Interview with Marius Surleac; published in our print edition #22

The name “Invisible Man” comes from the photo with the same name, the BW street photo in which there are some kids on a pedestrian bridge and somewhere in the frame is an old man that is not present in the reflection (I used some of the basic physics tricks). Hence, it came to my mind the idea of sole people – even though we are in a group we still can be alone.

Marius Surleac is a Romanian bioinformatician, photographer & writer. Their project “The invisible man” was selected and published in our print edition 22

Their photos have been published in magazines and curated galleries such as Dodho Magazine, 1x, One Eyeland, Vogue Italia, 100ASA, PiART, Terra Quantum, National Geographic – Your Shot, FineArt-Portugal, Photographize Monochrome, Worbz, BLUR Magazine, Marika Magazine, JaamZIN Magazine, Monopix, Eye Photo Magazine, Zebra Monochrome Magazine. Their interests are in abstract, architectural, street, macro and wildlife photography.  [Official Website][Print Edition] [Digital Edition]

Can you tell us a little more about yourself? How did you get interested in photography?

I am from Romania. I have a BSc in Physics, a PhD in Biology (Bioinformatics) and I work as a Research Scientist III on Molecular Genetics at the National Institute for Infectious Diseases in Bucharest. I am also a writer and a translator – I write poetry and flash fiction, translate poetry En-to-Ro and vice-versa, I publish poetry in literary magazines worldwide. I do photography as a hobby. I like to listen to jazz music and to walk at least 10km daily. My interest in photography came suddenly about ten years ago when I found out about, and created a profile on, Instagram. I was doing photos with my phone at first and then I bought a semi-professional DSLR Nikon camera in 2015. From the first moment I fell in love with black and white photography. Probably, my background in Physics also had an impact on modelling my photographic style through time. For the last three years I’ve been shooting only with Olympus systems.

How would you define your general style photography? How do you get such a personal style?

I would define my style as candidly venturous and minimal. Candid because most of the photos I take in an instant, and venturous because I don’t have a particular idea in mind before I go out to take photos. The minimalism came a bit late, after retrospectively looking for the shots that I resonate mostly to. Usually, I take my camera and venture the streets to look for abstract and architectural elements that combine nicely in a geometric fashion, then I spare a few seconds to compose the frame in mind, just as I would like it to be. Aside from the architectural style that I regularly do, I also used to do street photography – I look for minimalism here in both composition and emotions. I tend to combine, when possible, the street with the architectural in a simple manner. In street photography I try to experiment as much as possible, especially with long & multiple exposures and panning, but only when I find the right place and time, that would allow that. On the other hand, I try to combine the minimalism with high-key and low-key photography to accentuate the subjects.

Which photographers have inspired you in your photographic work?

I don’t really have a favorite photographer. I usually try to be a self-taught person, therefore, at first, I had no idea about well-known photographers. I was more attracted by paintings, especially those of surrealist painters (e.g. Salvador Dali, René Magritte) and other artists that were rather focused on geometry (e.g. Piet Mondrian, Maurits Escher) and if I’m looking for the mood then the works of Hieronymus Bosch are very inspiring. The photographers I resonate the most with are Henri Cartier-Bresson, Misha Gordin, Jason M. Peterson, Antonio E. Ojeda, Jörg Heidenberger. I would add Andrei Tarkovsky to the list, since his movies are really inspiring in compositions.

Can you tell us about the Invisible Man project recently published in our magazine?

The name “Invisible Man” comes from the photo with the same name, the BW street photo in which there are some kids on a pedestrian bridge and somewhere in the frame is an old man that is not present in the reflection (I used some of the basic physics tricks). Hence, it came to my mind the idea of sole people – even though we are in a group we still can be alone. The same with the old man – he was alone, walking on that bridge, he was lost in his thoughts and such moments could happen to anyone, even if in a family, or if one is involved in a discussion, there could be short moments of solitude, that most of the time could go unnoticed. That’s what I try to capture in my street photos, and even in my architectural shots – even if we can’t see the person, it doesn’t mean that some elements are there for no reason; a story can be told behind every shot, we just have to imagine who triggers it.

How do you find that moment? What does a final Marius Surleac´s image have to have?

