One of the defining things that place a photograph as being an artefact depicting a slice of reality, a copy of reality in a way, is the clarity of the lines and all the details that resemble the thing actually photographed.
I wanted something different but sincerely straight from the camera. Something that looks like fantasy but is no Photoshop trick.The resulting imagery strives for the perfection and harmony of the lines when painting with the digital sensor.
Transience is a long-term project (4 years+) using intentional camera movement technique (ICM) to achieve true impressionist photography at a level seldom reached in the past. It strives for the perfection and harmony of the lines when painting with the digital sensor. The photographer’s ‘stroke’ (as in painting), the colors obtained with special filters, all this aims to bring a touch of magic to the world of the straight, clear photograph, a touch of ‘what if that is a photo and not a painting” or ‘I wander how he does that’. A small tingle of wonder in a world where almost everything was already photographed. My goal was to photograph reality in a way that it no longer looks real, palpable, but more like we are made of mist, particles or light waves. A photograph that depicts reality in an unreal way.
Over 80.000 images were shot, with over 40.000 remaining in the catalogued database. From this, the best and the best of the best were selected. It would have been nearly impossible on film, so it’s all digital. All the colors are obtained by using special filters on the camera lens, then by the usual digital processing in Lightroom&Photoshop. I also wanted to treat color differently so I used special filters on the photo lens, obtaining color sets without artificial digital processing, just regular color correction of raw files. All images have no photo manipulation and are true photos straight from the camera. The main character portrait series of the Transience project:
The Dream Portraits series ( staged photography)
I believe portraiture can deal with more than the standard of the real world characters and faces. Using intentional camera movement technique (ICM) and staged photography I wanted to depict fantasy characters out of a personal dream and give out the feeling of a surreal dream. The portraits from the series have masks, props (wings, other implements) and clothes made in-house, by the photographer, and are staged in carefully picked natural spots or specific places to obtain different moods.
The Magic of Venice Series
I arrived at the Venice Carnival, fully aware of the difficult possibilities ahead. I tried to bring some of the old carnival magic back, by making photos look like impressionist scenes from a dream. In that way, you can’t see the flashy or sometimes cheap adornments on some of the costumes, and light glitters make light trails.The Venice carnival of old was probably a more mysterious event, with masks and costumes sometimes lost in streets all over the city – now it has lost some of that mood, because of tourism and everyone taking photos of all the costumes. Most masks you can meet only in the very center or at specific spots. Photographing with ICM has changed that and created a world more beautiful than in reality, which in a way, was my goal.
The Sparkle Series (staged photography)
I found a way to catch light on a chosen special material in such a way that it resembles light particles in motion. Thus, I combined two motions at the same time, the motion of the photo camera and that of a moving character.The results range from very abstract to a kind of light sculptures, from which sometimes a face can be seen peering through the streaks of light. By using different motions and poses, I tried to give a dynamic feel to the images as well as freeze the movement in time. The results seem to depict spirits made of light, as if transported to this plane of existence from another world, a world with less gravity and near to no solidity.
About Daniel Munteanu
Daniel Munteanu is a visual artist skilled in many digital visual art areas, specializing in fine art staged and studio photography, (Ikebana-like fantasy arrangements photographed with artificial lighting), creative photography and impressionist photography using ICM.For the last five years he has been working at the Transience impressionist project, travelling in different cities and natural settings in Europe, experimenting and shooting more than 80.000 images for this project alone, with the goal of turning photographed reality into fantastical paintings.He has previous experience in visual arts in the field of 3D computer graphics and landscape environments. In late years adding skills in music videos creation (filming, editing) and experimental short films, along with creative writing, voice-over and sound design. Awards and honorable mentions at international photo competitions, such as IPA, International Color Awards, Prix du Paris. Solo exhibitions in Romania and Japan. (Official Website)