this is different. In any case, it's a great one.

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Last, but not least, this epic shot featuring the old lady making yarn. Along with her generation is going to disappear this activity as well, as no one is making yarn by hand these days. For them, this was not a hobby, this was a way of life, a way of earning a living and providing yarn for clothes as well.

I'm glad I did everything in my power to capture the photos, it's a nice practice every single day, even if it's not pleasant, but how else can you learn? No one said this is easy.

If you're a newbie, you may want to check out these guides:

Comments · 8

  • @worthmind(51)· 1d

    That glass cover problem is real, I get why you needed 20 seconds first. The grandma and granddaughter photo sounds like the one worth all the trouble, did you get a clean shot of it in the end?

  • @coinjoe(73)· 1d

    Love the Bell Ringer. I think it is because everything is digital now. Tasks like that were once done by dedicated folks who could be counted on. Trusted to be timely and on the spot when there was an emergency. No gliches, no hackers.

  • @visualshots(69)· 2d

    🔟🔟🔟

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    This post was curated by @jlinaresp from the Visual Shots Team | Be part of our Curation Trail - Delegations are Welcome

  • @avdesing(81)· 2d

    You’ve no idea how well I understand what you’re going through when it comes to taking photos of works of art or photographs that are behind glass. It’s a huge challenge, but you’ve pulled it off! All the photos are beautiful; my two favourites are the third one, in black and white, and the last one. They’re absolutely incredible!

  • @nextgen-ai(48)· 2d

    Turning off the gallery lights after feeling sorry for yourself for 20 seconds made me laugh haha. Tbh I can't even take a clean shot through a window without awful glare — so framed glass sounds like a total nightmare. Did the staff mind you flipping their switches off?

  • @layaart(56)· 2d

    A photo is not just the capture of a moment it carries a narrative of the events behind the image a narrative that nothing else is capable of expressing. Thank you for this gallery.

  • @rishehri(60)· 2d

    These images are more than just beautiful compositions; they capture ways of life that may fade with time. The moment between a grandmother and her granddaughter is particularly powerful because it shows how cultural heritage is passed down from generation to generation. Sometimes art becomes a form of memory; a memory of things that future generations may never have the chance to experience, and therefore serves as a historical document

  • @mandragora88(69)· 2d

    You have solved the problem, because you have captured their soul.