Usually I just go out to find the moment – I venture the streets a lot and look up everywhere for a possible subject. It wasn’t like that at the beginning, but in the last two years, or so, I noticed that even if I don’t have the camera with me, I still look everywhere around, as if I’m in a Hansel & Gretel story and I have to find my way back. Somehow, since I started to take photography seriously, I formed an automatism in which I scan everything around me. I also had a photographic memory long before I started taking photos. This helps me reconnect with various places that are worth shooting again. Usually, I can say a photo is final if it has a story to tell, a good composition, something that keeps me (or anyone else) connected more than just a few seconds. To cut the answer short, the final image needs to have a combination of elements: the composition with all the geometry, the subject that could be obvious or not (usually I enjoy the most the photos where the whole message is not easily seen), the contrast (and here I refer to an antithesis between elements) and the minimalism (where it is possible).

What’s your useable-to-unusable ratio when you review images from a shoot?

It depends. Typically, the useable photos are like 80% now compared with 10-20% maximum when I began taking photos. I don’t rush on shooting anything I see. However, from the 80% only about 5-10% I consider using further for magazine and photography contests submissions.

What photograph would you like to do and still have not been able to capture? What is the photo you will never do?

I would like to do astrophotography, light painting photography and drone photography, but I didn’t really have the chance due to the fact that I would have to travel a lot to low light pollution places and I don’t have a car nor wanting to drive one, I also don’t have a drone. I would also want to try more portrait photography. I couldn’t say that there is a photography style I will never do, but the one I’m less attracted to is wedding photography, for various reasons.

What future plans do you have? What projects would you like to accomplish?

I have such a busy schedule on my daily basis activities that I couldn’t plan something very steady on photography. I would like to travel abroad more, especially for architecture photography, since in Romania (or at least in big cities throughout the country) the modern architecture is quite similar in elements and colors, or other more interesting buildings or facades are surrounded by various noisy elements (such as lots of cables between street poles) or are very dirty. I would also like to approach various styles as the one mentioned on the previous question. For me, photography is about traveling, discovering new places, socializing and doing something else that would avoid routine, so as long as these conditions are met, then it’s absolutely fine with the current plans

More Stories

Interview with Stefanie Minzenmay; Published in our print edition #04

Interview with Stefanie Minzenmay; Published in our print edition #04

Once again the work of different photographers has been very well chosen and combined in this 04 edition, which is a perfect visual and haptic completion to the online dodho magazine.
Stigma by Chiara Felmini

Stigma by Chiara Felmini

In the area of Bhavnagar (region of Gujarat - India) I could go inside some factories where big iron plates (which arrived from the demolition of boats) were cut, melt and transformed in rods. Those rods are then used in reinforced concrete.
Kushti, the noble art by Marcello Perino

Kushti, the noble art by Marcello Perino

Kushti is a form of wrestling practiced in india, it's not just a sport actually, it's a lifestyle made up of strict rules which allow to earn a pure and noble living. Wrestlers live and train together followed by a guru who is also their spiritual guide.
https://www.dodho.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/bannerpr.jpg

We invite you to participate in the first edition of the Portrait Photography Awards. Our call is open to any artistic interpretation of portrait photography.

https://www.dodho.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/BAnImage.jpg

ImageRights provides intelligent image search and copyright enforcement services to photo agencies and professional photographers worldwide.

https://www.dodho.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/mono2022.jpg

The best 100 images along with the winning images published in the yearly book “Monochromatic – Best Photographers of 2022”

Call For Entries #24 | After 23 editions and more than 100 published photographers, our print edition has proven to be a simply effective promotional channel.

Five minutes with Cam Attree

Five minutes with Cam Attree

My ideal photographic situation probably changes quite a bit depending on my influences at the time.
Enric Montes ; Parallel worlds

Enric Montes ; Parallel worlds

After a life in photography, in 2009 he created his publishing house to publish his own projects.
Conceptual artist; The Lost Road by Francisco Diaz

Conceptual artist; The Lost Road by Francisco Diaz

The photographs I create are what I call cinematic narrative photomontages, fictions meant to seem like snapshots of "reality." The implication is that our reality is created through the limitations of our perceptions.
Lunch atop a skyscraper: The mysterious photo that portrays the resilience of a country

Lunch atop a skyscraper: The mysterious photo that portrays the resilience of a country

Lunch atop a skyscraper: This is, probably, the most epic picture of a lunch ever taken. Its protagonists are not influential or known characters (in fact, until today, only 2 of the 11 men photographed have been identified)
Five minutes with Olivier Borson

Five minutes with Olivier Borson

I’m 50 , French, I live in Reunion Island, which is a small French overseas territory close to Mauritius and Madagascar.
Memories and feelings; Sebastian Luczywo photography

Memories and feelings; Sebastian Luczywo photography

I am in favour of being interested in the world, searching new things, reaching for something you haven't experienced so far.
Cuba by Gaelle Guse

Cuba by Gaelle Guse

My first experience of Cuba was unforgettable: walking barefoot on the Malecon, the broad seawall which stretches for 8 km along the coast in Havana, we were surprised by a sudden storm and had to seek shelter with other locals under an apartment building.
Festival of Lilies by Umberto Lucarelli

Festival of Lilies by Umberto Lucarelli

The Festival of Lilies is a popular Catholic celebration that takes place every year at Nola (Naples, Italy) on the occasion of the patron saint celebration dedicated to San Paolino.
Inside the Camera Bag of Steve Davis

Inside the Camera Bag of Steve Davis

I use a Lowepro medium format bag, which at times isn’t large enough, but otherwise, I’m very happy with it. The bag has to be strong, reasonably comfortable to carry, and has to allow for quick access to everything.
Mysterious city Kolkata by Sourabh Sarma

Mysterious city Kolkata by Sourabh Sarma

Kolkata,the city of joy.But for me it’s city of love,city of emotions. People are here very friendly,busy also not busy at all. A city of ancient buildings to modern buildings.
Portraits of the New Parisians by Victor Guerin

Portraits of the New Parisians by Victor Guerin

For as long as I can remember, I was always the one taking photos of my family and friends at parties and family reunions, using a disposable camera or an old, cheap 35mm. I just wanted to cover the walls of my bedroom, with photos of happy moments and memories.
Barn American by Florian Ritter

Barn American by Florian Ritter

Driving a car from Seattle, Washington to Deer Isle, Maine feels like eating a hamburger as a main course and Chinese hot pot for dessert. It was quite an amazing tour one that opened my eyes to how diverse this country could be.
Photography, landscape and silence by Chuck Kimmerle

Photography, landscape and silence by Chuck Kimmerle

I have been a photographer, both professionally and artistically, for most of my adult life. After getting my bachelors degree in Photographic Engineering Technology (a now largely obsolete field of study) in 1987, I began working as a photojournalist at a handful of daily newspapers in the U.S. states of Minnesota, Pennsylvania and North Dakota.
Behind the Bars by Buket Özatay

Behind the Bars by Buket Özatay

This series is a part of documentary photography project which was taken in the women ward of central prison in North Nicosia, Cyprus with the permissions from Ministry of Internal Affairs and Nicosia Central Prison Directorate.
Gigapolis by Markus Kaesler

Gigapolis by Markus Kaesler

Attracted by the dynamic pulsation of the cities, people float like magic into the big metropolic areas all around the globe.
Wet-plate collodion process; My America by Rashod Taylor

Wet-plate collodion process; My America by Rashod Taylor

With this work I want the viewer to get a good look at what it is like living in America as a Black man. I use the wet-plate collodion process to connect the past to the present and explore the atrocities of slavery and Jim Crow

Featured Stories

UFO: Un-identified by Annick Donkers

UFO: Un-identified by Annick Donkers

The actual idea for the series started after visiting the International UFO Congress in Phoenix. I was impressed by the multitude of people attracted to this event and the secrecy surrounding the theme.
Ethnic diversity in the Horn of Africa by Trevor Cole

Ethnic diversity in the Horn of Africa by Trevor Cole

These images are taken in the Horn of Africa where the roots of humankind lie, and arguably is a region of the continent with one of the greatest ethnic diversities. The people are often tribal (Animist) in nature or have recently been converted from animism to Christianity or Islam.
Soul of India by Suvobroto Ray Chaudhuri

Soul of India by Suvobroto Ray Chaudhuri

The village is panorama of the charming scenes of nature. The scenery of the changing seasons has a profound effect on the village life. It brings a divine touch into human mind and makes life full of divine beauty. 60 percent of the population still lives in villages of India.
Collection of portraits; Created Equal by Mark Laita

Collection of portraits; Created Equal by Mark Laita

In America, the chasm between rich and poor is growing, the clash between conservatives and liberals is strengthening, and even good and evil seem more polarized than ever before.
Between Intervals by Maren Klemp

Between Intervals by Maren Klemp

My goal with this project is to raise awareness of mental health. "Between Intervals" is a plunge into the darker sides of the human mind, and the photographs are visual representations of conditions associated with mental illness.
Street photography by Joseph Atwere

Street photography by Joseph Atwere

My interest in still photography began in 2007. I bought my first camera which was a Canon 350D whilst on vacation in the US. I had quite a steep learning curve and spent many hours trying to get my head round the basics such as learning about f-stops etc.
Tokyo by Manol Valtchanov

Tokyo by Manol Valtchanov

Tokyo had always been a special place to me from my first visit. Since then, each of my travels there has meant a sort of break dedicated to an emotional research and sometimes even more to an inspirational flat-out.
No man´s land by Tine Poppe

No man´s land by Tine Poppe

Around 3000 rejected and "non-returnable" asylum seekers live in Norwegian asylum reception centres. They remain in an indefinite limbo situation for several years, without permission to work, no right to essential medical care and no possibility to leave for another country.
Saving Orangutans by Alain Schroeder

Saving Orangutans by Alain Schroeder

This series documents the incongruous behavior between man and the environment in Sumatra. On the one hand, humans destroy virgin forests wounding and killing animals, while on the other, they do everything possible to save them.
Nostalgia by Mauricio Candela

Nostalgia by Mauricio Candela

A reflection on how fast the world moves today because of technology. And as a result, how younger generations have walked away from the simplest and most basic things in life.
Hidden Landscape by Stefan Schlumpf

Hidden Landscape by Stefan Schlumpf

Grey, melted snow and ice runs like silent tears. Crumbling, ancient ice crunches. Tired from the fight against the warmth, the glaciers take flight, fleeing from human ignorance.
Growing in Darkness by Mário Macilau

Growing in Darkness by Mário Macilau

Mário Macilau is a photographer who works with “the ghosts of society” – socially isolated groups and subcultures – activating subjects and their stories though his psychologically sensitive yet loaded photographic lens.
Midwest Memoir by Michael Knapstein

Midwest Memoir by Michael Knapstein

There is a certain magic to the American Midwest. Honest. Modest. Understated. Sometimes unappreciated. Often overlooked. I created Midwest Memoir as a way to help others see the American Midwest in a whole new light.
Stories Retold by Lukas Vasilikos

Stories Retold by Lukas Vasilikos

His influences from Henri Cartier-Bresson to André Kertész and from Garry Winogrand to Josef Koudelka and Roy De Carava, as well as from the great Greek photographers, older and contemporary such as Nikos Economopoulos, enrich the inspirations and form the photographic aesthetics of the new author.
Terri Gold ; Poetic infrared imagery

Terri Gold ; Poetic infrared imagery

Terri Gold is an award-winning photographer known for her poetic infrared imagery of people from the remote corners of the world. She is a storyteller who is happiest when she is in a world that is unknown to her.
Sidewalk Theatre: Street photography from New York City by Mathias Wasik

Sidewalk Theatre: Street photography from New York City by Mathias Wasik

There are few cities that inspire the modern world as much as New York City does. It’s ever growing, ever rising – a kaleidoscope of American culture.

Trending Stories

Andre Kertesz: Humanism and visual lyricism

Andre Kertesz: Humanism and visual lyricism

Andre Kertesz was a silent but important influence on photojournalism and the art of photography. For more than seventy years, his subtle and penetrating vision helped define a medium that was in his childhood.
Akkara Naktamna : Street Photography

Akkara Naktamna : Street Photography

I think that photograph is the reflection of photographer; so if I'm a quiet person, my photographs are more quiet. While other photographers approach a crowd to find a beautiful light and shadow, nice emotion of life, or scene of noisy town
Interview with Joxe Inazio Kuesta

Interview with Joxe Inazio Kuesta

I think Dodho Magazine is an essential reference point regarding photographic projects publication, with a high diffusion among the professionals of the sector, galleries, agencies, etc. ... I value the diversity of what is published and the freedom it breathes and transmits.
Don’t look for success, look for happiness

Don’t look for success, look for happiness

The title of this article I have borrowed by Ferran Adriá. In 2015 I visited a groundbreaking and innovative exhibition in Madrid at the Fundación Telefónica, “Auditing the creative process” by the Catalan master chef.
Smoking Chefs by Jan Enkelmann

Smoking Chefs by Jan Enkelmann

Mine is a slightly different approach to street photography. Although most of my personal work is about people in public spaces, my images always have a theme, rather than just me waiting for the perfect light or someone walking into a scene.
Marcin Chajrewicz; inspirational photography

Marcin Chajrewicz; inspirational photography

My name is Marcin Chajrewicz, though for many I am well known as "Kolgrim". For years I've been living in London, but I am Polish and I was born in Biala Podlaska (east of Poland) where I went to school
Bull Jump Ceremony by Tommaso Vecchi

Bull Jump Ceremony by Tommaso Vecchi

The Bull Jump is a ritual which represents the rite of passage in the life of a young boy (Ukuli), who, from a child develops into a man (Maza). 
Insurgent Ophelia ; A contemporary representation by Beatriz Glez Sa

Insurgent Ophelia ; A contemporary representation by Beatriz Glez Sa

The Shakespearean character of Ophelia is immensely complex, and unlike other characters, reveals social dynamics that describe the underlying reality of an entire era. At no time does this fragile adolescent set out to follow her own will
Impressions of India by Marco Campi

Impressions of India by Marco Campi

I first visited India in 1997 when my work as a scientific researcher brought me to Bangalore. I had the fortune to be there on my own, … with more than 1 billion Indians around me, of course.
Dad by Morganna Magee

Dad by Morganna Magee

My father has been sick since I was a child. Though never close when I was little when my parents divorced I was aged 14, my brother and myself became the next of kin on the hospital forms. Over the past 9 years, we have taken him too and from hospitals, doctors appointments, specialists.
Leather’s factories in Bangladesh by Erberto Zani

Leather’s factories in Bangladesh by Erberto Zani

Leather industry is one of the major in Bangladesh and it's considerated a priority sector, with worldwide export. In last decade a lot of big, famous, brands, decentralized here the creations of their products with subcontracts, finding cheapest manpower for more profit.
Alienated by Pietro Sorano

Alienated by Pietro Sorano

We are increasingly alienated from TV and technology. We're like "detached" from time, engraved into a sterile monotony, and suspended in a sobering reality.

Other Stories

stay in touch
Join our mailing list and we'll keep you up to date with all the latest stories, opportunities, calls and more.
We use Sendinblue as our marketing platform. By Clicking below to submit this form, you acknowledge that the information you provided will be transferred to Sendinblue for processing in accordance with their terms of use
We’d love to
Thank you for subscribing!
Submission
Dodho Magazine accepts submissions from emerging and professional photographers from around the world.
Their projects can be published among the best photographers and be viewed by the best professionals in the industry and thousands of photography enthusiasts. Dodho magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any submitted project. Due to the large number of presentations received daily and the need to treat them with the greatest respect and the time necessary for a correct interpretation our average response time is around 5/10 business days in the case of being accepted.
- Between 10/30 images of your best images, in case your project contains a greater number of images which are part of the same indivisible body of work will also be accepted. You must send the images in jpg format to 1200px and 72dpi and quality 9. (No borders or watermarks)
- A short biography along with your photograph. (It must be written in the third person)
- Title and full text of the project with a minimum length of 300 words. (Texts with lesser number of words will not be accepted)
This is the information you need to start preparing your project for its presentation
To send it, you must compress the folder in .ZIP format and use our Wetransfer channel specially dedicated to the reception of works. Links or projects in PDF format will not be accepted. All presentations are carefully reviewed based on their content and final quality of the project or portfolio. If your work is selected for publication in the online version, it will be communicated to you via email and subsequently it will be published.
Contact
How can we help? Got an idea or something you'd like share? Please use the adjacent form, or contact contact@dodho.com
Thank You. We will contact you as soon as possible.
Submission
Dodho Magazine accepts submissions from emerging and professional photographers from around the world.
Their projects can be published among the best photographers and be viewed by the best professionals in the industry and thousands of photography enthusiasts. Dodho magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any submitted project. Due to the large number of presentations received daily and the need to treat them with the greatest respect and the time necessary for a correct interpretation our average response time is around 5/10 business days in the case of being accepted. This is the information you need to start preparing your project for its presentation.
To send it, you must compress the folder in .ZIP format and use our Wetransfer channel specially dedicated to the reception of works. Links or projects in PDF format will not be accepted. All presentations are carefully reviewed based on their content and final quality of the project or portfolio. If your work is selected for publication in the online version, it will be communicated to you via email and subsequently it will be published.
Get in Touch
How can we help? Got an idea or something you'd like share? Please use the adjacent form, or contact contact@dodho.com
Thank You. We will contact you as soon as possible.